All 20 Italian Regions, Zero Price Gouging
The Loop · Chicago · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated March 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Acanto’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open a 700+ label Italian wine list and brace for sticker shock. Then you see Franciacorta for $22/glass and Donnafugata Sul Vulcano at $22—both priced below or at retail. We're not in Kansas anymore.
This is the rare restaurant wine list that reads like a personal cellar, not a profit center. All 20 Italian regions are represented with depth—not just token bottles from Puglia or Umbria, but actual producer knowledge. The Piedmont section alone could anchor most wine bars: Vietti Nebbiolo Barolo from 2013, Ceretto Cerequio Barolo, multiple Moscato options beyond the usual suspects. Sicily gets proper treatment with Donnafugata's full lineup and volcanic wines from Etna. The markups are borderline charitable—most bottles priced at or below typical retail, which is unheard of in a Michigan Avenue location across from Millennium Park.
Twenty-plus by-the-glass options spanning $12-$25, and the selection treats you like an adult. You'll find Barone Pizzini Franciacorta at $22 (retail $35), not just house Prosecco. Murgo Rosé Metodo Classico for $18. Even the humble Damilano Moscato d'Asti at $13 is priced to actually order, not admire from afar. Happy hour pricing makes this even more aggressive—they clearly want you drinking well, not just drinking.
Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Carricante — $22
Retail is $30. This volcanic Etna white by the glass for less than retail is borderline charity work
Cotarella Ferentano Roscetto
Lazio whites get zero respect, but this indigenous Roscetto at $18/glass (retail $25) is a textbook example of why Italian regionality matters
Braida Brachetto d'Acqui
Sweet sparklers have their place, but this is the safe pick for people afraid of actual wine—you're surrounded by 700 better options
Vietti 2013 Nebbiolo Barolo + Handmade pasta with ragù
Aged Nebbiolo and slow-cooked meat sauce is the pairing that launched a thousand Italian grandmothers—respect the classics
The Bottom Line
This is what happens when a restaurant actually cares about wine as much as food. Seven hundred labels from every Italian region, sommelier-guided, and priced like they want you to explore, not just splurge on date night. The Michigan Avenue location should mean tourist-trap pricing—instead it's the opposite.
Logan Square · Chicago · Italian
Come to Osteria Langhe for a focused trip through Piedmontese wine. Thursday’s advertised half-price selection is worth asking about, and Wednesday offers a wine pairing alongside the four-course menu. The linked wine list is dated December 2025, so confirm today’s bottles and prices before choosing.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Lincoln Park · Chicago · American Casual
Summer House is not a wine destination, but it's a reliable place to drink well enough without getting gouged on the low end — just steer clear of the big-name bottles where the markup climbs. Send your friend here if they want something easy and good; don't send them here if they're chasing something serious.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · Italian
il Carciofo is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine list that treats Italian regional variety as the main event, not the footnote. If you're tired of the same Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico circuit, this is exactly where you should be eating dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Chicago · Chicago · Steakhouse
STK Chicago is here to sell you a night out, and the wine list is just part of the set dressing. If you care about what's in your glass, eat here for the steak and order water.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie Chicago is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants a French-focused list executed with genuine effort and the occasional smart value. The markups aren't shy, but the BTG program and specials take some of the sting out — go in with a plan and you'll drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Chicago · Steakhouse
This is not the wine list you expect to find at The Palm, and that's exactly why it earns attention. Six bottles, zero filler, genuinely fair pricing — if someone's tending this list, they deserve a raise.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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