All-Italian, All-Honest, All-Night
Unknown · Raleigh · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bella Monica’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bella Monica does exactly what a neighborhood trattoria's should — it stays in its lane, keeps prices honest, and doesn't try to impress you with names you can't pronounce. Everything on the list is Italian, full stop. That kind of editorial discipline is rarer than it should be.
This is a tight, focused Italian list that covers the peninsula's greatest hits without overstaying its welcome. You've got your Abruzzo bases covered with the Ca' Brigiano Montepulciano, a Barbera d'Alba from Damilano for the Piedmont crowd, and the Cantine Madonna delle Grazie Liscone Aglianico for anyone who wants something with a little more grip and ambition. Whites lean toward the north and center — Suavia Soave Classico, Casammata Vermentino, and Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis round out a white selection that punches above the price point. The gaps are real — no Barolo, no serious Sicilian representation, no natural wine presence — but for a casual trattoria this size, the curation is genuinely respectable.
Glass pours start at $6 and top out around $11, which in today's restaurant climate borders on civic service. The pour selection mirrors the bottle list closely, giving you legitimate access to regional Italian variety without committing to a full bottle. Rotation appears limited — this feels like a static list rather than one that changes with the seasons.
Suavia Soave Classico — $10
A serious producer making one of Veneto's most underrated whites — Garganega with real mineral backbone — for ten bucks a glass. You'd pay double this at most Italian spots in the region.
Cantine Madonna delle Grazie Liscone Aglianico
Aglianico is Campania's dark horse — tannic, earthy, with a savory edge that most diners walk right past. At a trattoria where most people default to Chianti, this is the bottle for anyone who wants something that actually makes you think.
Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis
It's a fine wine, but at a 55% retail markup it's the weakest value on the list — noticeably steeper than everything else. The Suavia or Casammata Vermentino gives you more excitement per dollar.
Damilano Barbera d'Alba + Wood-fired pizza
Barbera's high acidity and low tannin make it the ultimate pizza wine — it cuts through cheese fat, plays nice with tomato, and doesn't fight the char from a wood-fired oven. Classic move for a reason.
The Bottom Line
Bella Monica won't change your life, but it'll charge you a fair price and pour you something genuinely Italian while it's at it. For a weeknight neighborhood spot, that's exactly enough.
Glenwood South · Raleigh · Mediterranean
Vidrio isn't trying to reinvent wine lists, and it doesn't need to — solid French selections, fair pricing, and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options make this a dependable wine destination in Raleigh. Send a friend here and they won't come back disappointed.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · American, Seafood
The Players Retreat is the Wild Card because nobody walks in expecting a legitimate wine program at a beloved Raleigh neighborhood bar — and yet, here we are. Matt Fern keeps things credible, the California and French anchors are well-chosen, and as long as you steer past the grocery-store staples, you're drinking better than the room suggests.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian
Cucciolo Terrazza is a genuine surprise in Raleigh's dining scene — a neighborhood Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator badge and actually makes you want to explore beyond the first familiar name you recognize. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Napa Cab.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brier Creek · Raleigh · Indian
Azitra is doing something genuinely unusual — running a Wine Spectator-caliber list at an upscale Indian restaurant in Raleigh — and largely pulling it off. The Wednesday half-price program alone makes it worth putting in your rotation; the Bollinger and the Drouhin make it worth telling your friends about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Unknown · Raleigh · Pizza
Ruckus Pizza is a solid spot for a casual pizza night — just don't come for the wine. Order a beer or a cocktail, or grab a bottle from the shop next door if they'll let you bring it in.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Apex · Raleigh · Winery (BYOF or charcuterie)
Cloer is a Wild Card in the best sense: it's a real working vineyard producing honest North Carolina wine at fair prices, and the vibe alone is worth the trip out of Raleigh. Bring food, bring friends, and give the Muscadine a real shot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
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.
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