Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse

The list at Davio's Reston is exactly what you'd expect from a polished Northern Italian steakhouse: familiar names, recognizable labels, nothing that's going to make you lean forward in your chair. It's competently assembled and the by-the-glass range is genuinely wide, which counts for something in a suburban strip.

Seventy labels is a decent number, but the list skews heavily toward safe American picks — Decoy, La Crema, Coppola, Chalk Hill — with only occasional nods to the Italian identity the restaurant's name promises. The Pieropan Soave is a welcome exception, one of the few bottles here that actually reflects the Northern Italian theme. Champagne coverage is solid with both Roederer and Veuve Clicquot on the glass list, and the Davio's Reserve house label by Peter Merriam shows up across white, red, and Sauvignon Blanc, giving the list a proprietary anchor. The gaps are noticeable: no Barolo, no Brunello, minimal Tuscany representation, and the red wine depth by the bottle is thin for a steakhouse claiming Italian roots.

Thirty options by the glass is legitimately impressive for a restaurant of this type — that's nearly half the list pourable without committing to a bottle. The range covers bubbles, whites, rosé, and reds, with prices running $12 to $28 for most options. The selection skews approachable over adventurous, but the sheer volume means most tables will find something that works.