Solid Italian-leaning list for pizza night
Downtown · Iowa City · Italian-American, wood-fired pizza and pasta · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Basta’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list at Basta is tighter than you'd expect from a lively downtown spot — 37 labels, clean layout, and a clear lean toward Italian and California classics. It reads like someone made intentional choices rather than just calling up a distributor and saying 'give us the usual.' That's a decent start.
The backbone here is Italian and Californian, which tracks with the wood-fired pizza and pasta menu. You've got a Brunello from Elia Palazzesi sitting alongside Silver Oak Cab and Chateau Montelena Chard — it's not a deep list, but the hits are recognizable and mostly well-chosen. The Illahe Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley and the Majolini Franciacorta Brut add some welcome range beyond the obvious. Where it falls short is depth within those regions — there's no real exploration of southern Italy, no Barbera or Vermentino, and the Burgundy/Rhône crowd is left mostly out in the cold.
Eleven by-the-glass options at $8–$13 is a reasonable spread for a busy pizza-and-pasta joint. The range covers the bases — white, red, bubbly — without anything too adventurous. Rotation doesn't appear to be an active priority, which is fine for a neighborhood staple but won't keep wine-curious regulars coming back for something new.
Illahe Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR — null
Illahe punches above its price point consistently, and Willamette Pinot with wood-fired food is a genuinely smart combination. Worth seeking out on this list over the flashier California reds.
Majolini Franciacorta Brut, Lombardy, IT
Most people walk right past the Italian bubbly and order a cocktail. That's a mistake. Franciacorta is serious sparkling wine — Champagne method, Italian bones — and it belongs at a pizza table more than almost anything else on this list.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
At $140, you're paying full trophy-wine markup for a bottle that retails around $65–$70. Silver Oak is a crowd pleaser, but this is the kind of name-recognition tax that eats your wallet alive. Save it for a place that's actually built around big Cabs.
Elia Palazzesi Brunello di Montalcino, Siena, IT + Wood-fired pizza with sausage and peppers
Brunello's Sangiovese backbone — high acid, firm tannin, earthy cherry — is made for rich, charred, pork-forward food. It's an indulgent call on a pizza night, but it works harder here than it would at a white-tablecloth Tuscan dinner.
The Bottom Line
Basta is a reliable wine stop for Downtown Iowa City — nothing groundbreaking, but a thoughtful enough list that you won't feel stuck drinking whatever the table ordered. Watch the markups on the name-brand bottles and lean toward the Italian and Oregon picks for the best bang.
East Side / Riverside Drive area · Iowa City · Italian-American
The Brown Bottle is a reliable neighborhood Italian that won't embarrass you on a date or a family dinner — the wine list is safe, the prices are fair, and the Tignanello is a genuine reason to look twice. Don't come here hunting for discovery, but do come here for a cold night, a bowl of pasta, and a Chianti that gets the job done.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Iowa City · Iowa City · Farm-to-table American steakhouse and gastropub
Iowa Chop House is a perfectly competent steakhouse wine list that plays it safe from start to finish — you'll drink well, you'll pay fairly steep prices for the privilege, and you won't be surprised by anything. For Iowa City, that's honestly good enough most nights.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Iowa City · Iowa City · Steakhouse, Classic American Fine Dining
Joseph's is doing more than most Iowa City restaurants bother to do with wine, and the Champagne section alone earns some respect. But steep markups and a list that plays it safe keep it from being anything more than a reliable night out — solid enough to enjoy, not worth planning your evening around the bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Downtown edge · Iowa City · Modern Italian
Basta isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't need to be — it's a fun downtown Italian spot with a reliable-enough list and one of the best recurring happy hour deals in Iowa City. Show up between 4 and 6, drink the Soave, eat the pizza, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Mexican / Tex-Mex
Order the margarita. Seriously. But if someone at the table insists on wine, the Barefoot pours are priced so close to retail that you're not getting hurt — just don't expect anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Pizza / Italian-American
Pagliai's earns its legendary status in Iowa City as a pizza destination — the wine list, however, is an afterthought that nobody on staff or in the kitchen appears to think about much. Order a beer, order a soda, order another slice, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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