The All-Italian Deep Dive Baltimore Deserves
Harbor East · Baltimore · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cinghiale’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands on the table and you immediately know this place is serious. All Italian, all the time — and not in a checkered-tablecloth, house-Chianti kind of way. This is a proper enoteca that has clearly put in the work to build one of the most comprehensive Italian lists on the East Coast.
Cinghiale doesn't dabble — it goes all in on Italy from top to bottom. The Piedmont section alone could anchor a wine bar: Giacomo Conterno, Vietti, and Bruno Giacosa cover Barolo, while Gaja and Produttori del Barbaresco handle Barbaresco with real range across styles and vintages. Tuscany holds its own with Biondi-Santi and Il Poggione on Brunello, plus Sassicaia and Tignanello for the Super Tuscan crowd. Whites don't get short-changed either — Vermentino, Verdicchio, Soave, and northern Italian Pinot Grigio round things out and give the list genuine breadth beyond the red-heavy usual suspects.
Fifteen to twenty-five options by the glass is genuinely generous for a list this focused, and the rotating selection means there's usually something worth exploring beyond the safe pours. The Zardetto Prosecco by the glass at $8 is an easy opener. Staff know what's on the board and can actually talk you through it — rare enough to be worth mentioning.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco — Under $50
Produttori is one of the great cooperatives in all of Italy — Barbaresco at this quality level rarely shows up on a restaurant list without a painful markup. Catching it on the short list under $50 is the kind of find that makes Tuesday feel like a celebration.
Verdicchio
Most tables at Cinghiale are zeroed in on Barolo before they sit down, which means the central Italian whites get ignored. A good Verdicchio has serious texture and a saline, almost bitter finish that cuts through rich pasta dishes better than any Pinot Grigio ever will. Don't sleep on it.
Sassicaia
Look, it's a great wine — we're not disputing that. But Sassicaia is on every Italian-adjacent list in the country, it's priced accordingly, and you're at a restaurant with Giacomo Conterno Barolo on the menu. Spending that money on a Super Tuscan trophy wine here feels like ordering a burger at a sushi counter.
Amarone della Valpolicella + Braised wild boar (cinghiale)
The restaurant is literally named after the dish, so yes, you should order it. Amarone's dried-fruit intensity and iron-fisted tannins meet the rich, gamey braise head-on — neither backs down, both get better. This is the pairing that justifies the whole evening.
Tuesday — 50% off all bottles of wine in the Enoteca + Bar during both Lunch and Dinner
The Bottom Line
Cinghiale is the rare Italian restaurant where the wine list is the actual reason to go — the food just makes it better. If you care at all about Italian wine, show up on a Tuesday and drink things you won't find anywhere else in Baltimore.
Sparks · Baltimore · French-inspired with Mid-Atlantic seasonal ingredients
Explore the glass list before committing to a bottle: $12 Crémant and $17 Chinon give you two clear starting points. Prices and six-ounce servings come from the posted list checked in September 2026. Confirm availability; this menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
Mount Vernon · Baltimore · Northern Italian
Try Lavignone at $14 a glass or compare a $52 bottle if everyone wants the same red. Sotto Sopra makes that budget decision straightforward. Prices come from the posted menu checked in September 2026; availability can change, and this guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Baltimore · Italian
Facci's wine list is a quiet overachiever: all-Italian, regionally adventurous, and priced without greed. If you want to drink something you've never heard of and pay a fair price for it, this is your spot.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clipper Mill · Baltimore · American, Farm to Table
True Chesapeake is a Wild Card in the best possible sense — a working waterfront oyster spot with a Wine Spectator-recognized list helmed by a sommelier who clearly cares. Go for the oysters, stay for the Weinbach, and don't skip the Muscadet.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Horseshoe Casino · Baltimore · Steak house, European
Gordon Ramsay Steak isn't going to surprise you, but it delivers a solid, award-backed California-and-France wine list in a setting where you'd half-expect to be handed a laminated card with three options. For a casino steakhouse in Baltimore, that's genuinely worth something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chandler · Italian
Pesto's earns its wine bar billing for Chandler — it's a genuine neighborhood spot with a real glass program, live music, and food that's priced to let you spend a little more on the bottle. We can't verify every detail of the list from here, but the bones are solid enough to make this a reliable call for a casual date night with pizza and a pour.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · Italian
For a pizza and pasta spot, Elisabetta's glass program is legitimately ambitious — 60 options, fair pricing across the board, and enough obscure Italian varietals to reward the curious. We can't speak to staff knowledge or glassware quality from the available data, but if the execution on the floor matches the ambition on the list, this is one of the better wine spots in West Palm Beach, full stop. Go in, skip the Santa Margherita, and let someone at the table order the Brocard Chablis.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brookhaven Town Center · Brookhaven · Italian
Mirko Pasta isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid neighborhood Italian that doesn't embarrass itself on the wine front — and Wednesday Wine Night gives you a real reason to show up mid-week. If you're after a glass of Montepulciano with your burrata at a fair price, this delivers. Just don't expect to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
