Cento
Downtown Madison's Italian wine anchor does right
Downtown · Madison · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into Cento, the room earns its atmosphere — stained glass, mosaic tile, brick walls — and the wine list follows suit. It's composed and deliberate, not a dump of 200 crowd-pleasers. At 150 labels with a sommelier on staff, someone here actually cares.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans Italian, as it should, but doesn't stop there — Oregon and California get real representation, and France shows up with some personality via the Burgundy-sourced orange wine from Arnaud Combier. The Umbrian Castello di Titignano 'Turlo' signals they're shopping beyond Chianti and Barolo clichés, which is a good sign. Bottle prices topping out around $72 keep this accessible without feeling cheap. The gaps are minor — you'd want more depth in southern Italian reds and maybe a few more natural or lower-intervention options — but this isn't a list that embarrasses the kitchen.
By the Glass
Twenty-plus pours by the glass is genuinely impressive for a mid-size restaurant, and the $13–$18 range is reasonable for a downtown dinner spot. The selection spans Prosecco on tap to orange wine to Zinfandel, so you're not stuck choosing between Pinot Grigio and Cab. That Arnaud Combier orange showing up by the glass is the real tell — someone built this list with intention.
Castello di Titignano 'Turlo' 2022, Umbria — $40–$72 range
Umbrian reds at this price point almost always punch above their weight, and Titignano is a serious producer. If this bottle is sitting at the lower end of Cento's range, it's the move — terroir-driven Italian red without the Tuscany tax.
Arnaud Combier 'Vents Contraires' Orange 2022, Burgundy
Most tables at an Italian restaurant are going to walk right past an orange wine from Burgundy — which means more for you. Combier's 'Vents Contraires' is the kind of unexpected pour that makes a meal memorable. Order it before your tablemates even know what's happening.
Turley 'Juvenile' Zinfandel 2023, Napa Valley
Turley makes fine wine, but 'Juvenile' is Turley's entry-level label — widely distributed and easy to find at retail. If the markup here is in line with the rest of the list you might be okay, but this is the bottle where restaurants tend to lean on brand recognition and pad the margin. Check the price against what you'd pay at a wine shop before committing.
Donna Laura 'Ali' Rosato 2024, Tuscany + Crispy Pork Belly
A dry Tuscan rosato has the acidity to cut through pork belly's fat and the fruit weight to stand up to the richness. This isn't a delicate salmon rosé situation — 'Ali' has enough structure to make the pairing work without getting steamrolled.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Cento is the kind of Italian restaurant that actually respects wine — fair prices, a sommelier who built a list with some range and risk, and twenty-plus glass pours that go well beyond the obvious. If you're eating downtown Madison and you care what's in your glass, this is where you should be.
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