Italian soul, Salt Lake City prices, mostly fine
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Caffe Molise’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The list opens with a clear Italian lean — Tuscany and Piedmont up front, California filling in the gaps — and at 58 labels it's more considered than the average downtown Italian spot. Nothing flashy, but someone at least cared enough to source a Vietti Nebbiolo alongside the obligatory house Cab.
Italy is the backbone here, and it holds up reasonably well: the Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico and Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo give the list some legitimate Piedmont and Tuscan credibility. California shows up heavily in the mid-tier, leaning on crowd-pleaser labels like Orin Swift's The Prisoner — safe, recognizable, but not adventurous. The Riff Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige is a welcome nod to northern Italy beyond the usual suspects. Gaps exist in Southern Italy and anywhere outside Italy and California — no Spanish, no French, no New Zealand to speak of.
Ten-plus options by the glass is a solid showing for a restaurant this size, and the $7–$12 range keeps it accessible. The Cetamura Chianti is the obvious anchor pour — well-known, crowd-tested, and honest about what it is. We'd like to see a little more rotation and a by-the-glass option pulling from the better bottles on the list.
Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa — $38
At 73% markup, it's the least punishing bottle on the list relative to retail. Honig Sauvignon Blanc consistently overdelivers for the price point, and at $38 you're getting a proper Napa SB without the usual downtown restaurant tax.
Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo
Most tables will order the Chianti or reach for The Prisoner out of habit. Don't. The Perbacco is Vietti's approachable Nebbiolo — same house that makes serious Barolo — and it drinks way above its position on a list like this. Red cherry, tar, and structure that actually holds up through a full meal.
Beringer White Zinfandel California
A 183% markup on a $12 retail bottle is genuinely hard to defend. This is a $34 ask for grocery store rosé — and not even an interesting one. If you want pink wine, the Saracina Skid Rosé from Mendocino is sitting right there at a much more honest margin.
Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico + Pasta Bolognese
Chianti Classico and a meat ragù is one of the least complicated decisions in Italian dining. Badia a Coltibuono's version brings enough acidity and Sangiovese structure to cut through the richness of a slow-cooked Bolognese without stepping on it.
The Bottom Line
Caffe Molise is a dependable Italian wine list in a city that doesn't exactly overflow with options — the Italian core is legitimate, the markups are uneven but not outrageous across the board, and the Vietti Nebbiolo alone is worth knowing about. We'd send a friend here for a solid dinner bottle, just with a few specific instructions on what to order.
· Salt Lake City · Steakhouse
STK Salt Lake City has the bones of a wine program but none of the follow-through — three by-the-glass options and a bottle list built around brand recognition rather than quality. Order a cocktail, or spring for the Veuve if you want to feel good about what's in your glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sugar House · Salt Lake City · Steakhouse and Seafood with Scandinavian/European Influences
Kimi's earns its reputation as one of Salt Lake City's better nights out, and the wine program has real bones — a sommelier, a thoughtful Italian-leaning list, and proper glassware. Just go in knowing the markups are aggressive on the bubbles, anchor yourself to the Riesling if you're watching the spend, and let the room do the rest of the work.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
9th & 9th · Salt Lake City · Middle Eastern
Mazza isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something genuinely interesting by building a list around Lebanese producers that actually belong on the table with this food. If you're in Salt Lake City and want to drink something you won't find anywhere else in town, this is worth a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Japanese and Sushi
Takashi is a great restaurant with a wine list that's just along for the ride — functional, safe, and a little overpriced relative to what you get. Go for the sushi, order the Cloudy Bay or the Oregon Pinot, and don't expect the wine program to keep pace with the kitchen.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Seafood and Raw Bar
Market Street Oyster Bar is a reliable spot for wine if you calibrate your expectations accordingly — this is a crowd-pleaser list built for a crowd-pleaser room, and it mostly delivers. Send a friend here for oysters and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, not for a wine education.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cottonwood Heights · Salt Lake City · Seafood and Steakhouse
Market Street Grill Cottonwood is a dependable neighborhood anchor with a wine list that does exactly what it needs to — nothing more. Send a friend here for the oysters and the Sonoma-Cutrer; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
