Italian Comfort, Decent Bottle to Match
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 3, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Biaggi's lands somewhere between a chain Italian restaurant and a place that actually cares — it's bigger than you'd expect, with a clear Italian lean that fits the room. There's a dedicated wine room on site, which signals at least some intentionality. The list won't surprise you, but it's not an embarrassment either.
Italy anchors the list, and that's the right call for a room full of house-made pasta and wood-fired pizza. You'll find recognizable names like Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva and Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino alongside the Antinori Santa Cristina, which punches well above its station. California and Washington fill out the rest, leaning heavily on safe crowd-pleasers — Meiomi Pinot Noir shows up as expected. The Brunello is a genuine standout presence on a list this casual, though the markup will make you pause.
The by-the-glass program runs 15-25 options depending on the season, which is solid for a mid-market Italian spot in Cedar Rapids. La Marca Prosecco is a reliable opener, and there are enough reds to navigate through the pasta section without settling. Rotation doesn't appear aggressive — don't expect anything too off-the-beaten-path showing up week to week.
Antinori Santa Cristina — $38
This Umbrian Sangiovese-based red is well above its price class — Antinori is a serious producer, and Santa Cristina consistently overdelivers for the money. It's the move with anything tomato-braised on the menu.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva
Most people at a casual Italian chain will reach for California Cab or Meiomi out of habit. The Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva is the smarter call — real Sangiovese acidity, earthy backbone, and it actually belongs with the food on this menu in a way that New World reds just don't.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
It's everywhere, it's sweet, and it's marked up well beyond what you'd pay at any grocery store. This is the path of least resistance, not the path of good wine. Order literally anything Italian on this list instead.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva + House-made pasta with meat sauce
Sangiovese and tomato-based pasta is one of those combinations that exists for a reason — the wine's natural acidity cuts through the richness and mirrors the savory depth of a slow-cooked meat sauce. This is the pairing Biaggi's was built for.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Biaggi's isn't a wine destination, but the Italian-forward list does enough right that you can drink well if you know where to look. Stick to the Italian bottles, avoid the obvious crowd-pleasers, and you'll leave satisfied.
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Frontera · Round Rock · Italian
Macaroni Grill's wine list is functional in the same way a vending machine is functional — it'll get you a drink, but nobody's excited about it. If wine matters to you even a little, you're better off at almost any independent Italian spot in the area.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Wooster Square · New Haven · Italian
Tre Scalini is the rare neighborhood Italian that backs up a serious room with a serious wine list — 425 bottles, a sommelier, and real Italian depth all say someone's paying attention. Markups run steep on the prestige stuff, but value is absolutely findable if you know where to look.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
The Greene · Dayton · Italian
Bravo is not a wine destination, and it doesn't try to be — but Wednesday nights at the bar with $7 pours of Ruffino Chianti and a pasta dish is genuinely a decent night out in Beavercreek. Skip the wine list the other six nights unless you're okay paying chain markups for supermarket bottles.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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