Is it a coincidence that red and white are two of the colors associated with the holidays? We think not.
Whether you pop open some blanc de blanc bubbly or uncork some Santa-red sangiovese, wine adds a celebratory flavor to the season. And at the casino, nowhere is a bottle more festive than at the steakhouse.
These signature fine dining restaurants host elegant family gatherings and date-night dinner 365 days a year, but those looking to deck the halls with some added holiday cheer should look to the steakhouse wine list.
From zippy, unoaked chardonnays to racy Rhône reds and plush, break-out-the-black-card Napa cabs, steakhouse wine lists are curated to complement an upscale dining experience — and special occasion.
“Holidays or not, a meal is not complete without wine,” said Dennis Reiter, the German-born, Level 2 sommelier and manager of Jamul Casino’s Prime Cut steakhouse.
“People usually start with Champagne at the holidays, and California wines do remind me of Christmas because of all the deep, dark fruit.”
In general, casino wine lists excel at representing the best-known Napa cabernet sauvignons, the classic American pairing with steak, but also have interesting, unexpected choices from around the world. Casino wine lists are also better priced than their counterpoints at non-casino steakhouses.
So to help you make holiday meal the merriest it can be, we’re making a list and checking it twice to find the best gifts on casino steakhouse wine lists.
Barona Resort & Casino
1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.com
Steakhouse: Barona Oaks Steakhouse. Among its awards are the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence; 2019 marked the sixth consecutive time the restaurant earned this distinction, nine times overall. Longtime pianist Jonathan Zarzosa adds to the steakhouse’s timeless lure.
Unwrapping the list: By far the most accessibly priced of all the casino steakhouses, it offers an impressive variety beyond Napa, particularly in pinot noir, Italian varietals and San Diego wines. There are 20-plus bottles from Lakeside, Ramona and Escondido.
Best value, white: 2016 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, $33.
Best value, red: 2014 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Wash. $40.
Holiday splurge: 1982 Château Pichon Lalande Pauillac, $600. Critic Robert Parker called this Bordeaux from a stellar vintage “one of the monumental wines of the last century … extravagantly rich.”
Top food and wine pairing: The wild mushroom soup, perhaps the best bowl on the planet, with the earthy 2015 Arteberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Ore. $35.
Harrah’s Resort Southern California
777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center. (760) 751-3100. harrahssocal.com
Steakhouse: Fiore. A classic steakhouse menu with contemporary touches, like the cauliflower steak entrée with golden raisins, kale, pine nuts, pearl onions, Italian farro and caramelized onion vinaigrette.
Unwrapping the list: A balanced list, with variety and price points for every budget.
Best value, white: 2015 Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa. $34.
Best value, red: 2017 Calixa, Monte Xanic Cab-Syrah, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja. $45
Holiday splurge: 2016 Sea Smoke “Ten” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $210. A beguiling, aromatic red from Santa Barbara wine country’s buzziest pinot producer.
Top food and wine pairing: Fiore’s signature Surf & Turf poses a conundrum: white with the lobster, shrimp and crab, or red with the filet mignon? Solve that one with the non-vintage, $80 J Brut, Sparkling Rosé, Russian River Valley. Bubblies are famously food-friendly and rosé is particularly versatile.
Jamul Casino
14145 Campo Road, Jamul. (619) 315-2250. jamulcasinosd.com
Steakhouse: Prime Cut. A glamorous dining room bathed in natural light, the steakhouse earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2018-19. A bespoke, multi-course chef’s table experience, with wine pairings, is a new feature.
Unwrapping the list: A list strong on iconic Napa cabs, with a refreshing sprinkling of lovely global choices. The wine list is presented in an organized digital format on an iPad.
Best value, white: 2013 Virginia Dare Winery Two Arrowheads Viognier-Roussanne Blend, Paso Robles. $32.
Best value, red: 2017 Jamul Casino 23 Cabernet-Syrah Blend, South Coast. $40.
Holiday (mini) splurge: 2013 E. Guigal Brune et Blonde de Guigal Syrah, Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhône Valley, , $140. Recommended by Prime Cut’s manager and sommelier, Dennis Reiter, for being an “homage to terroir,” this plush, spicy, dark ruby red is the Northern Rhône in a glass. And also a good value for the quality.
Top food and wine pairing: The German-born Reiter suggests countering the spicy Thai peanut coconut shrimp with bell pepper, coriander Thai basil and Fresno chili with the 2015 Schloss Johannisberg Gelblack Riesling Feinherb (off-dry), Rheingau, . $41.
Pala Casino Spa & Resort
11154 Highway 76, Pala. (877) 946-7252. palacasino.com
Steakhouse: The Oak Room. The elegant, recently upgraded steakhouse fire roasts its steaks at over 1,600 degrees and serves them in a sizzling pan bathed in butter.
Unwrapping the list: The most extensive wine list of any casino steakhouse, or perhaps any San Diego steakhouse, it features an eye-popping selection of ultra- wines (Del Dottos Grgich Hills, Heitz Cellar, Trefethen, Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, Quintessa, Opus One, Joseph Phelps, etc.) from multiple vintages. With 21 cabernet francs, 23 bubblies, 46 wines by the glass, and hundreds of cabernet sauvignons, Bordeaux-style blends and large-format bottles to choose from, this is not a list for the indecisive. All of the wines are available property-wide upon request. And there are plenty of bargains.
Best value, white: 2016 Kitá Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley. $36
Best value, red: 2012 Piazza del Dotto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa. $75. (A second label of the famed Del Dotto, it’s like getting a Chanel suit at Target prices.)
