Napa's Italian backyard with serious wine credentials
Highway 29 / South Napa · Napa · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bistro Don Giovanni’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list lands with the weight of a serious wine program — hundreds of bottles spanning Napa Valley heavyweights and a genuine Italian selection that goes well beyond Chianti and Barolo. It's the kind of list that takes a minute to absorb, and that minute is worth it. You're sitting in wine country, and the list knows it.
The California side is deep and well-curated — Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, DuMOL Chardonnay, and Kistler all show up alongside local names like Massican and Kenzo Estate that wine geeks will recognize immediately. The Italian chapter is legitimately exciting: Quintodecimo Greco di Tufo, La Scolca Gavi dei Gavi, Biondi Santi Brunello, Sassicaia, and Tignanello give it real range from north to south. There's a solid European sidebar too — Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner from Austria, Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, and Puligny-Montrachet from Albert Joly round out the old-world presence. The one notable gap is a deeper dive into southern Italian reds, but what's here is well chosen.
Fifteen by-the-glass options is a respectable program for a casual-elegant Napa trattoria, and they don't waste pours on filler. Expect a rotating cast of local and Italian bottles that mirror the depth of the full list. It's an honest glass program — enough variety to make a decision feel meaningful without being overwhelming.
Mason Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2022 — $40
At $40 a bottle in a Napa restaurant, this is practically an act of charity. Mason is a reliable, bright, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc that won't embarrass you at the table and won't embarrass your wallet either. Order it without overthinking it.
Massican 'Annia' Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2022
Massican is one of Napa's best-kept secrets — Dan Petroski makes Italian-inspired whites in the valley that most people walk right past in favor of another Chardonnay. The Annia blend is textured, savory, and genuinely interesting. It's the wine that makes you look smart at the table.
Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2020
At $100 a bottle, this is a perfectly fine Sauvignon Blanc that you can find at retail for a fraction of the price. Nothing wrong with the wine — everything wrong with the math when the Mason at $40 is sitting right there on the same list.
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, Provence 2022 + Fritto Misto
Tempier Bandol Rosé has the structure and savory backbone to actually stand up to fried seafood without getting steamrolled — it's not a delicate garden-party rosé. The salt and crunch of the fritto misto play perfectly against the wine's garrigue-tinged fruit. It's a classic Provençal food-wine logic that travels well.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Bistro Don Giovanni is the rare Napa restaurant where the wine list earns as much attention as the pasta. Fair prices by valley standards, a sommelier who clearly cares, and a list that rewards curiosity — send your friends here without hesitation.
Calistoga · Napa · Seasonal Modern American
TRUSS is a competent, well-staffed wine program that plays to its audience and its address — if you're here for deep cuts or value hunting, lower your expectations and enjoy the views. But if you want a reliable, properly stored Napa-focused list with real sommelier guidance and a solid glass pour selection, this is exactly what it's supposed to be.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Italian with California Influence
Ristorante Allegria is a solid, honest wine destination for a downtown Napa dinner — not a list that'll make you gasp, but one that respects the room and the food. Watch the markups on the commodity bottles and lean toward the producers that actually earned their spots on the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Yountville · Napa · American comfort food / family-style
Ad Hoc's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a Thomas Keller casual concept: well-curated, California-centric, and priced for people who didn't blink at the reservation. It won't blow your mind, but it'll hold its own against the fried chicken.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Contemporary American and Mediterranean-inspired
The CIA at Copia is the rare Napa restaurant where the wine list isn't trying to take your wallet hostage. If you're in downtown Napa and want serious producers at prices that don't require a second mortgage, this is the move.
Solid Range
Steal
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Yountville · Napa · New American
Lucy is a well-run hotel wine program that takes itself seriously — proper glassware, a sommelier who shows up, and a California list with genuine depth. The markups are Napa-level steep, but you're in Yountville; nobody's coming here expecting Brooklyn prices.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Contemporary New American
Torc earns its place at the top of Downtown Napa's wine scene — deep list, smart producers, a sommelier who presumably earned the title. Bring your appetite and a card that can handle a Napa markup, because the wine here is worth the conversation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
South Higgins · Missoula · Italian
Ciao Mambo isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, fairly priced, and doesn't embarrass itself — which puts it ahead of most Italian spots its size. Send a friend here for dinner and point them toward the Planeta or the Torrontés; they'll thank you.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Beachfront / Highway 90 · Gulfport · Italian
Salute isn't a destination wine list, but it's honest, reasonably priced, and calibrated to the food it's serving. Send a friend here for a casual Italian dinner and tell them to stick to the Italian bottles — they'll have a good time.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Westview · Frederick · Italian
Carrabba's Frederick isn't a wine destination, but it's a chain that actually tried — Italian-leaning list, credible producers, food-friendly pours. Send your friend here if they want a decent Chianti with their pasta and don't want to think too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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