Memphis's Italian Anchor Plays It Comfortable
East Memphis · Memphis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Amerigo Italian Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Amerigo arrives feeling like the restaurant itself — warm, familiar, and designed to not surprise you. It's an 80-plus bottle card that leans Italian with a California safety net, which is exactly what you'd expect from a two-decade Memphis institution. Nothing here is going to make you call your friends, but it's not going to embarrass you at a business dinner either.
The Italian backbone is the strongest part of the list — Chianti Classico from Castellare, a Brunello di Montalcino from Lionello Marchesi Coldisole, and an Amarone all show up and signal that someone put actual thought into the boot. California fills out the other half with the predictable suspects: Silver Oak Cabernet and Cakebread Chardonnay, both reliable crowd-pleasers that also happen to be the most marked-up wines on the card. France is present but barely — more of a token nod than a real commitment. The gaps show up fast if you're looking for anything outside Tuscany or Napa.
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a genuinely solid number for a neighborhood Italian spot, and the $6–$10 price window keeps it accessible enough that you're not doing mental math before ordering a second pour. The problem is that Prophecy Pinot Grigio sitting right next to the Castellare Chianti — the range swings from grocery store shelf to legitimately interesting without much logic tying it together. We'd love to see more rotation here; the list reads like it hasn't changed since the last menu reprint.
Castellare Chianti Classico — $55
Castellare is a serious Chianti Classico producer — structured Sangiovese with real depth — and at the lower end of this list's bottle pricing, it's the pick that earns its keep. Order this before you even look at the California options.
Lionello Marchesi Coldisole Brunello di Montalcino
Most tables here are going straight for the Silver Oak without glancing at the Italian reds, which means this Brunello sits quietly underordered. Coldisole is a solid Montalcino estate and this is genuinely the most interesting bottle on the list — the kind of wine that makes the Italian focus feel earned.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver Oak is fine wine — we're not debating that. But it's also available at every steakhouse, wine shop, and hotel bar in America, and restaurant markup on a bottle this recognizable is going to be punishing. You're at an Italian restaurant. Order Italian.
Bolla Valpolicella + Veal Saltimbocca
Valpolicella's bright cherry fruit and light tannins don't fight the prosciutto or the sage in the saltimbocca — they let the dish do the talking. It's a classic Roman-meets-Veneto move that works, and at this price point it won't crater your check.
The Bottom Line
Amerigo is a dependable neighborhood Italian that takes its wine list more seriously than most spots at this price point — the Italian selection has real bones, even if California dominates the conversation and markups get aggressive fast. Send your parents here for a birthday dinner; just steer them toward Tuscany and away from Napa.
Midtown · Memphis · Steak House
Porch and Parlor is a reliable Southern steakhouse wine list that plays to its crowd — if you love California Cabernet with your dry-aged beef, you're in the right place. It won't challenge you, but it'll take care of you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Memphis · Memphis · American
Flight is the most wine-serious restaurant in downtown Memphis, and it earns that title without being stuffy about it. If you want California confidence with a sommelier who actually knows the list, this is your spot.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Memphis · Memphis · American, French
Chez Philippe is the wine list of a well-run fine dining institution that has been doing this right for 30 years — not a revelation, but reliably good and properly stored in a room that knows how to use it. Send a friend here if they want California Cab with a French menu inside one of Memphis's great hotels; don't send them if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Memphis · Memphis · Steak House
Char is a dependable, well-executed steakhouse wine list that earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence by doing the classics right — but it's not trying to surprise you, and it won't. Send a friend here for a special occasion Cab and a steak; just don't expect the list to spark any new obsessions.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Cooper-Young · Memphis · Italian
Bari is the kind of Italian wine program Memphis deserves more of — specific, serious, and fairly priced for what you're getting. If you're anywhere near Cooper-Young and want to drink real Italian wine with real Italian food, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown · Memphis · Bistro
Hu. Bistro isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its by-the-glass list is priced fairly and built with more care than you'd expect from a hotel rooftop. If you're in Memphis and want a decent glass without getting gouged for the privilege, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Italian
North Italia Gilbert is a chain that does the bare minimum of interesting things — and sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Tuesday in Gilbert. The Italian regional whites are the real reason to open this list; everything else is serviceable.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nob Hill · San Francisco · Italian
Seven Hills is doing something most Italian restaurants in this city won't — building a wine list that actually reflects the breadth of Italian winemaking rather than the highlights reel. If you're even mildly curious about obscure Italian whites, this is one of the better places in SF to take the leap.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Italian
Roma has enough wine on the list to get you through a good dinner, but it leans hard on California crowd-pleasers and marks them up accordingly. Stick to the Italian reds, avoid the Napa trophies, and you'll drink well enough — just don't expect the list to match the ambition of the cuisine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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