Italian classics, Clayton prices, Italian heart
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list reads like a love letter to Italy written by someone who also really wants to sell you Caymus. There's genuine depth on the Italian side — Brunello, Barolo, Super Tuscans — but the California stalwarts show up and immediately start inflating the check. It's a wine list that knows what it wants to be, but keeps second-guessing itself.
Where Café Napoli earns its keep is in the Italian column: Tuscany and Piedmont anchor the list with the kind of credibility you'd expect from a room this serious about the cuisine. Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo are present, Sicily gets a nod, and Gavi di Gavi covers the white wine faithful. The problem is the California contingent — Jordan, Silver Oak, Caymus, Cakebread — which reads less like a curated selection and more like a greatest hits of airport wine bars, priced accordingly. A tighter Italian focus would make this list genuinely special instead of merely good.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass gives you real choices, which is more than most Italian restaurants in this zip code offer. The glass program leans toward the familiar, so don't expect to stumble onto a Nerello Mascalese on a Tuesday. What's there is reliable, if unsurprising.
Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve NV — $65
At 18% over retail, this is the closest thing to a fair deal on a prestige bottle. For a restaurant charging $210 for Caymus, a $65 Billecart Réserve is practically an act of charity — and it's a far better drink.
Gavi di Gavi
Most tables will reach for the Pinot Grigio out of habit, but Gavi di Gavi — Cortese-based, crisp, and genuinely Italian — is the smarter white wine play on this list and a better match for the kitchen's flavors.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2022
At $60 on the list against a $25 retail price, this is a 140% markup on a wine that's already overexposed and overrated. It's the default order for guests who haven't looked at the list, which is exactly why it's priced this way.
Brunello di Montalcino + 16 oz New York strip steak
Brunello's structure and dark fruit are exactly what a thick, properly seared strip needs — the tannins stand up to the char and the acidity keeps the fat in check. This is the one moment on the list where the Italian focus and the menu earn each other.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Café Napoli is a dependable destination for Italian wine in Clayton — just go in with eyes open on the pricing and steer hard toward the Italian side of the list. The California section is a trap and the markups on crowd-pleasers are rough, but the underlying Italian bones are solid enough to make this worth your time.
Clayton · St. Louis · Upscale American pub fare with English and French influences
801 Local has put in real work on this list — more work than most suburban pubs bother with — but the markup on recognizable bottles undercuts the goodwill. Come for the Vietti and the Frank Family; leave The Prisoner for someone else's table.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Grand Center · St. Louis · Italian
Vito's earns its Sicilian stripes in the kitchen, but the wine list is an afterthought — overpriced grocery brands with zero connection to the cuisine they're supposed to accompany. Order a beer or a soft drink, save the wine for a place that cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Town and Country · St. Louis · Italian
Napoli 2 is a reliable, if pricey, wine experience for fans of Italian classics and California comfort pours — just know you're paying a Town and Country premium for the privilege. Send your friends here for the Barolo and the bubbles, and steer them away from the Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clayton · St. Louis · American, European
Herbie's isn't going to blow any wine nerd's mind, but it delivers a well-curated, fairly priced list that genuinely supports a great meal. If you're in Clayton and ordering the Beef Wellington, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian
Casa Don Alfonso is the rare Italian restaurant that backs up its Amalfi aesthetic with a wine list serious enough to match. If Italy is your thing — or you want it to become your thing — this is worth the trip to Clayton.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Clayton · St. Louis · American
Truffles has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2004, and the list earns that credential every year — this is one of the most serious wine programs in St. Louis, full stop. Markups are real, but if you know where to look on this list, you'll drink very well.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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