Italy Meets California Inside a Ford Dealership
Columbia · Columbia · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Di Vino Rosso’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a 1920s building that used to move Model A's and now moves Tignanello — and honestly, the upgrade tracks. The list lands on your table with the weight of something curated, not just copied from a distributor catalog. Two hundred-plus bottles anchored in California and Italy tells you exactly where this kitchen's heart is.
The Italian spine is serious: Gaja Barbaresco, Marchesi di Barolo Barolo, Antinori Tignanello, and Banfi Brunello di Montalcino make up a murderer's row of the peninsula's greatest hits. California holds its own with Caymus, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, and Stag's Leap Artemis — not the most adventurous picks, but well-sourced and well-matched to the room. What we'd love to see is a few more left-field entries — a Vermentino, a Sagrantino, something to reward the curious — but for a Columbia, South Carolina restaurant, this is a genuinely impressive depth of field. Wine Spectator handed out their Best of Award of Excellence here in 2025, and looking at this list, that's not a participation trophy.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment — most places of this size offer half that and call it a program. The $12–$20 range keeps things accessible without feeling like a budget afterthought. We'd want to know how frequently the glass list rotates, but the sheer count suggests there's something interesting waiting beyond the Chianti and Cab defaults.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale — $40
At the entry end of the bottle range, this is a Chianti Classico that punches well above its price point — structured, food-friendly, and the kind of wine that makes a weeknight pasta dinner feel like a Saturday splurge.
Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
Most tables in a place like this are reaching for the Caymus before the menus are fully open. The Barolo crowd is smaller, but it's the one that leaves the table talking about the wine. Traditional Nebbiolo with real grip and complexity — exactly what the osso buco is waiting for.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Look, it's not a bad wine — it's just everywhere, it's marked up accordingly, and ordering it in an Italian restaurant with a list this good is like going to a great taqueria and ordering the quesadilla.
Antinori Tignanello + Osso buco
Tignanello is the bridge between Tuscany's Sangiovese soul and Cabernet's structure — it's bold enough to stand up to braised veal shank but has the acidity to cut through the richness without bullying the dish. This is the pairing you came for.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Di Vino Rosso is doing something genuinely ambitious for Columbia — a deep, Italy-and-California list in a historic building with food worthy of the bottles on that list. Send your friends here, point them toward the Barolo, and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Forest Acres · Columbia · Contemporary American Bistro with Southern Influences
Tombo Grille isn't going to win any points for boldness, but it delivers exactly what Forest Acres wants: familiar wines, fair-enough execution, and a menu worth eating. Send a friend here for a reliable dinner out — just temper expectations if they're hoping to discover something new.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irmo / Northwest Columbia · Columbia · Contemporary American-Italian
Travinia is a reliable neighborhood wine bar that gets the basics right — solid selection, good by-the-glass volume, food-friendly pours — without ever swinging for the fences. Send your friends here for a comfortable bottle with dinner, not for a wine discovery experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sandhill · Columbia · Contemporary American-Italian
Travinia Sandhill is a reliable wine bar in a market that doesn't have many — not adventurous, not cheap, but consistent enough that you won't regret the reservation. Just steer clear of the obvious traps and you'll have a decent night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Columbia · Seafood
The Bluefish plays it safe and the pricing reflects more confidence than the list deserves, but the core selection is competent enough for a solid seafood dinner with the right pour. Stick to the whites, ask about the Albariño, and don't let anyone talk you into a $78 Cakebread.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
St Andrews · Columbia · Japanese, Sushi
Inakaya Watanabe is clearly a solid neighborhood sushi spot, and the food likely earns its loyal following — but the wine program is an afterthought that nobody has revisited in years. Come for the fish, order sake if they have it, and treat the wine list as a last resort.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Vista · Columbia · Asian / Sushi & Pan-Asian
M Vista's wine list is functional, fairly priced, and completely unambitious — which honestly fits the room. Send a friend here for sushi and a casual bottle of J Lohr; don't send them here expecting a wine experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Bend · South Bend · Italian
Parisi's wine list isn't going to make anyone's 'must-visit' wine destination list, but it does exactly what a neighborhood Italian joint's wine program should: keeps prices honest, leans into Italian varieties, and stays out of the way of good food. Send a friend here for dinner, not for wine exploration.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown South Bend · South Bend · Italian
Carmela's is a warm, unpretentious neighborhood Italian spot where the food clearly gets the love and the wine list gets whatever's left over. Come for the pasta, order the Chianti or the Lambrusco, and don't walk in expecting to be surprised.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Everett Mall Way · Everett · Italian
Olive Garden's wine list is the dining equivalent of airport Wi-Fi — functional, fine, and not something you'd ever brag about. Order the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that earned it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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