Solid pours to match your brick-oven pie
Downtown · Hot Springs · Neapolitan-style pizza, Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed DeLuca's Pizzeria’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at DeLuca's reads like a confident crowd-pleaser — recognizable names, approachable prices by the glass, and enough range to keep most tables happy without breaking a sweat. It's not trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be. For a buzzy downtown pizza joint on Central Ave, that's probably the right call.
Twenty-four labels span Italy, California, New Zealand, Argentina, France, and Germany — a reasonable passport for a casual Italian-American spot. The Italian representation is thinner than you'd hope given the menu focus: Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico is the real anchor here, while the rest leans heavily California and mass-market. The Prisoner Red Blend and Austin Hope Cab signal a list built to move bottles, not to educate. There's no deep dive into southern Italian reds or anything from Sicily or Campania, which feels like a missed opportunity when you're slinging Neapolitan-style pies.
Eight options by the glass with a price range of $6 to $14 gives this list genuine accessibility — you can order a round without doing mental math. The pours lean predictable (La Crema Chardonnay, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio), but they're dependable workhorses that won't disappoint. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here; the BTG program feels static rather than seasonal.
Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico — $38
This is the most food-appropriate bottle on the list and likely the most underpriced relative to what it brings. Arceno makes serious Chianti — structured, earthy, with the acidity that pizza actually needs. Skip the California blockbusters and go here.
Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling
Most people at a pizza place are reaching for red or Pinot Grigio without a second thought. This off-dry German Riesling is the sleeper — it handles heat, cuts through cheese, and costs almost nothing. The table next to you will be jealous once they see yours.
Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon
A $40+ retail bottle that restaurants routinely push past $70. At a pizza spot, a big Paso Robles Cab is fighting the food rather than working with it — and you're paying a premium for the privilege of that mismatch.
Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico + Brick-oven specialty pizza
Sangiovese and tomato sauce share the same DNA — high acidity, savory backbone, built for each other. Arceno's Chianti has enough structure to stand up to a loaded pie without steamrolling it. This is the pairing the list is quietly pointing you toward.
✔️ The Bottom Line
DeLuca's wine list does exactly what it needs to for a packed downtown pizzeria — familiar labels, fair glass prices, nothing that'll embarrass anyone. If you order the Chianti Classico and a specialty pie, you'll leave happy; if you default to The Prisoner just because you recognize it, you'll leave fine but slightly overpaying.
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