Sweet Finishes Can't Save a Sparse List
· College Station · Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Casa Mangiare’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Eight labels. That's the whole list. At an Italian steakhouse in College Station, we expected something modest — but this is almost aggressively minimal. The good news: whoever built this thing clearly has a sweet tooth and decent taste in dessert wines.
The table wine program is essentially four house pours — Prosecco, white, rosé, red — with no producers named and no regions declared. It's the wine equivalent of a laminated diner menu. Where things get genuinely interesting is the dessert wine section, which punches well above the rest of the list: Badia a Coltibuono's Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, Donnafugata's Ben Ryé (a Sicilian Passito di Pantelleria that serious wine people seek out), Tommaso Bussola's Recioto della Valpolicella, and a Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Porto. Someone in this kitchen clearly cares about the end of the meal, even if the beginning and middle are an afterthought.
Four by-the-glass options, all house pours at $9 flat. There's zero transparency about what's actually in those bottles — no varietal, no producer, no vintage. At $9 a glass, the price is fine, but you're flying completely blind.
Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Porto — null
A legitimate producer making some of the best Tawny Porto in the game. If the bottle price is reasonable, this is the move — especially after a big steak dinner. Worth asking the price before you order.
Donnafugata Ben Ryé
Most tables at a College Station Italian steakhouse are never going to order a Sicilian Passito di Pantelleria. Their loss. Ben Ryé is a benchmark dessert wine — apricot, orange peel, honey — from one of Sicily's best producers. It deserves more attention than it gets on this list.
House Red Wine
Nine dollars for a glass of mystery red with no producer, no region, no varietal. You have no idea what you're getting. With the dessert wine section right there offering actual, named producers, there's no reason to gamble on an anonymous pour.
Tommaso Bussola Recioto della Valpolicella + Tiramisu or chocolate dessert
Recioto della Valpolicella is a rich, sweet red made from dried Corvina grapes — dark fruit, chocolate, a little earthiness. It's practically designed to sit next to a chocolate-forward dessert. If Casa Mangiare is doing tiramisu or a chocolate course, this is where you end the night.
The Bottom Line
The wine list here is an afterthought dressed up with four surprisingly good dessert wines. Come for the steak, order water or a cocktail through dinner, then let the back half of this list redeem itself.
· College Station · New American
Urban Table keeps prices honest, and there's one genuinely interesting bottle buried in the list — but six labels is not a wine program, it's a wine afterthought. Order the Aglianico if you're staying for wine; otherwise, look to the bar.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· College Station · Italian
Amico Nave is a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that's serviceable but won't knock your socks off — great for a date night when the food is the star, less great if you're there for the wine. Order something Italian, keep it simple, and enjoy the room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· College Station · Winery restaurant
This is what a confident regional winery tasting room looks like — totally committed to its own identity, priced fairly, and stocked with grapes most Texas visitors won't expect. If you're anywhere near College Station and you're even mildly curious about what Texas wine actually tastes like, this is where you find out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· College Station · Texas Regional / New American
Campfire's wine list is the vinous equivalent of a hotel fitness center — technically present, clearly an afterthought. Order the cocktails, or bring your own bottle and ask about corkage.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· College Station · New American / Global
Christopher's is doing real wine work in a market that rarely demands it — the Champagne program alone earns respect, even if the markups take some of the shine off. If you're eating in College Station and want an actual bottle with dinner, this is where you come.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· College Station · Steakhouse
Saltgrass College Station is not a wine destination, but it's not a wine disaster either — the by-the-glass count is high, the bottom of the list is accessible, and if you pick smart you'll drink fine. Just don't expect to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fayetteville · Italian Steakhouse
Enzo puts in more wine effort than most Italian steakhouses in its zip code — the Nebbiolo and Barbera alone signal someone gave a damn about the Italian half of the concept. Markups lean steep rather than punishing, and having every bottle available by the glass is a real guest-friendly move. If you're in Fayetteville and want a credible glass of wine with your dinner, this is the play.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · Italian Steakhouse
A Tuscan-steakhouse list that does what the room promises: Tuscany and Piedmont reds, a Napa Cabernet block and 33 wines by the glass. Order the Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino (58) if you want the Montalcino name without the Brunello price, or the Prunotto Barolo (145) with the bone-in ribeye, and ask which number on the glass page is the pour. This unrated guide covers the posted drink book, not service, storage or markups.
South Street Seaport · New York · Italian Steakhouse
Carne Mare posts a short glass list of 15 pours from $18 to $36 that mixes Italy, France and California, with no bottle list on its menus page. Order the Nuraghe Crabioni Vermentino at happy hour for $12 (or $18 after); for red, the Italian pours include the $21 Feudo Montoni Nero d'Avola, the $22 Fattoria Grignano Chianti Rufina and the $35 Luigi Einaudi Barolo. Confirm the list and prices when you book; this unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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