Serious Italian Bottles in Big Sky Country
· Billings · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed October 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Ciao Mambo’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Opening a wine list in Billings, Montana and seeing Marchesi di Gresy Martinenga Barbaresco and Vietti Castiglione Barolo is a legitimate surprise. This isn't a list assembled by someone who Googled 'Italian wines' — there's real intent here. Seventy-three labels is a serious commitment for a mid-market Italian restaurant in any city, let alone one in the northern Rockies.
The list leans hard into the Italian playbook and plays it well. Piedmont gets proper coverage — Damilano and La Spinetta Nebbiolo sit alongside Pio Cesare and Fontanafredda Barbera, and the Barolo and Barbaresco selections (Vietti Castiglione, Marchesi di Gresy Martinenga, Fontannabianca) are the kind of producers that show up on good lists in much bigger cities. Veneto gets a full treatment too, with Bertani and Zenato Ripassa holding court alongside a Righetti Amarone that rounds out the heavier end. There are a few wilder swings that we appreciate — Elena Walch Schiava from Alto Adige and La Kiuva from Valle d'Aosta are genuinely obscure and genuinely interesting. The domestic section exists but isn't the point here; this list knows what it is.
By-the-glass details weren't available from our sources, so we can't tell you what's pouring on any given night or how many options you'll have. That's a real gap — a list this strong deserves a glass program worth talking about. Ask your server what's open before you commit.
The Bottom Line
Ciao Mambo has assembled an Italian wine list that would hold up at a serious restaurant in a much larger market — Vietti Barolo, Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco, and a Valle d'Aosta oddity on the same list in Billings is genuinely impressive. Without pricing or glass program data we can't call it a Rager, but if you're passing through Montana and want a real bottle of Nebbiolo with your pasta, this is your move.
73 wines captured from the source list, including wines not yet matched to our catalog. Availability, vintages, and prices can change. View source wine list.
Damilano Leinquevigne, Nebbiolo, Piedmont
italian red
Elena Walch, Schiava, Alto Adige
italian red
Fontannabianca, Barbaresco, Piedmont
italian red
La Kiuva, Rouge de Valle, Picotendro/Red Blend, Valle d'Aosta
italian red
La Spinetta, Nebbiolo, Piedmont
italian red
Santa Maria, Classico Supperiore DOC, Valpolicella
italian red
Travaglini, Nebbiolo, Gattinara, Piedmont
italian red
Coltibuono RS, Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany
italian red
Scaia, Corvina, Veneto
italian red
Tomassi, Poggio al Tufo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tuscany
italian red
Zenato, Ripassa Superiore, Corvina, Veneto
italian red
Tua Rita, Rosso dei Norti, Super Tuscan
italian red
Bertani, Valpolicella, Corvina/Merlot/Rondinella, Veneto
italian red
Righetti, Amarone Classico, Corvina, Veneto
italian red
La Valentina, Spelt, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo
italian red
Fontanafredda, Briccotondo, Barbera, Piedmont
italian red
Pio Cesare, Barbera d Alba, Piedmont
italian red
Vietti, Castigione, Barolo Nebbiolo, Piedmont
italian red
Marchesi di Gresy, Martinenga, Barbaresco, Piedmont
italian red
Ciacci, Piccolomini, Cab/Merlot, Super Tuscan
italian red
Aia Vecchia, Lagone, Super Tuscan, Tuscany
italian red
Tomassi, Amarone Classico, Corvina, Veneto
italian red
Selvapiana, Bucerchiale, Chianti Rufina Reserva, Tuscany
italian red
Poliziano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Prugnolo Gentile, Tuscany
italian red
Sella & Mosca, Cannonau di Sardegna Reserva, Sardinia
italian red
Cottanera, Barbazzale, Etna Rosso, Sicily
italian red
Livio Felluga, Pinot Grigio, Fruili
italian white
Alois Legeder, Pinot Grigio, Trentino-Alto Adige
italian white
Argiolas, Costamolino, Vermentino, Saradinia
italian white
La Valentina, Pecorino, Abruzzo
italian white
La Bella, Prosecco, Trentino
italian sparkling / dessert
Cleto Chiarli, Lambrusco, Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Emilia Romagna
italian sparkling / dessert
Saracco, Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont
italian sparkling / dessert
Chateau Argadens, Bordeaux Superiore, France
domestic & import red
Eztygr, Red Blend, Oregon
domestic & import red
Mathew Fritz, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
domestic & import red
Tonel 46 Malbec, Mendoz, Argentina
domestic & import red
Daou, Pessimist, Red Blend, California
domestic & import red
Grouchau Cellars Commuter Cuvee, Pinot Noir, Oregon
domestic & import red
Paul Hobbs, Felino, Malbec, Argentina
domestic & import red
Corazon del Sol, Malbec, Argentina
domestic & import red
Espelt, Old Vine Garnacha, Espinosa
domestic & import red
Jules Taylor, Pinot Noir, New Zealand
domestic & import red
Elk Cove, Pinot Noir, Oregon
domestic & import red
Failla, Pinot Noir, California
domestic & import red
Paul Hobbs Crossbarn, Pinot Noir, California
domestic & import red
Tamarack Cellars, Cabernet Franc, Washington
domestic & import red
Morgan Cotes du Crow's, Grenache/Syrah, California
domestic & import red
K Vintners, Syrah, Washington
domestic & import red
Klinker Brick Farrah, Syrah, California
domestic & import red
Robert Biale Black Chicken, Zinfandel, California
domestic & import red
Banshee Mordecai, Red Blend, California
