Federal Hill's Monday Night Wine Secret
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cassarino's Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Cassarino's on Atwells Avenue, the wine list feels exactly like the room — comfortable, unpretentious, and built for people who want a good glass with their pasta, not a homework assignment. The pricing is honest for Federal Hill: nothing jaw-dropping, but nothing to wince at either. It's a list that wants you to relax, and on that front it mostly delivers.
The list leans on recognizable California and Oregon Pinot Noir territory, with Meiomi and Hazel representing the red side of things — solid crowd-pleasing anchors, even if neither is going to make a wine nerd's pulse quicken. There's presumably an Italian section given the kitchen's focus, but the publicly available data skews American, which feels like a missed opportunity for a restaurant this deep in Federal Hill's Italian-American identity. What's here is drinkable and approachable; what's missing is any real sense of adventure or regional pride. A handful of Chianti Classicos or a Sicilian entry point would go a long way.
Glass pours run $13 to $19.50 for six to nine ounce pours, which is a reasonable spread for Providence dining and keeps the barrier to entry low. We don't have a full count of glass options, but the pricing structure suggests a modest selection rather than an expansive rotating program. Functional rather than exciting — fine for a weeknight dinner, not a destination for by-the-glass exploration.
Meiomi Pinot Noir — $48
At $48 a bottle, Meiomi is priced close to what you'd find at a decent wine shop, which makes it one of the more honest markups on the list. It's not a complex wine, but it's soft, fruit-forward, and crowd-proof — exactly what you want splitting a bottle over a long Italian dinner.
Hazel Pinot Noir
Most tables are going to default to the Meiomi, but the Hazel from Willamette Valley is the more interesting pour. Oregon Pinot at this price point tends to show more earth and restraint than its California counterparts — a quieter, more food-friendly wine that actually makes sense alongside pasta in red sauce.
Meiomi Pinot Noir by the glass
If you're ordering Meiomi by the glass at the top end of the glass pricing, the math stops working in your favor pretty quickly. Two pours and you're most of the way to the bottle price. Just order the bottle and split it — the per-ounce value is significantly better.
Hazel Pinot Noir + Pasta in red sauce
Willamette Valley Pinot has the acidity to cut through a tomato-based sauce without stomping all over it. The Hazel's earthy, cherry-forward profile plays well against braised or herb-heavy preparations — it's doing the work that an Italian red would do, just from a different hemisphere.
Monday — Half-priced bottles of wine and Champagne every Monday
The Bottom Line
Cassarino's wine list is the definition of 'gets the job done' — fair prices, safe picks, and a Monday half-price bottle deal that makes it genuinely worth planning around. Don't come expecting a deep cellar; do come expecting a decent bottle at an honest price in one of Providence's best dining neighborhoods.
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Providence · Italian (modern trattoria)
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian-American
Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen is a Providence legend for its food and its history, not its wine list — which reads like something assembled in 1994 and never reconsidered. Come for the veal cutlet and the nostalgia, but don't let the wine list talk you into spending $48 on a Kendall-Jackson.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Side · Providence · American Brasserie (French-Influenced)
Red Stripe isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. Fair prices on recognizable bottles in a lively room that actually makes you want to stay for another glass — that's a respectable thing to get right.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Providence · Providence · Upscale American Steakhouse with Seafood
The Capital Grille Providence is a well-oiled machine with a wine program that earns more respect than most chains deserve — the depth is real, the staff knows the list, and the Generous Pour event is a legit reason to show up. The markups are steep and the soul is corporate, but if someone else is expensing dinner, you could do a lot worse.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown Providence · Providence · Seafood
Hemenway's is the rare seafood institution that earns its reputation on the wine side too — the sommelier presence is real, the French whites are well-chosen, and the list is built with actual intention. The markups are real and the BTG program could use more energy, but if you're eating raw bar in Providence, you could do a lot worse than starting with a glass of Fèvre Chablis here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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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.
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