All 20 Italian Regions, Zero Price Gouging
The Loop · Chicago · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed March 8, 2026 · How we review
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.
· Chicago · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Chicago's wine list is built for throughput, not discovery — it's reliable, reasonably ranged by the glass, and anchored by South American selections that at least make thematic sense with the food. The markups are steeper than we'd like and the list won't excite anyone who drinks wine as seriously as they eat meat, but the Catena Malbec and the Bodega Garzón Albariño are legitimate picks that rise above the crowd-pleaser baseline. Come for the churrasco, drink the Catena, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · Seafood
A seafood house with a long, mixed list: a Seafood Whites section, Burgundy and Napa depth, and 22 pours by the glass. Order the Marc Brédif "Royal Oyster" Muscadet with a half dozen oysters, or start with the $11/glass Charles de Fère, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · Mediterranean, Steakhouse
A Napa-heavy bottle list with a real Greek section and a short, priced glass board. Start with the $10 happy-hour Vermentino or, if you are staying for dinner, the AA Sigalas Assyrtiko at $75, and confirm prices and availability when you sit down. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · Mediterranean
A 38-pour glass list with unpriced Champagne and Burgundy-heavy bottle pages behind it. Start with the $14 Tiberio Trebbiano or the $15 Thymiopoulos Assyrtiko, and ask for bottle prices because the posted bottle pages carry none. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks menu, not service, storage or markups.
Fulton Market · Chicago · Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
A Mediterranean list built around Greece and Lebanon, with 18 wines on the by-the-glass pages. Start with the Kalokaíri rosé (16 / 64) or the Chateau Musar "Jeune Rouge" (19 / 76), and confirm current vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · American
A short 14-wine list, with most price pairs between $13 and $15 and four single-price wines at $72 to $80. Order the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling at $13 | 50, or the Provence rosé if you want the one French wine, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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