Encore Ristorante
Italy and Napa walk into a steakhouse
North Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian, American, Steakhouse, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The list at Encore reads like a greatest-hits album from someone who really loves Italy and Napa and made exactly zero apologies about it. It's polished, organized, and clearly designed to impress a table of business-dinner regulars without making anyone feel lost. The range is broader than most Raleigh steakhouses, which sets expectations appropriately high.
Selection Deep Dive
Tuscany and Napa carry the most weight here — you've got Antinori's Il Bruciato, the Montepeloso Gabbro Super Tuscan, a Fratelli Revello Barolo from La Morra, and a Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino anchoring the Italian side. California shows up hard too, with The Prisoner, Paradigm Oakville Cab, and Belle Glos Pinot Noir doing most of the crowd-pleasing heavy lifting. France gets a nod with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine de Grand Tinel and Louis Jadot White Burgundy, but the Old World feels like a supporting cast rather than a headliner. The list doesn't take many risks — you won't find grower Champagne or esoteric varietals — but it's competently assembled for the room it's playing to.
By the Glass
With 12-20 pours, the by-the-glass program is one of the stronger aspects of the list — enough variety to actually make a decision rather than just defaulting to the house red. Expect the usual suspects: Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio from Castellano, and probably a Cab or two from California. It rotates predictably rather than creatively, but there's enough to keep a two-glass dinner interesting.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de Grand Tinel, Rhône, France — null
Domaine de Grand Tinel is a legitimate, well-regarded CdP producer — this is the kind of wine that earns its price tag at a place like this. At an upscale steakhouse, finding a proper Southern Rhône from a serious estate is a win, and it's going to outperform most of the California bottles at the same tier.
Amarone Classico, Bussola, Valpolicella, Italy
Bussola is a small, quality-focused producer in Valpolicella that most tables here will walk right past on the way to The Prisoner. That's a mistake. This is a serious Amarone — dense, layered, built to go with red meat — from a name that earns genuine respect in Italy. Most guests ordering a big red for a steak won't even glance at it.
Cabernet Sauvignon, The Prisoner, Napa Valley, California
The Prisoner is a solid wine that has been so thoroughly discovered it's now a steakhouse cliché. At upscale restaurant prices you're paying a significant premium for a label people recognize from the grocery store. The money goes further almost anywhere else on this list.
Super Tuscan, Montepeloso Gabbro, Tuscany, Italy + Lasagna Bolognese
Montepeloso Gabbro is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Super Tuscan with the kind of dark fruit and structure that can stand up to a rich, meaty Bolognese without steamrolling it. This is a proper Italian pairing that doesn't require any explaining — it just works.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Encore is a reliable upscale dinner destination with a wine list that's better than average for North Raleigh — just don't expect any surprises, and budget accordingly because the markup is real. Send a friend here for a Barolo and a steak, not a wine adventure.
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