Crowd-pleasing Italian comfort, wine included
Irvine Spectrum · Irvine · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed June 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed BRIO Italian Grille – Irvine Spectrum’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at BRIO reads like a greatest hits album you've heard a hundred times — Santa Margherita, Meiomi, KJ Chard. It's comfortable, familiar, and purpose-built to sell bottles to a room full of people who came here for the pasta, not the Barolo. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you know what you're walking into.
The list leans on Italian-Californian staples with zero surprises and no ambition beyond broad appeal. Tuscany shows up via Ruffino Chianti Classico, Alto Adige gets a nod with Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and California fills the rest of the card with the usual suspects. There's no regional depth, no small producers, and no reason to spend time studying the list — you'll find what you expect and nothing more. The Italy-California split makes sense for the concept, but a little more effort here — even one off-menu Sicilian or a Friulian white — would go a long way.
Roughly 12-18 pours by the glass, which is a solid count for a casual Italian chain. The range covers the basics — a sparkling option in La Marca Prosecco, a light white in Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, a red in Ruffino Chianti Classico, and California crowd-pleasers rounding it out. Rotation appears minimal; this list has the feel of something that gets reviewed annually if that.
Ruffino Chianti Classico — $38
Chianti Classico from a reliable Tuscan producer that actually matches the Italian-American menu. It's a straightforward bottle but won't embarrass itself next to the Pasta Napoletana, and the price sits at the reasonable end of BRIO's range.
La Marca Prosecco
Most people at BRIO are ordering Chardonnay or Pinot Noir on autopilot. The Prosecco is genuinely fun here — light, dry, and versatile enough to carry you through flatbreads and starters without the commitment of a heavier red or white. Order a glass before dinner and you might just keep going.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
A fine supermarket bottle that retails around $14-16. Whatever BRIO charges for it by the glass or bottle, you're paying a chain markup on top of a mass-production Chardonnay. There's no story here, no sense of place, and better options exist on the same list.
Ruffino Chianti Classico + Pasta Napoletana
Tomato-forward red sauce and Sangiovese are a classic combination for a reason — the wine's natural acidity cuts through the richness and mirrors the sauce's herbal, tangy profile. It's not a complex pairing, but it's the right call at this restaurant.
The Bottom Line
BRIO's wine list is exactly what it needs to be for a polished Italian chain — safe, accessible, and unlikely to offend anyone. Don't come here chasing discovery, but if you want a glass of Chianti with your pasta in a comfortable setting, it delivers.
· Irvine · Brazilian churrasco (rodizio steakhouse)
The real headline here is the Monday–Thursday deal: half-price South American bottles under $150, available in both the dining room and bar. That's a legitimately good incentive to plan your Fogo visit mid-week. The wine list isn't pushing any boundaries, but at half-price it doesn't need to — grab something from Argentina, let the gaucho do his thing at the table, and call it a win.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Fleming's Irvine delivers exactly what it promises: a wide, competent, California-forward wine list that covers all the bases for a steakhouse crowd. The markup is real — this is not a list for value hunters — but the by-the-glass depth is genuinely good and the Loosen Bros. Riesling at $11 is the rare honest deal hiding in plain sight. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable glass with your ribeye in Irvine, this gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Benchmark is a genuinely pleasant surprise for Irvine — a short, owner-driven list that punches above its modest size by leaning hard into Paso Robles producers who actually deserve your attention. If you're a Cab-or-nothing drinker, you might feel constrained; if you're willing to follow the owner's enthusiasm toward Law Estate Grenache or a Bodega de Edgar Tempranillo, this list rewards the curious.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Corona del Mar · Irvine · New American and Seafood
CdM is genuinely worth your Wednesday. Half-price wine on an already polished dinner menu is a real offer, and the room alone justifies a reservation. We just can't tell you which bottle to order yet — the wine program is opaque enough that you'd be flying blind without a server who actually knows the list. Come for the Dirty Pasta and the vibe; if the wine follows, consider it a bonus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's Irvine is the wine list equivalent of a reliable business-class seat — comfortable, well-organized, and priced at a premium you'll notice. The by-the-glass program is the real strength here; thirty options with some genuinely good producers mixed in means you can eat well and drink reasonably well in the same visit. If you're hoping to geek out on the bottle list or find anything that'll make you lean forward in your chair, keep looking — but for a weeknight dinner or a client meal, this gets the job done without embarrassing anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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