The Chain Wine List Nobody Asked For
West Des Moines / Jordan Creek · Des Moines · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 20, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Bravo! Italian Kitchen - West Des Moines’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bravo! Jordan Creek arrives looking like it was printed at corporate headquarters and shipped flat to every location in the country — because it was. There's nothing here that suggests anyone in West Des Moines had any say in what goes on this list. It's the wine equivalent of a laminated menu.
The list runs 40-60 bottles and leans predictably on Italian standards — house Pinot Grigio, Chianti — and California heavyweights like Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends. The Italian angle makes thematic sense for the restaurant, but the execution stops at the most generic expressions of each region: no small producers, no interesting DOCs, no reason to get curious. The California side is equally safe, built around crowd-pleasing Cabs and Chardonnays that could be from any chain restaurant in any strip mall in America. There are no meaningful gaps to call out because there's no ambition to have gaps in.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass sounds like plenty until you realize they're cycling through the same predictable lineup: Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Chianti, California Cab — rinse, repeat. At $8–$13 a glass, you're not getting robbed outright, but you're also not getting much wine for your money given what's in the glass.
Prosecco by the glass — $9
If you're going to drink here, bubbles before dinner is your best move. Prosecco is hard to mess up at this price point, it arrives cold, and it sets the right tone without asking too much of a chain beverage program.
House Chianti
It's generic, sure, but Chianti with a plate of pasta is a combination that's survived centuries for a reason. On this list, it's the one bottle that at least belongs in the room — and it likely drinks better than the California options at the same price.
California Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass
A nameless California Cab at chain restaurant markup is a recipe for paying $12 for something that retails at $10 a bottle. There's no producer, no vintage, no story — just a glass of 'fine' that you'll forget before the check arrives.
House Chianti + Chicken Parmesan
Tomato sauce needs acid to cut through it, and Chianti — built on Sangiovese — has exactly that. It's not a revelation, it's just correct, and on a list this unadventurous, correct is the win you're looking for.
The Bottom Line
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.
Downtown Des Moines · Des Moines · American, Regional
Proudfoot & Bird is the kind of place where the room earns a star the wine list can't quite match — solid enough for a business dinner or a date night in a stunning space, but don't come expecting to find something you've never heard of. If you're in Des Moines and want a dependable glass in a beautiful room, it works.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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