Tuscany's Greatest Hits, Done Right
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 2, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cucina Toscana’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cucina Toscana reads like a love letter to central Italy — Brunello, Barolo, Super Tuscans, all present and accounted for. It's serious enough to impress a date but not so precious that you feel like you need a decoder ring. The historic Firestone Building setting does a lot of heavy lifting for the atmosphere, and the list mostly holds up its end of that bargain.
With somewhere between 100 and 180 bottles, this is a legitimately substantial list anchored hard in Tuscany and Piedmont — exactly what you'd want from a place with this name. Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo anchor the high end, Chianti Classico Riserva and Vernaccia di San Gimignano cover the approachable middle ground, and the Super Tuscan blends add some crowd-pleasing swagger. Umbria gets a nod too, which shows someone was paying attention beyond the obvious regions. The gaps show up outside Italy — if you're hunting for a Burgundy or a Rhône to mix things up, you're largely out of luck.
Twelve to twenty by-the-glass options is a healthy pour program for a restaurant at this price point, and the Italian regional focus carries through here as well. Don't expect a lot of rotation or surprises — this feels like a list that gets set and mostly stays put. What's there is competent, but ask your server what's freshest before committing to a glass.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano — null
This Tuscan white is almost always the overlooked option on Italian lists, which means it tends to be priced more fairly than the reds. Crisp, food-friendly, and genuinely regional — it's the move when the markup on the Brunello starts to sting.
Chianti Classico Riserva
Everyone reaches for the Super Tuscans because the names sound impressive on a date, but a well-chosen Chianti Classico Riserva at this kind of restaurant is often the better bottle — more complexity, more sense of place, and usually better QPR than the trophy wines getting all the attention.
Super Tuscan blends
Super Tuscans carry a lot of brand recognition and restaurants know it — which means they tend to get marked up accordingly. At a $$$-tier spot like this one, you're likely paying a premium for the cachet. The same money spent elsewhere on the list goes further.
Brunello di Montalcino + Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Brunello's earthy depth and firm structure cut through the richness of the eggplant and cheese without stomping on the tomato. It's a classic Tuscan combination on both sides of the plate, and the kind of pairing that makes the markup feel briefly worth it.
The Bottom Line
Cucina Toscana is a dependable Italian wine destination in a city where that bar isn't impossibly high — the list is focused, the depth is real, and the setting earns its keep. Just go in knowing the pricing leans steep and order strategically.
· Salt Lake City · Steakhouse
STK Salt Lake City has the bones of a wine program but none of the follow-through — three by-the-glass options and a bottle list built around brand recognition rather than quality. Order a cocktail, or spring for the Veuve if you want to feel good about what's in your glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sugar House · Salt Lake City · Steakhouse and Seafood with Scandinavian/European Influences
Kimi's earns its reputation as one of Salt Lake City's better nights out, and the wine program has real bones — a sommelier, a thoughtful Italian-leaning list, and proper glassware. Just go in knowing the markups are aggressive on the bubbles, anchor yourself to the Riesling if you're watching the spend, and let the room do the rest of the work.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
9th & 9th · Salt Lake City · Middle Eastern
Mazza isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something genuinely interesting by building a list around Lebanese producers that actually belong on the table with this food. If you're in Salt Lake City and want to drink something you won't find anywhere else in town, this is worth a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Japanese and Sushi
Takashi is a great restaurant with a wine list that's just along for the ride — functional, safe, and a little overpriced relative to what you get. Go for the sushi, order the Cloudy Bay or the Oregon Pinot, and don't expect the wine program to keep pace with the kitchen.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Seafood and Raw Bar
Market Street Oyster Bar is a reliable spot for wine if you calibrate your expectations accordingly — this is a crowd-pleaser list built for a crowd-pleaser room, and it mostly delivers. Send a friend here for oysters and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, not for a wine education.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cottonwood Heights · Salt Lake City · Seafood and Steakhouse
Market Street Grill Cottonwood is a dependable neighborhood anchor with a wine list that does exactly what it needs to — nothing more. Send a friend here for the oysters and the Sonoma-Cutrer; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Italian
Pasta Vino isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a neighborhood Italian with a list that actually makes sense for the room. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the Italian selections (especially the Chianti duo and the Lugana) show some genuine thought. Send a friend here for dinner knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Arlington · Italian
Piccolo Mondo punches above its Arlington zip code with a genuinely Italy-forward wine list that includes some names worth ordering. We'd love to see pricing and by-the-glass details more clearly published — and without knowing the markups, we can't fully endorse the value play — but the producer selection alone puts this ahead of most neighborhood Italian spots in the DFW suburbs. If you're going, head straight for the Tuscan reds and don't look back.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
The Macaroni Grill Lakeland wine list is functional the way a vending machine is functional — it dispenses what you ask for without fuss or personality. The by-the-glass breadth gives casual drinkers options, but the markups on several bottles and the complete absence of anything interesting or Italian-forward make this a list you tolerate rather than enjoy. Order the Lambrusco or the Trapiche Malbec and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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