domestic & import red
Eberle, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
domestic & import red
Amavi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington
domestic & import red
Dunham Cellars XV, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington
domestic & import red
Ochoa Crianza, Tempranillo, Espinosa
domestic & import red
Paul Hobbs Felino, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
domestic & import red
Two Mountain, Merlot, Washington
domestic & import red
Truchard, Merlot, California
domestic & import red
Secret Squirrel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington
domestic & import red
EOS Estate, Moscato, Paso Robles, California
domestic & import white
Firestone, Riesling, Central Coast, California
domestic & import white
Clifford Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
domestic & import white
Sebastiani, Butterfield Station, Chardonnay, Northern Coast, California
domestic & import white
Banshee, Ros , Granache/Barbera/Syrah/Pinot Noir, Mendocino County, California
domestic & import white
Lucien Albrecht, Cremant d'Alsace Brut, Blanc de Blanc, Alsace, Franche
domestic & import white
Crios de Susan Balbo, Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina
domestic & import white
Lincourt, Steel, Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills, California
domestic & import white
Acrobat, Pinot Gris, Oregon
domestic & import white
Roth, Sauvignon Blanc, Alexander Valley, California
domestic & import white
Chalk Hill, Chardonnay, Russian River, California
domestic & import white
Chalk Hill, Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma, California
domestic & import white
Rickshaw, Chardonnay, Santa Barbara-Mendocino-Sonoma Coast, California
domestic & import white
· Billings · Hotel Restaurant, New American
TEN isn't a wine list for dinner — it's a wine list for after dinner, and within that lane it's genuinely impressive for Billings or anywhere. If you're the kind of person who ends a meal with a thoughtful pour rather than skipping straight to dessert, this place will surprise you. Send a friend here with the instruction to order the Madeira and work up to the 40-Year Tawny.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · Steakhouse
Jake's is doing exactly what a Billings steakhouse is supposed to do with wine — safe choices, name brands, and a Champagne section that lets people feel fancy. If you want adventure, you're in the wrong place; if you want a reliable glass of something Californian to go with your ribeye, you'll leave satisfied.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · New American / Italian / French
Bistro Enzo is the kind of special-occasion spot that makes you glad Billings has it — the wine list is thoughtful enough to match the kitchen, and the overall experience justifies the reservation. We'd send a friend here for a date night without hesitation, though we'd tell them to lead with questions for the staff rather than assume they'll be guided unprompted.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · Wine Bar, Bottle Shop, New American
City Vineyard is doing something genuinely unusual for Billings — a thoughtful, eclectic list priced with some fairness and available entirely by the glass. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, with the caveat that the white wine half of the list needs the same curatorial love the reds are getting.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · Wine bar, small plates
Cellar 8 is the wine bar you don't expect to find in a casino in Billings, and that's exactly why it earns its Wild Card badge — 37 glasses, fair prices, and genuine effort make this worth a stop. Send a friend here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · New American
Walkers Grill is doing something genuinely rare — building a thoughtful, eclectic wine list in a market that would forgive them for not trying. If you're passing through Billings or happen to live there, this is worth your dinner reservation and your second glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vinings · Vinings · Italian
Cotto is doing more with a 51-bottle list than most Italian restaurants do with twice as many labels — the Italian whites alone make this worth a visit for anyone tired of the same old Pinot Grigio rut. The markup is fair, the by-the-glass program is genuinely generous, and the presence of bottles like the Bocale Trebbiano Spoletino signals real intent. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Santa Margherita and work their way through the Vermentinos instead.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Tavola Trattoria's wine program is five bottles deep and priced without apology — $101 for a Saracco Moscato is the kind of markup that makes you consider ordering water and going wine shopping after dinner. The list has no still wines at all, which is a strange call for an Italian restaurant. Order a cocktail or ask if they have a corkage policy, because this wine list isn't doing you any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
La Tavola is an Italian restaurant with a five-bottle wine list that stops at sparkling and rosé — no reds, no whites, no depth whatsoever. The pricing on what's there is difficult to justify. Unless you came specifically for Lambrusco or Franciacorta, you're better off calling ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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