7 Chicago Steakhouse Cuts and the Perfect Wine for Each (2026 Holiday Guide)

Chicago orders its steak with a scorched, almost blackened crust and a cool red center, a style so local that cooks across the country still call it "Chicago-style." That crust changes the wine. Char brings bitterness and smoke, the rare center brings fat and juice, and the bottle on the table has to handle both at once. This holiday season, when Chicagoland steakhouses book out for office dinners and family celebrations from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, the right pour is the difference between a good night and a memorable one.

The city takes this seriously. Wine Spectator's 2026 Restaurant Awards recognized several Chicagoland steakhouse locations, from the Loop to Naperville, Northbrook, Rosemont and Schaumburg, and one Gold Coast steakhouse now carries a list of roughly 2,400 bottles. For guests, that is a lot of choice. For buyers, it is a lot of competition for a slot. Here are seven cuts, seven bottles, and the reasoning behind each pairing.

Key Takeaways

• Char needs fruit and acidity, not just power. Aged Rioja handles the bitter crust better than a heavily oaked fruit bomb.
• Match intensity to the cut: lean filet wants a lighter red, a dry-aged bone-in ribeye wants structure and age.
• Manzanos Gran Reserva Rioja 2015 (95 pts Wine Enthusiast) is the bottle for the big night.
• Serve reds slightly cool, around 60 to 65°F, so alcohol never overwhelms the meat.
• All seven wines are in stock in the U.S., ready to ship to all 50 states.

What Is Chicago-Style Steak, and Why Does It Change the Wine?

Chicago-style means a hard sear on very high heat: a dark, charred exterior over a rare or medium-rare interior. The style is often linked to the city's stockyard heritage, when Chicago's chophouses competed on how boldly they could cook a steak.

For wine, the char matters as much as the beef. Bitter, smoky notes clash with wines that are already bitter from heavy new oak or green tannin. What works is a red with ripe fruit, fresh acidity and tannins that have had time to soften. That description fits traditional Rioja almost perfectly, which makes Spanish reds a natural fit for steakhouse lists that want something beyond the usual Napa Cabernet column.

7 Chicago Steakhouse Cuts and the Wine to Pour With Each

1. Dry-aged bone-in ribeye: Manzanos Gran Reserva Rioja 2015

Dry aging concentrates beef into something nutty, savory and almost cheese-like. It needs a wine with matching depth. Manzanos Gran Reserva Rioja 2015, rated 95 points by Wine Enthusiast, spends years in barrel and bottle before release, which gives it dried cherry, leather, tobacco and sweet spice with tannins that have long since relaxed. The ribeye's fat softens what structure remains, and the wine's acidity keeps every bite fresh. Decant it 30 to 45 minutes before the steak lands.

2. Chicago-style NY strip: Manzanos Reserva Rioja 2018

The strip is firmer and leaner than the ribeye, with a pronounced beefy flavor that stands up to the hardest char. Manzanos Reserva Rioja 2018 (93 points, Wine Enthusiast) brings red fruit, vanilla and a savory edge in a younger, more energetic frame than the Gran Reserva. It is the most versatile red on this list and the easiest by-the-glass recommendation for a server to make.

3. Filet mignon: Cremaschi Furlotti Pinot Noir

Filet is the most tender cut and the mildest in flavor. A heavy red flattens it. Cremaschi Furlotti Pinot Noir from Chile offers bright red berries, gentle tannin and lively acidity that lift the meat instead of burying it. If the filet comes with a béarnaise or a peppercorn sauce, the wine's freshness cuts through the richness neatly.

4. Porterhouse or tomahawk for two: Duchessa Lia Barolo

Shared, carved tableside, built for a celebration. Barolo is Nebbiolo from Piedmont: pale in the glass, powerful on the palate, with rose, tar, cherry and firm tannins that grip the fat of a large-format steak. Duchessa Lia Barolo turns a porterhouse dinner into an occasion, and its structure keeps pace with both the strip and filet sides of the bone.

5. Holiday prime rib: Siglo Rioja

Slow-roasted prime rib is softer and juicier than a grilled steak, with less char and more jus. Siglo, the Rioja famous for its hand-tied jute sack, delivers ripe Tempranillo fruit, soft spice and an easy, generous texture. It is a crowd-pleaser for a large holiday table and a recognizable bottle that guests remember by its packaging.

