Safe Italian Bets, No Surprises Either Way
· McKinney · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Brio Italian Grille McKinney’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Brio McKinney reads like it was built by committee — every wine a recognizable name, every choice defensible to a skeptical table of six. There's nothing here that will make a wine person lean forward, but nothing that will actively offend them either. It's a restaurant wine list doing exactly what a restaurant wine list usually does: covering bases.
Twenty-seven labels organized into Vino Rosso, Vino Bianco, and Bubbly — tidy, predictable, and heavy on California. The Italian representation is real but thin: Cecchi Chianti DOCG, Il Poggione Rosso di Toscana, Planeta Nero d'Avola, and a Bertani Valpantena Amarone are the highlights, giving the list at least a geographic reason to exist at an Italian restaurant. The rest leans hard on crowd-pleasing California stalwarts — Caymus, Rombauer, Decoy, Rodney Strong — names your uncle knows and trusts. Whites bring a couple of decent Friuli Pinot Grigios from Gambino and Terlato, which is a pleasant nod to where Pinot Grigio actually comes from, but Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc on an Italian list still feels like a shrug.
No by-the-glass breakdown is confirmed from the data we have, so we can't tell you what's pouring and at what price — which is itself a minor red flag when you're trying to plan a midweek dinner around a single glass. At a chain with 27 labels, expect a standard selection of the biggest names to be available by the glass, but verify at the table.
Il Poggione Rosso di Toscana Red Blend — null
Il Poggione is a serious Montalcino producer, and their Rosso di Toscana is typically an accessible, food-friendly red that punches above its price point. On an Italian menu, this is the bottle that actually fits the food and the address — if the price is fair, it's your move.
Gambino Pinot Grigio Friuli Colli Orientali DOC
Most people at an Italian chain will reflexively order whatever they already know, but this Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio from Gambino is the real thing — mineral-driven and structured, nothing like the watery mass-market PG that dominates Italian-American restaurant lists. Most tables will walk right past it.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine at a fair price — in a bottle shop. In a restaurant, the markup turns a $45 retail bottle into something considerably more painful, and it has nothing to do with Italian food anyway. You're paying for brand recognition, not value.
Cecchi Chianti DOCG + Pasta with meat sauce or a classic Italian red sauce dish
Chianti and tomato-based pasta is a cliché because it works — the acidity cuts through the richness of the sauce, and Cecchi is a reliable, well-made producer. At an Italian-American chain, this is the pairing that will actually make your meal taste better.
The Bottom Line
Brio McKinney's wine list won't win any awards and the markup will sting if you reach for the California heavyweights, but there are a few genuinely Italian picks buried in there worth finding. Come for the food, order thoughtfully, and stick to the Old World side of the list.
· McKinney · Southern American
Ida Claire isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid place to drink wine — especially if you time it for happy hour. Show up between 3 and 6, order the shrimp and grits, and let someone else worry about the cellar.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· McKinney · Italian
Taverna Rossa's wine list gets the job done for a casual dinner out, but the markups on familiar bottles make it hard to recommend going beyond a glass or two. Stick with the Barbera or the Guigal and save the splurge for the food.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McKinney · Mexican
Mi Cocina McKinney put exactly zero thought into their wine program, and it shows in every predictable bottle on that nine-label list. Order a margarita and don't look back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McKinney · Italian
Bravo! is a competent chain wine program — wide by-the-glass selection, a few Italian producers worth noting, and prices that are steep but not insulting. You're not coming here for the wine list, but you won't regret ordering either.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McKinney · Seafood & Steakhouse
Truluck's isn't a destination wine list, but the nightly happy hour deals and an actual sommelier on staff mean you can drink well here without too much pain — just lean on the bar specials and let the secret wine surprise you. Send a friend who cares more about stone crab than obscure growers, and they'll leave happy.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
· McKinney · New American
Gather isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's okay — but the $63 Syrah by the glass and the static, California-heavy list suggest the program hasn't been pushed in a while. Stick to the mid-tier pours, order the Chianti, and enjoy it for what it is: a casual neighborhood spot where the wine won't derail the evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · Italian
Sant Ambroeus Palm Beach is a reliable, if unambitious, wine experience — Italy and France, done cleanly, priced for Royal Poinciana Way. If you're here for the scene, the truffle pizza, and a glass of something Italian and uncomplicated, it delivers. Just don't come looking for value or discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Italian
Five Corners has stocked four respectable Italian reds and essentially stopped there. Without pricing, pour options, or a list that can accommodate the full table, it's hard to call this a wine program — it's more like a wine shelf. Come for the Italian cooking; manage your expectations on the wine side.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Italian
Sotto Sotto is a genuinely Italian wine list in a city that usually settles for Italian-American approximations — the Timorasso, the Lambrusco di Sorbara, the Franciacorta all signal real intent. The glass program is accessible, markups are reasonable, and the bubbles section alone justifies a visit. If you want depth across all of Italy, you'll hit the edges fast at 68 labels, but what's here is well-chosen. Send a friend who likes to drink something they've never heard of.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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