Playing It Safe in the Mountains
Downtown Asheville · Asheville · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated March 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · February 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bargello’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Bargello's wine list feels like it was designed by committee—safe Italian producers that won't offend anyone but won't excite anyone either. Walking in, you get the sense the wine program is an afterthought to the pasta.
The list sticks to recognizable Italian regions—Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto—with predictable producers that you'd find at any decent Italian spot in any American city. We're seeing Antinori Chianti at $68, a Banfi Brunello pushing $110, and the obligatory Ruffino Prosecco for $42. No deep Sicilian cuts, no adventurous orange wines from Friuli, no natural producers shaking things up. It's the wine equivalent of ordering spaghetti carbonara at every Italian restaurant you visit—reliable, sure, but where's the personality?
The glass pour selection runs about 6-8 options, heavy on the Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico. A Gavi by La Scolca sits at $14, a safe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at $12, and predictably, a Super Tuscan blend at $16. Nothing rotates with any urgency—these are the same pours you'll find here in three months.
Ceretto Langhe Nebbiolo — $58
Baby Barolo vibes at half the price—teaches you the grape without the mortgage payment
Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Everyone orders the cheap Montepulciano, but this single-vineyard version at $72 shows what the grape can actually do with some age and attention
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
At $110 with what's likely a 3.5x markup, you're paying Asheville vacation pricing for a mass-produced Brunello you can find for $35 retail
Vietti Barbera d'Asti + Tagliatelle al Ragù
Barbera's bright acidity cuts through rich meat sauce like it was designed for this exact moment—because it was
The Bottom Line
Bargello does the job if you're already here for the food and want something drinkable. But if wine is why you're choosing a restaurant in Asheville? Keep looking.
Downtown Asheville · Asheville · Farm to Table
The Blackbird is doing wine right in a town that's more known for craft beer — there's a real sommelier (Sarah Reder) behind this list and it shows. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Asheville · Asheville · American
Vue 1913 is a reliable wine destination for guests who know what they like and want to drink it with a jaw-dropping view — just don't expect the list to push you anywhere new. Send your California Cab-loving friends here without hesitation; send your natural wine friends somewhere else.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Grove Park · Asheville · Regional
Sunset Terrace isn't a wine destination — it's a destination where wine happens to be available and handled competently. Come for the mountains and the steak, order the Ridge or the Sonoma-Cutrer, and enjoy the fact that at least nobody's pouring you something terrible.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Asheville · Asheville · American, Farm to Table
Jargon is doing something real with wine in a neighborhood that doesn't demand it, and that's exactly why it deserves your attention. Send a friend here — just tell them to skip the Napa Cab and ask about the Minervois.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Asheville · Asheville · American
The Dining Room is genuinely worth the trip, and not just because of the mansion backdrop — the sommelier team is real, the cellar is serious, and Wednesday half-price wine night turns a splurge into a steal. Markups on the prestige bottles are steep, but the overall program earns its Best of Award of Excellence.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Asheville · Asheville · Middle Eastern
Jerusalem Garden Cafe does Middle Eastern food well, but the wine program is non-existent. Stick to the Turkish coffee or mint tea and save your wine budget for literally anywhere else in Asheville.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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