Holiday splurge: 2005 Dolce Far Niente, 375ml, Napa. $162. Celebrate the season by ending your meal with one of the the best dessert wines ever made. Far Niente’s late harvest semillon-sauvignon blanc has been dubbed “liquid gold” and you’ll see why with one sweet sip.
Top food and wine pairing: The rich, buttery Japanese Waygu A5 beef calls out for a wine of finesse. Enter the always classy 2007 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. From a benchmark vintage and priced at $160, it’s just $25 over what it sells for on the winery’s website.
Pechanga Resort & Casino
45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula. (888) 732-4264. pechanga.com
Steakhouse: The Great Oak Steakhouse. One of only two San Diego-area casino steakhouses to earn an AAA Four Diamond Award, the restaurant features prime-grade Angus steaks.
Unwrapping the list: A carefully curated selection with big-name wineries and hidden gems, the list has been recognized by the editors of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines.
Best value, white: 2017 St. Supéry Oak Free Chardonnay, Napa. $35.
Best value, red: 2016 Nine Red Blend (cab, cab franc, malbec, syrah, petite sirah, merlot, petit verdot and carménère), Paso Robles. $38.
Holiday splurge: 2016 Leonetti Cellar Reserve Bordeaux blend, Columbia Valley, Wash. $185. If this gorgeous cab-based blend were from Napa, it would cost hundreds more. Its critics’ scores range from 94-99 points and it has been described as “magical” and “exceptionally stylish.” We expect nothing less from Leonetti.
Top food and wine pairing: The braised bone-in short ribs with black truffle potato puree needs a wine that can stand up to all that richness. The $65 2016 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Le Volte, Bolgheri, Tuscany, gets its silkiness from merlot, its structure from cabernet and its lively food-friendliness from sangiovese.
Sycuan Casino Resort
5469 Casino Way, El Cajon. (619) 445-6002. sycuan.com
Steakhouse: Bull and Bourbon. This super-stylish, swanky new steakhouse operated by Las Vegas-based Clique Hospitality opened in March.
Unwrapping the list: Plenty of recognizable names in every price category, including several millennial-pleasing labels. The wine list would be even more appealing if it specified vintages.
Best value, white: Sokol Blosser Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Ore. $35.
Best value, red: Château Chapelle aux Moines, Libournais (Bordeaux), . $52.
Holiday splurge: DeLille Cellars Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, Wash. $213. Another great label from Washington State, DeLille is known for its powerful yet graceful reds.
Top food and wine pairing: The jumbo lump crab cake, slightly crispy on the outside and luxuriously creamy on the inside, is one of the best in town. Match it with the classy, gentle bubbles of the $63, non-vintage G. H. Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne from Reims.
Valley View Casino & Hotel
16300 Nyemii Road, Valley Center. (760) 291-5500. valleyviewcasino.com
Steakhouse: Black&Blue Steakhouse. Among a number of awards, the attractive restaurant was named Best Overall Restaurant in OpenTable’s 2019 Top 10 Diners’ Choice Awards. Black&Blue serves up true fine dining polish, with warm hand towels, an amuse bouche and complimentary post-dessert sweets. The $45 fixed-price, three-course menu is a sure bet. But if you like to gamble, order the “Ultimate Surf & Turf” and after you’re done, you’ll play Dining for Dollars. Pick the right card from the poker table rolled over to you and your $85 steak-and-lobster dinner is free.
Unwrapping the list: A modest-sized, smartly selected, well-priced list with four tasting flights, two whites and two reds, ranging from $12-$18. Each wine comes with a helpful description and each category is arranged “from lightest to fullest in body and style.” Vintages are not listed.
Best value, white: Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Sonoma. $32.
Best value, red: Numanthia Termes Tempranillo, Toro, Spain. $35.
Holiday splurge: Daou Estate Soul of a Lion Cabernet, Paso Robles. $135. Practically a steal at this price, this intensely rich cab has a hauntingly aromatic nose and sturdy tannins. The Tasting gave it 96 points and called it the “king of the Paso Robles jungle.”
Top food and wine pairing: Flavorful grilled rack of lamb with a smoky, smooth and peppery $30 Zaca Mesa Syrah from Santa Ynez.
Viejas Casino & Resort
5000 Willows Road, Alpine. (619) 445-5400. viejsandiegouniontribune.noticiases.info
Steakhouse: The Grove Steakhouse. An updated, stylish eatery with such gourmet-minded dishes as grilled bison, Korean-glazed pork belly and Spanish octopus. Regularly recognized by the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, the Grove is the only San Diego County casino steakhouse with an AAA Four Diamond Award. A three-course $45 fixed price menu is available nightly.
Unwrapping the list: Like its menu, which pleases traditionalists and adventuresome types, the Grove’s wine list peppers in surprises with its well-known names. Strong in the Champagne, chardonnay and cab categories.
Best value, white: 2014 Carmel Road Unoaked Chardonnay, Monterey. $42.
Best value, red: 2016 Ridge Lytton Springs blend (zinfandel, petite sirah, carignane, mataro) Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma. $48.
Holiday splurge: Multi-vintage Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Brut, Montagne de Reims, . $550. Want to party like a high-rolling celebrity? The Jay-Z-owned Champagne comes in the glitziest of bottles but also with some serious French winemaking cred.
Top food and wine pairing: A juicy, 12-ounce baseball cut top sirloin is a lean, filet-like steak that would match well with a high-altitude, foot of the Andes, structured and sexy 2015 Bodegas Salentein Reserve Cabernet, Mendoza Argentina. $50.