Tuscany's Greatest Hits, Done Right
River North · Chicago · Italian, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated November 2026
Reviewed April 13, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Coco Pazzo’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Coco Pazzo reads like a love letter to Italy — specifically Tuscany — and doesn't apologize for it. You open the book and the Super Tuscans are front and center: Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia. It's aspirational, confident, and squarely aimed at the business dinner crowd dropping serious money on a Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
With 200-300 bottles, the list has real weight, but it plays a familiar tune. Tuscany dominates — Brunello from Biondi-Santi, Chianti Classico Riserva from Castello di Ama, and the usual parade of Super Tuscans that every Italian restaurant in America reaches for. There's a nod northward with Gaja's Barolo and Allegrini's Amarone to round things out, but don't come here hunting for anything off the beaten path. What's here is legitimate and well-sourced — it's just not going to surprise you. Wine Spectator has recognized the list since 2005, which speaks to consistency if not adventure.
The by-the-glass program runs 20-30 options at $12-$20 a pour, which is solid for a room at this price point. We'd like to see more rotation and a few curveballs mixed in — right now it mirrors the bottle list's safe-play energy. Still, landing a proper Chianti Classico by the glass for a weeknight pasta is nothing to complain about.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Ama — $12-$20 by the glass
Castello di Ama makes some of the most serious Chianti in the game, and catching it by the glass means you're not committing to a full bottle at steakhouse markup. Grab it with the handmade pasta and call it a win.
Amarone della Valpolicella, Allegrini
Buried behind the Super Tuscan headlines, Allegrini's Amarone is the most underordered wine on this list. Rich, brooding, and built for wood-roasted meat — most tables walk right past it chasing Tignanello.
Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido
Look, Sassicaia is a great wine. But at a steakhouse-adjacent spot with steep markups, you're paying a premium on top of a premium for a name everyone recognizes. The same money buys you something more interesting with less of it going to the prestige tax.
Brunello di Montalcino, Biondi-Santi + Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Biondi-Santi's Brunello has the structure, acidity, and tannic backbone to go toe-to-toe with a massive T-bone without flinching. This is the pairing Coco Pazzo was built for.
The Bottom Line
Coco Pazzo is a dependable play for Tuscan wines in a setting that earns them — just go in knowing you're paying for curation and atmosphere, not discovery. If you want Italy's classics delivered with confidence, this list delivers.
· Chicago · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Chicago's wine list is built for throughput, not discovery — it's reliable, reasonably ranged by the glass, and anchored by South American selections that at least make thematic sense with the food. The markups are steeper than we'd like and the list won't excite anyone who drinks wine as seriously as they eat meat, but the Catena Malbec and the Bodega Garzón Albariño are legitimate picks that rise above the crowd-pleaser baseline. Come for the churrasco, drink the Catena, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · Seafood
A seafood house with a long, mixed list: a Seafood Whites section, Burgundy and Napa depth, and 22 pours by the glass. Order the Marc Brédif "Royal Oyster" Muscadet with a half dozen oysters, or start with the $11/glass Charles de Fère, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · Mediterranean, Steakhouse
A Napa-heavy bottle list with a real Greek section and a short, priced glass board. Start with the $10 happy-hour Vermentino or, if you are staying for dinner, the AA Sigalas Assyrtiko at $75, and confirm prices and availability when you sit down. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · Mediterranean
A 38-pour glass list with unpriced Champagne and Burgundy-heavy bottle pages behind it. Start with the $14 Tiberio Trebbiano or the $15 Thymiopoulos Assyrtiko, and ask for bottle prices because the posted bottle pages carry none. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks menu, not service, storage or markups.
Fulton Market · Chicago · Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
A Mediterranean list built around Greece and Lebanon, with 18 wines on the by-the-glass pages. Start with the Kalokaíri rosé (16 / 64) or the Chateau Musar "Jeune Rouge" (19 / 76), and confirm current vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · American
A short 14-wine list, with most price pairs between $13 and $15 and four single-price wines at $72 to $80. Order the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling at $13 | 50, or the Provence rosé if you want the one French wine, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
North End · Boston · Italian, Steakhouse
A broad list with 29 glass pours, Italian and American bottle sections, and a From the Vault section that goes well into four figures. Start with the 2021 Mauro Molino Barolo at $26 a glass or the Batasiolo Gavi di Gavi at $15, and confirm vintages, since the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Fort Myers · Fort Myers · Italian, Steakhouse
Terra Nostra's posted list is built around Napa Cabernet, Brunello, Barolo and Super Tuscans, as its own header says, and its 20 glass pours start at $8. Start with the $12 J. Lohr Cabernet or the $13 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva by the glass, or step up to the $110 Paulo Scavino Barolo if you want a bottle. Confirm today's availability and prices, since the list says both are subject to change; this unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or retail markups.
Madison · Madison · Italian, Steakhouse
Draper Brothers Chophouse is a dependable, California-forward wine list in a genuinely beautiful room — it won't blow any minds, but it will reliably get out of the way of a good steak. Send your friends here for the beef and the atmosphere; just temper expectations if they're hoping for a wine list that matches the ambition of the building.
Plays It Safe
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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