Facci Ristorante
Italy Does Maryland, And It Works
Ellicott City · Ellicot City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 15, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Facci reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — and not the kind with typos. You open it expecting a generic suburban Italian list and instead find Gaja and Tignanello sitting there like they own the place. The $35–$200 range is accessible enough that you're not immediately defensive.
Selection Deep Dive
Piedmont and Tuscany are the clear priorities here, and Wine Spectator has recognized this program every year since 2014 — that's not an accident. Barolo and Barbaresco from the northwest anchor the list alongside Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Riserva from the south, with big-name producers like Gaja, Antinori, and Marchesi di Barolo showing up to lend credibility. Tignanello and Amarone della Valpolicella round things out for guests who want something powerful and crowd-pleasing. The gaps are in white wines and anything outside Italy — if you're hunting Burgundy or natural pours, look elsewhere.
By the Glass
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a respectable spread for a neighborhood Italian spot, and the $10–$18 price range keeps things honest. Don't expect the heavy hitters like Gaja to show up in the glass program — those stay corked until someone commits to a bottle. Still, it's enough variety to make a decision without immediately defaulting to beer.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $35–$50 (bottle)
Chianti Classico Riserva at the low end of this list's price range is where the real value lives — you're getting structured Sangiovese with bottle age for roughly what a mediocre Napa Cab costs at a chain restaurant. It's the workhorse pick at a table that wants serious wine without a serious invoice.
Marchesi di Barolo
Most guests gravitating toward the Barolo section will reach for the Gaja out of name recognition and walk away with sticker shock. Marchesi di Barolo is the quieter move — a historic Piedmontese producer making genuinely traditional Barolo that most diners skip because it doesn't have the same marketing budget.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarone is a tough sell at a restaurant markup — these wines are expensive to produce, expensive to buy retail, and the restaurant premium pushes you into territory where the juice rarely justifies the bill. Save it for a night when you're specifically hunting Amarone; at Facci, the Piedmontese side of the list is where the money is better spent.
Tignanello (Antinori) + Osso Buco
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has the structure to stand up to braised veal shank without bulldozing it — the acidity cuts through the richness of the gremolata and marrow while the tannins find something to grip. It's a showstopper combination that makes the price of the bottle feel justified.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Facci is a genuinely solid Italian wine program hiding in a suburban Maryland resort complex — the Italian depth is real, the pricing is fair, and the annual Wine Spectator recognition since 2014 is earned. If you're in the area and want to drink Barolo with your Osso Buco without flying to Florence, this is your spot.
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