California Comfort with a Few Bright Spots
Detroit · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bona Sera Cafe’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 wine list at Bona Sera reads like a greatest hits of California wine retail — The Prisoner, Meiomi, Flowers, Opus One all make appearances, which tells you exactly who this list is designed for. It's comfortable and crowd-pleasing, built to make guests feel like they're treating themselves without venturing anywhere unfamiliar. There's nothing offensive here, but there's also not much adventure.
The list leans hard into Napa and Sonoma with some Willamette Valley, Burgundy, Champagne, and a few Italian bottles rounding things out — so there's geographic range, even if the selections within each region tend toward the obvious. Taittinger Brut La Française and Overture by Opus One show some genuine aspiration at the high end, and Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel is a legitimately interesting pick in a sea of safe choices. The Italian representation is frustratingly thin for a cafe with this name — you'd hope for more depth from the boot. Australia and Argentina check the international box without doing much to distinguish the list.
Eighteen-plus by-the-glass options is genuinely strong for a café of this size, and the price range from $8 to $29 a glass gives drinkers real choice across budget levels. The pours skew toward California workhorses like Meiomi Pinot Noir and Robert Mondavi Chardonnay — approachable, recognizable, exactly what most tables will order. Don't expect the glass program to surprise you, but it won't disappoint either.
Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel Sonoma, CA — $52
Only a 30% markup over retail — nearly a steal by restaurant standards — and Ridge Three Valleys is a legitimately serious Zinfandel from one of California's best producers. It earns its place on any table and won't leave you feeling robbed.
Overture by Opus One
Most people ordering from the high end of this list go straight for The Prisoner or, if they're splashing, Opus One itself. Overture is Opus One's second label — same estate DNA, same winemaking philosophy, considerably less markup pressure. It's the smart order if you want Napa prestige without the full $400 commitment.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay California
At $28 a bottle on the list against a $12 retail price, this is a 133% markup on one of the most widely available, unremarkable grocery-store Chardonnays in the country. It's the kind of wine that exists on lists precisely because people recognize the Mondavi name and don't question the price. Question the price.
Taittinger Brut La Française + Any pasta with cream or butter sauce
Taittinger's house style is all about elegance and fine bubbles over power — it cuts through rich cream sauces the way a good Champagne should, refreshing the palate between bites rather than competing with the dish. At $102 it's not cheap, but it's fairly priced for the bottle and turns a pasta dinner into something worth remembering.
The Bottom Line
Bona Sera is a reliable neighborhood wine program that won't embarrass you on a date night, but the markup math on some bottles is hard to ignore and the list plays it safe enough that adventurous drinkers will run out of road fast. Order the Ridge, skip the commodity pours, and you'll have a fine evening.
Renaissance Center · Detroit · Regional Steakhouse
Highlands is a reliable special-occasion wine stop backed by a knowledgeable sommelier in Kevin Williams and a Wine Spectator Award it's held since 2022. The list won't surprise you, but at 71 floors up with a bone-in ribeye in front of you, you probably weren't asking it to.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Corktown · Detroit · Italian, Swiss
Alpino is doing something genuinely unusual for Detroit — an alpine-themed kitchen with a wine list that actually matches the room's ambition, not just its vibe. Send your friends here, tell them to order Austrian, and sit near the fireplace.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southfield · Detroit · Northern Italian
Bacco is the kind of wine program that makes you feel like Detroit's been holding out on you — 11,000 bottles, a sommelier who actually knows the cellar, and a room serious enough to let a 2000 Gaja breathe properly. The prices will make your eyes water, but this is a destination list worth the trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Rochester Hills · Detroit · Italian
La Collina is a perfectly decent neighborhood Italian spot that treats its wine list like an afterthought — familiar names, steep markups, no real sense of curation or care. Drink the Brunello or order a Negroni and don't look back.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Detroit · Detroit · Contemporary American
The Apparatus Room is the wine list Detroit didn't know it needed — thoughtful, fairly priced, and backed by a sommelier who actually shows up. If you're eating downtown and you care about what's in your glass, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Unknown · Detroit · Steakhouse
Shanahan's is playing a different game than most Detroit restaurants — the wine list is destination-worthy on its own merits, even if the markups reflect the ambition. If you're serious about wine with your steak, this is where you go.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Ocean Casino Resort · Atlantic City · Italian-American
Superfrico is a reliable wine program in a setting designed to get you to spend money — and it mostly delivers without being a total shakedown. Send a friend here for a fun night, not a wine education.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Broadway · Saratoga Springs · Italian-American
Come to Wheatfields for the house-made pasta — it earns its reputation. But the wine list is a lazy lineup of commercial brands at steep markups, and no one on staff is going to steer you toward anything interesting. Grab a glass of Prosecco during happy hour (50% off Monday through Friday, 3-7pm) and redirect your wine energy somewhere else in town.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Broadway · Idaho Falls · Italian-American
This is the wine list equivalent of unlimited breadsticks — comforting, familiar, and not something you'd brag about to anyone. Come for the pasta, order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if they'll let you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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