Raleigh's Italian sleeper with serious cellar cred
Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cucciolo Terrazza’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cucciolo Terrazza punches well above what you'd expect from a Six Forks Road Italian spot. It's Italy-forward with genuine ambition — Barolo, Brunello, Super Tuscans — and earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024, which isn't handed out for a list full of Pinot Grigio and Chianti house pours. This is a restaurant that actually cares.
The list runs 80-120 bottles deep and leans hard into Italy's greatest hits — Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico Riserva, and Amarone della Valpolicella anchor the Italian side, with Sassicaia and Tignanello representing the Super Tuscan flex. California makes a credible showing via Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, giving the list a transatlantic handshake that works. The bottle range ($35–$120) keeps the list approachable without feeling cheap — you won't find a lot of filler at the bottom end. The gap is anything outside Italy and California: if you're hunting Burgundy, Rhône, or anything from Spain or Germany, you're out of luck.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass at $10–$18 is a respectable program for a neighborhood Italian in Raleigh. The glass range appears to track the bottle list's Italian focus, which means you can actually work your way through the peninsula without committing to a full bottle. We'd love to see more rotation to keep regulars engaged, but what's here is honest.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45
Chianti Classico Riserva at this price point is the sweet spot on Italian lists — structured enough to hold up to the osso buco, familiar enough to not intimidate, and consistently over-delivers for the money. It's the move for anyone who wants serious Italian red without pulling the Brunello trigger.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables walk right past the Amarone because it sounds unfamiliar or they assume it's too heavy. It's neither. A proper Amarone is rich, complex, and unlike anything else on the list — dried cherry, dark chocolate, a little tobacco. At a restaurant with handmade pasta and osso buco on the menu, it's the most interesting red you can order and most people never do.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
You're in an Italian restaurant with Barolo and Brunello on the list. Ordering the Napa Cab is like going to a great ramen spot and ordering the fried rice. It's probably fine — Napa Cab at this price tier usually is — but it's a waste of what this list does well. Save it for the steakhouse.
Barolo + Osso buco
Barolo and braised veal shank is one of the great Italian pairings for a reason — the wine's tannins and acidity cut through the richness of the bone marrow and slow-braised meat while the earthy, floral character of Nebbiolo echoes the gremolata. This is the pairing you came for.
The Bottom Line
Cucciolo Terrazza is a genuine surprise in Raleigh's dining scene — a neighborhood Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator badge and actually makes you want to explore beyond the first familiar name you recognize. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Napa Cab.
Glenwood South · Raleigh · Mediterranean
Vidrio isn't trying to reinvent wine lists, and it doesn't need to — solid French selections, fair pricing, and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options make this a dependable wine destination in Raleigh. Send a friend here and they won't come back disappointed.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · American, Seafood
The Players Retreat is the Wild Card because nobody walks in expecting a legitimate wine program at a beloved Raleigh neighborhood bar — and yet, here we are. Matt Fern keeps things credible, the California and French anchors are well-chosen, and as long as you steer past the grocery-store staples, you're drinking better than the room suggests.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Brier Creek · Raleigh · Indian
Azitra is doing something genuinely unusual — running a Wine Spectator-caliber list at an upscale Indian restaurant in Raleigh — and largely pulling it off. The Wednesday half-price program alone makes it worth putting in your rotation; the Bollinger and the Drouhin make it worth telling your friends about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Unknown · Raleigh · Pizza
Ruckus Pizza is a solid spot for a casual pizza night — just don't come for the wine. Order a beer or a cocktail, or grab a bottle from the shop next door if they'll let you bring it in.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Apex · Raleigh · Winery (BYOF or charcuterie)
Cloer is a Wild Card in the best sense: it's a real working vineyard producing honest North Carolina wine at fair prices, and the vibe alone is worth the trip out of Raleigh. Bring food, bring friends, and give the Muscadine a real shot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Hills · Raleigh · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Raleigh gives you exactly what it promises — a large, professionally managed wine list with recognizable bottles, proper storage, and appropriate glassware, all at prices that reflect the upscale zip code. Send your client here for dinner without worry, but don't send your wine-curious friend here expecting discovery.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlanta · Italian
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
