Venice on the Woonasquatucket, Done Right
Downcity · Providence · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Bacaro’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bacaro lands exactly where you'd expect from a serious Italian restaurant in a candlelit brick basement — heavy on the boot, with Veneto, Piedmont, and Tuscany carrying most of the weight. It's a list built to flatter the menu rather than show off, and for a night of salumi and cicchetti, that's not a bad thing. The $$$-tier pricing signals this is not a casual Tuesday wine run.
The list runs 100–150 bottles deep with a clear editorial vision: Northern Italy is the star, and the producers lean toward the classics. Amarone della Valpolicella, Barolo, and Brunello di Montalcino are all present, which tells you the kitchen and the cellar are speaking the same language. What's less clear is whether there's any adventurous detour into lesser-known Italian regions — no mention of Etna, Campania, or Friuli suggests this is a safe, crowd-pleasing northern Italian lineup rather than a tour of the whole country. For the price point, you'd hope for a few curveballs, but the fundamentals are solid.
The by-the-glass program runs 12–18 options, which is respectable for a restaurant of this size and style. Prosecco almost certainly anchors the opening pour, which is the right call when you're serving Venetian tapas. Whether there's meaningful rotation or any skin-contact or orange wine poking through is unknown, but the range suggests enough options to drink well start to finish without committing to a bottle.
Prosecco — N/A
As an aperitivo anchor alongside the cicchetti and salumi boards, Prosecco by the glass is almost certainly the smartest entry point on this list — it's the right wine for the format and keeps your spend honest before you commit to a heavier red.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most people at a casual Italian spot walk past the big reds, but Amarone at a place like Bacaro is worth the splurge — it's a concentrated, serious wine that earns its price tag in ways that a generic Chianti simply doesn't.
Barolo
Barolo on a restaurant list at this price tier almost always carries a punishing markup, and unless you know exactly which producer and vintage you're getting, you're likely paying $90–$130 for a bottle you could find at retail for $40–$60. Order it if you see a specific producer and vintage you recognize; otherwise, it's an expensive leap of faith.
Brunello di Montalcino + Mixed salumi
The savory, cured intensity of a salumi board needs a wine with enough structure and tannin to hold its own — Brunello's firm backbone and earthy character meet the fat and salt of the meats without getting swallowed up.
The Bottom Line
Bacaro is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants a serious Italian list in a genuinely atmospheric Providence setting — just go in knowing the markup is real and come with a specific bottle in mind if you're ordering off the deep end. For a date night with cicchetti and a nice Veneto red, it absolutely delivers.
· Providence · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Providence is a steakhouse first, and the wine list reflects exactly that priority — it's serviceable, accessible, and won't embarrass anyone, but it's also not trying very hard. If you're here for the churrasco experience, grab the Jorjão Malbec or the Garzón Albariño and let the meat do the heavy lifting. Don't come expecting discovery; do come knowing exactly what you're getting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Federal Hill · Providence · Mediterranean with American flair, rotisserie-focused bistro
A glass-led list with a fair spread: 18 pours from $10 to $21, most reds at $14 or under, and a half-bottle section for when two people want different things. Start with the $15 Stoller Pinot Noir if you are ordering the short ribs, or the $13 Riesling with the choucroute, and confirm prices since the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Fox Point · Providence · American Brasserie
A compact list with three pour sizes: 17 wines come as 6 oz, 9 oz or bottle, and bottles run from $30 to $125. Start with the $10 Chateau Roc de Segur Bordeaux or the $11 Marqués De Valor Albariño, and confirm prices because the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian
A big Italian-leaning list: 41 Italian reds, 25 Cabernets and 22 wines by the glass. For a glass, the $14 Bonanza Cabernet by Caymus or the $11 Dante Di Fiorenza Super Tuscan are the easy picks; for a bottle, the $44 Carpineto Chianti Classico with the Mafaldine Bolognese is a safe, honest match. The menu says vintages can change with availability, so confirm before ordering. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian
A large Italian-American list with enough by-the-glass range to cover a big table. Start with the Fratelli Cozza Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at $10 a glass, or the Silvan Ridge Willamette Pinot at $13 if you want something lighter, and come on a Monday if you want to buy bottles at half price. The wine pages are undated, so confirm prices when you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
College Hill · Providence · American, French
A Cabernet-heavy list from autumn 2025, with glass pours from 10 and bottles up to a 450 Opus One. Start with the 10 Château du Petit Thouars Cabernet Franc, or the 16 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo if you want something from Piedmont, and check that the list is still current since it is marked September 2025. 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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