Great Italian List, But Bring Your Wallet
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Italian (Tuscan-inspired) · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cantinetta Bellevue is exactly what you'd hope for in a candlelit neighborhood Italian spot — compact, curated, and unapologetically Italian. No Napa Cab cameos, no token rosé from who-knows-where. Just a focused tour through the peninsula's best regions, which we respect.
The list leans hard into Piedmont and Tuscany, and that's a choice we can get behind. You've got Produttori del Barbaresco representing the Langhe's serious side, Rocca di Montegrossi doing honest Chianti Classico work, and a Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso that signals someone on staff actually cares about Sicily. The Avignonesi Vino Nobile rounds out a Tuscan section that covers its bases without padding the list with filler. Gaps exist — there's essentially nothing from Campania, Friuli gets a single nod via Livio Felluga, and the Veneto is largely absent — but for a restaurant this size, the hits outnumber the misses.
Around 10–14 pours by the glass at $12–$18 is a reasonable spread for a room this size. We'd like to see more rotation — the list reads like it doesn't change much season to season — but the options that are there are legitimate, not just house-pour filler. If the Planeta La Segreta Bianco makes it onto the glass list, grab it before you look at the bottle price.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco DOCG — $95
At 73% over retail, this is the least aggressive markup on the list and Produttori is one of the most reliable co-ops in all of Piedmont. For serious Nebbiolo in a restaurant setting, $95 is a reasonable ask.
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso
Most tables here are going straight for the Chianti or the Barbaresco, which means the Terre Nere Etna Rosso gets overlooked. That's a mistake. Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of a volcano is unlike anything else on this list — lighter than you'd expect, with a wild, smoky edge that works beautifully with anything wood-grilled.
Planeta La Segreta Bianco
A perfectly fine wine that retails around $18 marked up to $48 — a 167% bump. La Segreta is a solid everyday Sicilian white, but at nearly $50 a bottle it's doing a job above its pay grade. Order it by the glass if it's available, or skip it entirely.
Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico + House-made tagliatelle Bolognese
Sangiovese and slow-cooked meat ragu is one of the least controversial pairings in the world, and Rocca di Montegrossi makes a Chianti Classico with enough acidity and structure to cut through the richness without overwhelming handmade pasta. This is the order.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cantinetta Bellevue gets the Italian wine thing right in terms of curation — the producers are real, the regions are honest, and the list has a genuine point of view. The markups, however, are doing the list no favors, and without an active specials program or a sommelier steering the ship, you're on your own to navigate it.
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Southern Italian
Carmine's is a dependable wine experience in a room that earns it — the Italian backbone is solid, the Marc Hébrart alone proves someone cared when building this list, and 13 by-the-glass options gives you real choices. Just mind the markups and steer away from the California name-drops.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond Town Center · Bellevue · Steakhouse and Seafood
Matts' isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. The Pacific Northwest focus is smart, the by-the-glass picks punch above the room's casual energy, and $9 oyster bar pours during happy hour is a deal worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellefield Office Park Area · Bellevue · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Bellevue is a reliable machine for a certain kind of corporate dinner — but the wine list is a profit center dressed up as a wine program, and the markups make that clear. Order the Belle Glos, catch Ruth's Hour if you can, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that actually cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellevue Square · Bellevue · Asian, Chinese-inspired
On a Wednesday, P.F. Chang's Bellevue is legitimately worth pulling up a chair for wine — half-price bottles with recognizable labels is a deal you won't find at most actual wine bars. Any other night, the list is competent but overpriced for what it is, and you'd be better off sticking to the cocktails.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lincoln Square · Bellevue · American, Global/International, Seafood
Earls Bellevue isn't going to wow any wine nerds, but it's a genuinely solid operation for what it is — fair prices, a few legitimately good bottles, and one of the best mid-week deals in Bellevue if you time your visit right. Come on a Tuesday or Wednesday and grab the Lingua Franca at half price; you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Contemporary Vietnamese
Monsoon Bellevue earns its Wild Card status: a focused Pacific Northwest wine list in a Vietnamese restaurant context is a genuinely smart move, and Wednesday half-price bottles make this one of the better midweek wine deals in Old Bellevue. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Pinot, and let the kitchen do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.