Italy in your glass, Capitol Hill on your tab
Downtown · Olympia · Upscale Northern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Basilico Ristorante Italiano’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
The wine list at Basilico lands with real Italian conviction — no international filler, no token California Cab just because it sells. You open it and immediately know this kitchen and this cellar are speaking the same language. Eighty-five labels deep, focused almost entirely on the boot, it's the kind of list that rewards people who actually want to drink Italian wine with Italian food.
Piedmont and Tuscany carry the weight here, and they carry it well. Sandrone and La Spinetta showing up on a list in Olympia, Washington is genuinely surprising — these are serious Barolo and Barbera producers, not supermarket imports dressed up with a fancy label. The Sandrone Cannubi Boschis Barolo and the Felsina Fontalloro magnum signal that someone put real thought into the cellar, even if the markup undercuts some of that goodwill. Veneto and Abruzzo round out the regional coverage, with Prosecco and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo giving the list some accessible entry points alongside the heavier hitters.
Ten pours by the glass is a respectable count for a restaurant this size, running $11–$16 and covering enough ground that you're not stuck choosing between two uninspiring options. The range appears to include Italian classics across regions, which is the right call for this format. That said, there's no indication of active rotation or a curated pour program — what's on the list tonight is probably what was on it three months ago.
Pellissero '21 Barbera D'Alba — $49
Barbera D'Alba from a reliable Langhe producer at $49 is the sweet spot on this list — bright acidity, enough fruit to play against red sauce and braised meat, and priced where you don't have to think twice about ordering it.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Most tables at a white-tablecloth Italian spot reach for the Barolo or Chianti Classico. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo quietly sits there, typically one of the more fairly priced pours on any Italian list, and it punches way above its reputation — deep, dark, and built for a bowl of pasta.
La Spinetta '19 Barbera D'Asti Superiori
At $105 a bottle, this is a tough sell when the Pellissero Barbera D'Alba — same grape, same general pedigree — is sitting right there at $49. La Spinetta makes excellent wine, but not twice-as-excellent wine compared to what else is on this list.
Sandrone '17-'18 Cannubi Boschis Barolo + Osso buco
Cannubi Boschis is one of Barolo's most celebrated single vineyards, and Sandrone's version has the structure and depth to stand up to braised veal shank without bullying it. The wine's natural tar and rose character plays directly into the richness of the osso buco in a way that's hard to argue with.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Basilico is doing something genuinely rare for a mid-sized Pacific Northwest city — running a focused, Italy-only wine program with serious producers on the shelf. The markups take some shine off, but if you know what to order, you can drink very well here.
Downtown · Olympia · Pacific Northwest brasserie / American
Cascadia Grill isn't a wine destination, but it's a fair and functional list that won't leave you feeling ripped off or bored — and in downtown Olympia, that's more than enough to earn a return visit. Take a Washington bottle, order the salmon, and enjoy the Bigfoot decor.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westside / Capitol Mall · Olympia · Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi
Fujiyama is a fun night out — but the wine list is an obligation, not an attraction. Stick to sake or cocktails and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that returns the favor.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Percival Landing / Waterfront · Olympia · Seafood-focused American
Budd Bay Café is not a wine destination, but it's a perfectly functional place to drink a decent glass of Washington white while watching boats drift across Budd Inlet. Send your friends here for the view and the chowder — just steer them toward the Barnard Griffin and away from the Sutter Home.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastside · Olympia · Grocery café with mixed American and Asian options, plus full wine and beer retail
Ralph's Thriftway shouldn't be this good at wine, and that's exactly why it earns the Wild Card. If you're in Olympia and need a bottle — or ten — skip the chain stores and come here first.
Surprising Depth
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Capitol Lake / Westside · Olympia · Wine Bar / Cocktail Lounge
Swing's upstairs lounge is the kind of place that surprises you — a Cayuse Cailloux and a Clos de Lambrays Grand Cru don't belong on a list this size in a city this small, and yet there they are. Markups push steep on the top shelf, but there's enough here to make it worth the trip if you know where to look.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westside / Harrison · Olympia · American
Iron Rabbit isn't a wine destination, but it's a neighborhood bar that actually tried — and in Olympia's Westside, that matters. If you're already here for dinner, you'll drink well without a second thought.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.