Five Wines, One Price, Zero Ambition
· Winston Salem · Neapolitan Pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cugino Forno Pizzeria’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Cugino Forno fits on a napkin — and not a big napkin. Five bottles, all $23.95, all available by the glass at $5.95. It's not a wine program so much as a wine checkbox.
To their credit, the five wines are Italian-leaning and thematically appropriate for a Neapolitan pizza spot: a Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio for the white crowd, and a Sangiovese, Barbera del Monferrato, and a red blend from Castellargo for the reds. That's the whole show. No Aglianico, no Nero d'Avola, nothing from the south of Italy where Neapolitan pizza actually lives. The producers — Castellargo, Sassi, Feudo De San Nicola, Ipola — are serviceable mid-tier Italian imports, not exactly the stuff of discovery. At five labels total, there's nowhere to hide if one wine isn't working for you.
Every bottle on the list is also available by the glass at $5.95, which is genuinely cheap for Winston-Salem and makes the list feel more like a casual bar program than a curated offering. With a single flat price across the board, there's no incentive to explore — and with five options, not much to explore anyway.
Ipola Barbera del Monferrato — $23.95
Barbera is an underrated everyday Italian red — bright acidity, low tannin, made for pizza. At under $24 a bottle, this is the most food-friendly wine on the list and the clearest reason to order a bottle over glasses.
Feudo De San Nicola Sangiovese
Most people reaching for a red here will default to something familiar, but the Sangiovese is the most structurally interesting pick on a short list — earthy, acidic, and genuinely suited to tomato-based pies in a way that the Castellargo Rubeus blend probably isn't.
Castellargo Sauvignon Blanc
A Sauvignon Blanc at a Neapolitan pizza spot feels like an afterthought, and it probably is. It's not a natural match for the menu and Castellargo isn't a producer that's going to make you rethink the grape. Save the $5.95 and order a second beer.
Ipola Barbera del Monferrato + Margherita pizza
Barbera's high acidity and cherry-forward fruit are built for tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. It cuts through the fat, doesn't fight the basil, and costs less than most cocktails. The whole point of this wine is moments exactly like this.
The Bottom Line
Cugino Forno isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the five-bottle list makes that abundantly clear. The prices are fair enough that you won't feel ripped off, but if wine matters to you on a night out, this is a BYOB situation — check their corkage policy.
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River Birch Lodge's wine list isn't a wine list — it's a mimosa station with a port chaser. Order a cocktail with dinner and save the Tawny for the end.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Reynolda / North Winston-Salem · Winston Salem · Upscale American
Graylyn Estate is a genuinely beautiful place to have dinner, but the wine list is an afterthought in a room that deserves intention. Order the sea bass, grab the La Crema, and try not to think too hard about what this list could have been.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clemmons · Winston Salem · New American
Sixty Vines is a solid, reliable wine stop in Winston-Salem — the by-the-glass breadth is real and the staff knows their stuff, but the list reads like a greatest hits album rather than anything adventurous. Come for the volume, stay for the pizza, but don't expect to have your mind changed about wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Winston Salem · Indian
Oh' Calcutta's wine list is unremarkable on its own — but Tuesday nights flip the script entirely, and a $19 Pinot Noir with lamb vindaloo is a genuinely good time. Come for the food, plan around Tuesday, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Winston Salem · American
Cin Cin isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but Wednesday half-price wine all day on bottles and glasses turns a generic list into a genuinely good deal with a burger in hand. Show up any other night of the week and order a beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Brookstown · Winston Salem · Italian
Quanto Basta punches above its weight for a mid-size Southern city Italian spot — the Italian-focused list is thoughtful, the prices are fair, and Thursday half-price bottles make it one of the best weekly wine deals in Winston-Salem. Come hungry, come on a Thursday, and order the Falanghina.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
The Star / Lebanon Road · Frisco · Neapolitan Pizza
Cane Rosso Frisco isn't a wine destination, but the Tuesday and Wednesday half-price program turns a grocery-store-safe list into a genuinely compelling reason to show up mid-week. Come for the pizza, come back on a Tuesday, and don't overthink the wine.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown Frisco · Frisco · Neapolitan Pizza
For a beer-and-wine-only pizza spot in Frisco, this list has no business being this interesting — all-Italian, regionally diverse, and priced without ego. If you're eating Neapolitan pizza in North Dallas suburbs, you could do a lot worse than landing here with a glass of Falanghina.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Wakefield · Providence · Neapolitan Pizza
Pasquale's isn't trying to be a wine destination and it doesn't need to be — it's a focused, Italian-leaning list that takes its cues from the kitchen, and that's exactly right. The markups are real, but if you order smart (Etna Rosso, Falanghina, Montepulciano), you'll drink well with your pizza without feeling like you got played.
Small but Thoughtful
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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