South American Steakhouse, North American Markups
Smith Hill · Providence · Peruvian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Andino's reads exactly how you'd expect from an upscale Latin American steakhouse that wants to look serious about wine without actually committing to it. Argentina, Chile, Italy — safe, recognizable, inoffensive. It's a list built to move bottles, not to excite anyone.
Forty-plus labels sounds like depth until you realize the heavy lifting is done by a handful of reliable South American workhorses and Italian crowd-pleasers. Catena and Santa Rita 120 are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here — both solid producers, but Santa Rita 120 is a supermarket staple that has no business anchoring a $50-a-plate dinner menu. There's a real opportunity to go deeper into Argentine Malbec, Torrontés, or even Peruvian pisco-adjacent crossover moments, and Andino's doesn't take it. The Italy angle feels tacked on rather than intentional.
Eight by-the-glass options at $10–$16 is a serviceable range for the price point of the room. What's missing is any sense of rotation or curation — this feels like a static list that hasn't changed since the restaurant opened. At these glass pour prices, you'd hope for something a step above what you'd find at a hotel bar.
Catena Malbec 2021 — $48
It's still a 140% markup on a $20 retail bottle, which stings, but Catena is genuinely good Malbec and the best option on this list for what you're eating. Relative to everything else here, it's the least bad deal.
Prosecco La Gioiosa
Most people ordering wine at a steakhouse skip the bubbles entirely, but La Gioiosa is a clean, food-friendly Prosecco that actually cuts through the richness of chimichurri and grilled meat better than a heavy red. Worth starting with.
Santa Rita 120 Cabernet 2020
A 180% markup on a bottle you can grab at your local grocery store for $15 is a hard pass. Santa Rita 120 is a perfectly fine weeknight table wine — it's not a restaurant experience. Order something else.
Catena Malbec 2021 + Chimichurri Skirt Steak
Catena's Malbec brings dark fruit and enough structure to stand up to the charred, herby punch of chimichurri skirt steak — this is the one combination on the menu where the wine list is actually doing its job.
❌ The Bottom Line
Andino's has the bones of a wine program that could genuinely complement its food, but steep markups on accessible bottles and a static, play-it-safe list mean you're paying a premium for the ambiance, not the wine. Order a cocktail or brace for the Catena.
· Providence · Restaurant
Mare Rooftop is a great place to watch the sunset with a cold glass of Whispering Angel — and that's about the ceiling of its wine ambition. If you're here for the view and the vibe, lean into it; if you showed up hoping for a thoughtful wine experience, you're in the wrong place.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Providence · Italian (modern trattoria)
Sarto's wine list is a credible, Italy-focused program that earns its place in a serious Italian kitchen — just go in knowing the markups lean steep and the list doesn't reward wandering outside the boot. Order the Vermentino, eat the pasta, and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian-American
Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen is a Providence legend for its food and its history, not its wine list — which reads like something assembled in 1994 and never reconsidered. Come for the veal cutlet and the nostalgia, but don't let the wine list talk you into spending $48 on a Kendall-Jackson.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Side · Providence · American Brasserie (French-Influenced)
Red Stripe isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. Fair prices on recognizable bottles in a lively room that actually makes you want to stay for another glass — that's a respectable thing to get right.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Providence · Providence · Upscale American Steakhouse with Seafood
The Capital Grille Providence is a well-oiled machine with a wine program that earns more respect than most chains deserve — the depth is real, the staff knows the list, and the Generous Pour event is a legit reason to show up. The markups are steep and the soul is corporate, but if someone else is expensing dinner, you could do a lot worse.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown Providence · Providence · Seafood
Hemenway's is the rare seafood institution that earns its reputation on the wine side too — the sommelier presence is real, the French whites are well-chosen, and the list is built with actual intention. The markups are real and the BTG program could use more energy, but if you're eating raw bar in Providence, you could do a lot worse than starting with a glass of Fèvre Chablis here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
North Fresno · Fresno · Peruvian
Limón isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either — the list is lean, South American, and built to work with the food, which is more than most restaurants at this price point bother to do. Go for the Jalea and the Sauvignon Blanc, skip the Malbec autopilot, and enjoy the ride.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
St. Augustine · Jacksonville · Peruvian
A modern Peruvian steakhouse with a 180-bottle list anchored by serious Argentine producers and a Wednesday half-price program that makes it genuinely dangerous for your wallet — in the best way. Yes, send your friends here for wine.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Pearl District · Portland · Peruvian
Andina is the rare restaurant where the wine list actually reflects what's on the plate, and a sommelier on staff means you're not flying blind. The markups are real and worth knowing about, but the thematic coherence and Latin American focus make this a genuinely fun place to drink if you're eating Peruvian in Portland.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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