Thursday nights just got a lot cheaper
West Des Moines · Des Moines · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 20, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Biaggi's West Des Moines is exactly what you'd expect from a polished suburban Italian chain — familiar faces, safe regions, nothing that's going to make you stop mid-scroll. It's Italy and California wall to wall, which fits the room, but don't come here hunting for a funky Jura white or an obscure Sicilian producer.
Eighty to one hundred twenty bottles sounds like range until you realize most of the real estate is occupied by recognizable brand names — Santa Margherita, Meiomi, Kendall-Jackson, Ruffino, Duckhorn's Decoy — the kind of list that could exist at any TGI Fridays with a decent pasta section. The Italy focus makes sense given the concept, and the Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale is a legitimate nod to the menu's roots. California fills in the rest, leaning on label recognition rather than any particular depth of terroir. There's nothing embarrassing here, but there's also nothing that suggests anyone spent real time curating it.
Fifteen to twenty-five pours by the glass is a respectable count, and the $8–$14 range keeps things accessible. The selection mirrors the bottle list — big brands, familiar grapes — so you're not going to find anything surprising, but you're also not going to get stuck with bad wine. Just know that most of these same bottles retail for well under $20, so you're paying a premium for the poured convenience.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale — $50 bottle / $13 glass
At 117% markup it's the least punishing option on the list, and it's actually the wine most in harmony with the menu. Sangiovese with a room full of pasta and red sauce is a no-brainer, and this one has the structure to hold up to it.
Decoy by Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people sleep on Decoy because it lives in the shadow of its parent brand, but at $58 a bottle it carries the Duckhorn pedigree at a fraction of the price and marks up cleaner than almost anything else on this list. It's the grown-up choice at a table that's otherwise ordering Meiomi.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
A 200% markup on a $13.99 grocery store bottle is a hard no. This wine is everywhere, costs nothing, and Biaggi's is charging $42 for it. Order literally anything else.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale + Chicken Marsala
Sangiovese's bright acidity and earthy backbone cut through the richness of the Marsala sauce without bullying it — it's a classic Italian match that actually makes sense on this menu rather than just sounding good on paper.
Thursday — Chain-wide 50% off bottles under approximately $75, dine-in only. Some locations also discount select glasses. This is the single best reason to plan your visit around a specific night.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Biaggi's is a dependable suburban Italian with a wine list that plays it completely safe and prices that would sting if not for Thursday's half-price bottle deal — show up then, order the Chianti, and you'll have a genuinely solid night. Any other day, just manage your expectations.
Johnston · Des Moines · Wine bar / American
Louie's Johnston is exactly what a suburban wine bar should be — a big by-the-glass list, fair prices, and zero pretension. Send your friends here when they want to drink well without a side of attitude.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · Steakhouse & American
Club Car is a reliable steakhouse wine list doing exactly what it was built to do: keep Cab drinkers happy and nobody walking out complaining. Don't come here for discovery, but don't leave without ordering the Jordan.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waukee · Des Moines · Japanese / Asian Fusion / Sushi
Wasabi Waukee is a genuinely good sushi restaurant that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, and zero curiosity about what wines might actually sing alongside the food. Order the cocktails or sake instead, and save the wine discussion for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Ingersoll / Grand · Des Moines · Contemporary American
Louie's Wine Dive is the kind of place Des Moines needs more of — a real wine program in a no-pretense room, with Tuesday half-price deals that make experimenting genuinely low-stakes. It's not a destination list, but it's absolutely a destination night.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Clive · Des Moines · American, Brewpub
Granite City is a brewery that tolerates wine, and the list reflects that perfectly. Drink the beer — it's the whole point of being here.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Des Moines / Jordan Creek · Des Moines · Italian
Bravo! is a fine dinner out if the pasta is what you're after, but the wine list is purely functional — corporate-designed, safely marked up, and entirely forgettable. Order a glass of bubbles or the Chianti, make peace with your choices, and let the food do the heavy lifting.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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