Italian Comfort, Decent Pours, Zero Surprises
Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Northern Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 4, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse Irvine’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Davio's Irvine reads exactly like the room looks: polished, approachable, and built to please a business dinner crowd without making anyone uncomfortable. Seventy-one labels across the full bottle list with a generous by-the-glass program signals that someone put effort in, even if 'adventurous' was never on the brief. You won't be wowed, but you won't be embarrassed either.
The list leans hard into Italian-friendly whites — Pinot Grigio from Riff and Barone Fini, Pieropan Soave, Antinori Bramito Chardonnay — with enough California and international representation to keep the non-Italian crowd happy. Reds are where the list gets thinner: Napa Cellars Merlot and Finca el Origen Malbec are perfectly serviceable crowd-pleasers, but anyone hoping to dig into Barolo or serious Tuscan reds will find the bottle list underwhelming for a place calling itself a Northern Italian steakhouse. The house Davio's Reserve by Peter Merriam line covers Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Rosé, and Pinot Noir — a smart private-label play that keeps margins high and gives the brand identity without stocking obscure producers. Gaps in Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and anything approaching old-world depth make this feel like a steakhouse list with an Italian accent rather than the other way around.
Thirty options by the glass is genuinely impressive for a restaurant of this size, and the spread across bubbles, whites, rosé, and reds gives almost every table something workable. The 'Premier Pours' tier — Jordan Chardonnay at $26/glass and Louis Latour Bourgogne Rouge at $28/glass — is a nice touch for guests who want to step up without committing to a bottle. Glass prices run $12 to $40, which is on the higher side for Irvine, but not shocking for the polished room you're sitting in.
Pieropan Soave 2023 — $14/glass
Pieropan is one of the benchmark producers in Soave — a name that commands real respect in Italian wine circles — and $14 a glass is about as close to fair as this list gets. Order it with anything white-fish or pasta-based and you're doing well.
Antinori Bramito Chardonnay 2023
Most people at a steakhouse reach for Jordan or something California, but Antinori's Bramito is an Umbrian Chardonnay with real restraint and minerality that the California picks on this list simply can't match. At $22/glass it's not cheap, but it's the most interesting white pour on the menu.
Whispering Angel Rosé 2023
At $18/glass, you're mostly paying for the pink bottle and the Instagram moment. Planeta Rosé at $13/glass is a more interesting wine from a producer that actually cares about what's inside, and it'll free up five bucks for dessert.
Louis Latour Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2022 + Lobster Ravioli
Bourgogne Rouge is light enough not to bulldoze delicate lobster filling, and the earthy red-fruit character in Latour's village-level Burgundy plays nicely against a butter-forward pasta sauce. It's the move if you want red wine without wrecking a seafood pasta.
The Bottom Line
Davio's Irvine is the wine list equivalent of a reliable business-class seat — comfortable, well-organized, and priced at a premium you'll notice. The by-the-glass program is the real strength here; thirty options with some genuinely good producers mixed in means you can eat well and drink reasonably well in the same visit. If you're hoping to geek out on the bottle list or find anything that'll make you lean forward in your chair, keep looking — but for a weeknight dinner or a client meal, this gets the job done without embarrassing anyone.
· Irvine · New American
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Corona del Mar · Irvine · New American and Seafood
CdM is genuinely worth your Wednesday. Half-price wine on an already polished dinner menu is a real offer, and the room alone justifies a reservation. We just can't tell you which bottle to order yet — the wine program is opaque enough that you'd be flying blind without a server who actually knows the list. Come for the Dirty Pasta and the vibe; if the wine follows, consider it a bonus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
South Coast Plaza · Irvine · Seafood
Water Grill South Coast Plaza has built a white-wine-forward list that's genuinely well-suited to what's on the plate — smart European picks alongside reliable California anchors, and enough BTG options to keep things interesting across a long meal. Markups run steep in places, especially on the recognizable names, but the value plays are there if you know where to look. For a seafood-focused dinner in Irvine, this is one of the better wine programs you'll find without driving to the coast.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Eclectic American
Rutabegorz isn't trying to be a wine destination — and that's fine, because the pricing is honest enough that wine actually works here as a casual add-on rather than a line item you regret. If you're eating here, order the Rancho Sisquoc Riesling and feel slightly smarter than the table next to you ordering the Josh.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Irvine · Health-focused New American
True Food Kitchen Irvine's wine list won't offend anyone, but it also won't excite anyone. It's a safe, corporate-approved selection built for wide appeal — which fits the brand but leaves real wine drinkers doing a lot of the heavy lifting. If you're here, order the Tablas Creek and move on with your evening.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Back Bay · Boston · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's wine list is exactly what it promises: a well-stocked, professionally run steakhouse program with genuine depth in the right places and markups that occasionally make you wince. Send a friend here if they want a proper bottle and someone who can help them find it — just steer them clear of the grocery-store Cabs dressed up in steakhouse pricing.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Back Bay · Boston · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's is a serious cellar wrapped in steep markups — the selection earns respect, but your wallet will feel it. Go in knowing what you're paying for, pick strategically, and the wine experience holds up.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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