Playing It Safe in the Mountains
Downtown Asheville · Asheville · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed February 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Bargello’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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
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
Downtown · Asheville · Southern
Husk isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine—it's a solid supporting cast to excellent Southern cooking. The list is fair, approachable, and won't leave you feeling gouged or bored.
Solid Range
Fair
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· 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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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