6. Skirt steak or steak frites: Cremaschi Furlotti Cabernet Sauvignon

Skirt steak is loose-grained, intensely flavored and often marinated. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maule Valley brings blackcurrant, a touch of herb and firm tannin that handles the marinade and the salt from a pile of fries. For bistro-style menus around the West Loop and Fulton Market, it is a strong value-driven glass pour.

7. Shrimp cocktail, oysters and surf and turf: Bruce Jack Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Every Chicago steak dinner starts somewhere, usually with a chilled seafood tower. Bruce Jack Reserve Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa has citrus, green apple and a saline snap that pairs with oysters and shrimp, and it carries through to the lobster tail on a surf-and-turf plate. A crisp white at the start of the meal also makes the reds that follow taste richer.

What Wine Goes With Dry-Aged Steak?

Dry-aged beef loses moisture and gains concentrated, savory, sometimes funky flavors. Aged red wines with tertiary notes such as leather, mushroom, tobacco and dried fruit echo those flavors instead of fighting them. Rioja Gran Reserva, Barolo and mature Bordeaux-style blends are the classic choices. Young, very fruity reds can taste simple next to a 45-day dry-aged cut.

Is Merlot Good With Steak?

Yes, especially with leaner cuts like filet or sirloin. Merlot's softer tannins and plum fruit make it approachable. For the fattier, charred cuts Chicago is known for, though, a wine with more acidity and structure, like Tempranillo from Rioja, usually holds up better from the first bite to the last.

For the Illinois Trade: Steakhouse Lists That Sell Through

Chicago steakhouse lists tend to lean heavily on California Cabernet, which leaves room for a differentiated Old World section that still feels familiar to steak lovers. A few practical moves for beverage directors and retailers this season:

• Add an aged Rioja by the glass. A Gran Reserva poured by the glass lets guests trade up without committing to a full bottle, and the 95-point score gives servers an easy story.
• Build a "cut and pour" section on the menu or a table card that pairs each steak with one wine. Guests order faster and check averages rise.
• Keep one celebration bottle visible. Manzanos 125 Aniversario earned 97 points and a Platinum medal from Decanter, the kind of bottle that anchors a holiday reservation.
• Stock depth matters in December. Our wines are held in U.S. warehouses, so reorders arrive quickly when a holiday weekend runs a bottle dry.

Our family has been making wine in Rioja and Navarra since 1890, five generations of the Fernández de Manzanos family, and our portfolio holds more than 600 wines rated 90 points or higher. If you buy for a restaurant or shop in Illinois and are looking for a Spanish wine importer with stock already in the country, talk to our trade team. For more Illinois ideas, read our guides to Chicago's iconic foods and wine and Spanish wines for Chicago tapas.

Where to Find These Wines in Illinois

Shoppers across Chicagoland can look for our wines at retailers including Binny's and Hy-Vee, along with Costco and Total Wine & More in many markets. Availability varies by store, so check our Find Our Wines locator before you go, or browse the full range on our wines page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best wines to pair with steak?

Medium- to full-bodied reds with good acidity and well-integrated tannins are the most reliable choices. Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir for leaner cuts all work, depending on the cut and how it is cooked.

What wine goes with filet mignon?

Filet is tender and mild, so it pairs best with lighter, fresher reds such as Pinot Noir or a Rioja Crianza. Save the most powerful wines for fattier cuts like ribeye.

What temperature should red wine be served at with steak?

Slightly below room temperature, around 60 to 65°F. Too warm and the alcohol stands out; a few minutes in the fridge before serving often improves a red at a crowded steakhouse table.

Should I decant Rioja Gran Reserva?

Yes. Thirty to forty-five minutes in a decanter helps an aged Rioja open up and separates any natural sediment, so it shows at its best when the steak arrives.

Ready to pour? Find a bottle near you on our store locator. Restaurants, retailers and distributors can source directly through us.

Manzanos Wines USA is the premier importer of premium wines from Spain, Italy, Chile, South Africa, and France, serving all 50 US states through our nationwide distributor network. Learn more at manzanoswinesusa.com.

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