Downtown Raleigh's Italian anchor delivers the goods
Downtown · Raleigh · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Caffe Luna’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 Caffe Luna reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — and not the lazy kind that just throws Chianti and Pinot Grigio at you and calls it a day. Fifty-plus selections anchored in Veneto, Friuli, and Lombardia signal that someone here actually thought about what goes with the food. It's not flashy, but it's intentional.
The list skews white and northern Italian, which makes sense given the menu, and the producers are mostly reliable workhorses rather than trophy names — Bidoli from Friuli, Attems out of Collio, Inama's Soave Classico. The red side of the list gets more interesting as you move up the price ladder: Frescobaldi's Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva and Produttori del Barbaresco both show up, which is a genuine signal of ambition. There are gaps — no serious Barolo, thin on southern Italy — but for a neighborhood Italian in downtown Raleigh, this is a list that earns its keep. The Inzolia/Greciano offering is a small but welcome nod toward something less predictable.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass at $7.50–$8.50 is a legitimate deal in 2024, especially when the options include the Ca Del Doge Prosecco and the Bidoli Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli rather than just house-brand filler. The glass program doesn't rotate aggressively, which is the one knock — this is a list that stays put rather than one that surprises you on your third visit.
Chianti Rufina Riserva 'Nipozzano', Frescobaldi (Toscana) — $29
Retail on this bottle runs $25, meaning Caffe Luna is only adding 16% — essentially cost-plus pricing. Nipozzano is a serious Riserva with real structure and age, and at $29 you're getting a bottle that drinks well above its price tag. Order this without hesitation.
Soave Classico, Inama (Veneto)
Most people walk past Soave like it's still 1987 and Bolla is the only option. Inama's Classico is a different animal — mineral-driven, structured Garganega from the volcanic hillside zone that proves Soave can be genuinely interesting. At $25 a bottle, it's the kind of wine that makes the table stop talking and actually taste.
Riesling, Chateau Ste. Michelle (Columbia Valley)
A 67% markup on a $12 retail bottle is the one moment Caffe Luna loses the plot. Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling is a fine, mass-market wine — but at $20 on a list otherwise devoted to Italian imports, it sticks out as an afterthought priced like an attraction. Pass.
Greco Bianco, Mastroberardino (Campania) + Ravioli Fiorentina
Mastroberardino's Greco brings bright acidity and a slightly smoky, mineral edge that cuts right through the richness of the spinach and ricotta filling without steamrolling it. It's the kind of pairing that works because both things are doing exactly what they're supposed to do.
The Bottom Line
Caffe Luna isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's quietly running one of the fairer and more thoughtful Italian lists in Raleigh. Send a friend here — just steer them toward the Nipozzano and away from the Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Glenwood South · Raleigh · Mediterranean
Vidrio isn't trying to reinvent wine lists, and it doesn't need to — solid French selections, fair pricing, and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options make this a dependable wine destination in Raleigh. Send a friend here and they won't come back disappointed.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · American, Seafood
The Players Retreat is the Wild Card because nobody walks in expecting a legitimate wine program at a beloved Raleigh neighborhood bar — and yet, here we are. Matt Fern keeps things credible, the California and French anchors are well-chosen, and as long as you steer past the grocery-store staples, you're drinking better than the room suggests.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian
Cucciolo Terrazza is a genuine surprise in Raleigh's dining scene — a neighborhood Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator badge and actually makes you want to explore beyond the first familiar name you recognize. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Napa Cab.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brier Creek · Raleigh · Indian
Azitra is doing something genuinely unusual — running a Wine Spectator-caliber list at an upscale Indian restaurant in Raleigh — and largely pulling it off. The Wednesday half-price program alone makes it worth putting in your rotation; the Bollinger and the Drouhin make it worth telling your friends about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Unknown · Raleigh · Pizza
Ruckus Pizza is a solid spot for a casual pizza night — just don't come for the wine. Order a beer or a cocktail, or grab a bottle from the shop next door if they'll let you bring it in.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Apex · Raleigh · Winery (BYOF or charcuterie)
Cloer is a Wild Card in the best sense: it's a real working vineyard producing honest North Carolina wine at fair prices, and the vibe alone is worth the trip out of Raleigh. Bring food, bring friends, and give the Muscadine a real shot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Laredo · Italian
Johnny Carino's Laredo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here, go on a Sunday or Wednesday, grab that half-price Albertoni, and keep your expectations parked firmly at 'Italian chain in Laredo.'
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Toledo · Italian
Rosie's is doing what a neighborhood Italian restaurant should do with its wine list — keeping prices honest, leaning into Italian varietals, and giving you enough by-the-glass options that everyone at the table finds something. It's not pushing any boundaries, but it's not trying to either, and that's perfectly fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Italian
North Italia Gilbert is a chain that does the bare minimum of interesting things — and sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Tuesday in Gilbert. The Italian regional whites are the real reason to open this list; everything else is serviceable.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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