Crossroads pasta spot that gets wine right
Crossroads Arts District · Kansas City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Farina’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Farina is compact enough to read before your bread arrives, which is exactly the point. This is a neighborhood pasta place that knows what it is — no sprawling encyclopedia, just a focused, Italian-leaning selection that matches the room. It feels curated rather than assembled.
Italy anchors the list, with representation from Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, and Veneto — all sensible given the kitchen's focus. The Fabio Oberto Roero Arneis and Tenuta Terre Nere Rosé from Etna show real editorial intent; these aren't shelf-filler picks. France gets a nod with the D66 Grenache Blend, and there's a small but interesting dessert wine section headlined by Far Niente Dolce and Inniskillin Icewine. Gaps exist — no serious reds from Barolo or Brunello country, and the California presence is almost entirely confined to the sweet wine section — but for a restaurant this size, the focus is a feature, not a bug.
Five by-the-glass options at $9 a pour is honest pricing for Kansas City, and the glass list appears to pull from the better parts of the bottle list. We'd love to see a few more rotations — five options is lean — but at that price point, you're not paying for someone else's experimentation.
Fabio Oberto Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy — $9/glass
Arneis is one of Piedmont's most underrated whites — bright, slightly bitter on the finish, and built for pasta. At $9 a glass in a sit-down restaurant with a sommelier on staff, this is the move.
Felsina Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2019
Most people skip the dessert wine section entirely, but Felsina makes one of Tuscany's benchmark Vin Santos — amber, nutty, oxidative in the best way. It's a rare find on a KC wine list and worth ordering even if you skip dessert.
Acinum Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Prosecco as a list opener is fine, but Acinum is a mass-market brand you can find at any grocery store. With wines like the Terre Nere Rosé available, spend your first glass somewhere more interesting.
Tenuta Terre Nere Rosé, Etna, Sicily + Cacio e Pepe
Etna Rosé has the acidity to cut through the fat in the cheese sauce and enough minerality to keep pace with the pepper. It's a volcanic wine meeting a Roman classic, and it works better than you'd expect.
The Bottom Line
Farina is doing quiet, honest work with its wine list — no flash, no nonsense, just well-chosen bottles that belong next to a bowl of house-made pasta. Yes, send a friend here for wine, especially if they're buying the Arneis.
Kansas City · Kansas City · Italian
Osteria Il Centro punches well above its neighborhood bistro billing — this is a serious Italian wine list in a city that doesn't always get serious Italian wine lists. The markup stings and there's no sommelier to guide you through the depth, but if you know what you want or ask the right questions, you'll eat and drink very well here.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Crossroads / Westside border (Southwest Boulevard) · Kansas City · Spanish tapas / small plates
La Bodega is the Wild Card Kansas City didn't know it needed — a genuinely Spain-focused wine list with fair pricing and a half-price Monday that should be on everyone's weekly calendar. Send your friends here, especially on a Wednesday when the paella and a Rioja Reserva are waiting.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Columbus Park / Downtown Fringe · Kansas City · Classic Italian-American
Garozzo's is a Kansas City institution, and the wine list knows its lane — Italian classics, middle-of-the-road pricing, and zero pretension. Send a friend here for the Spiedini and a Chianti; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brookside / East Brookside · Kansas City · Seafood-focused American / Oyster Bar
Earl's Premier is a wild card in the best possible way: a thoughtfully curated, seafood-focused wine list hiding in a Kansas City neighborhood spot. Send your oyster-loving friends here and tell them to start with bubbles.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Country Club Plaza · Kansas City · Seafood / Oyster Bar
Jax KC isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't need to be — but the list is smarter than the room might suggest, with a few genuine standouts that reward paying attention. Send a friend here for oysters and Sancerre, and tell them to skip the markups on anything California.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Freight House / Crossroads · Kansas City · Italian
Lidia's is a reliable Italian wine destination with a focused list and real sommelier knowledge behind it — the markups sting on the entry-level bottles, but Wednesday half-price wine night changes the math entirely. If you're going any other night, aim high on the list where the value is better.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Johns Creek · Italian
Pasta Vino isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a neighborhood Italian with a list that actually makes sense for the room. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the Italian selections (especially the Chianti duo and the Lugana) show some genuine thought. Send a friend here for dinner knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Arlington · Italian
Piccolo Mondo punches above its Arlington zip code with a genuinely Italy-forward wine list that includes some names worth ordering. We'd love to see pricing and by-the-glass details more clearly published — and without knowing the markups, we can't fully endorse the value play — but the producer selection alone puts this ahead of most neighborhood Italian spots in the DFW suburbs. If you're going, head straight for the Tuscan reds and don't look back.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
The Macaroni Grill Lakeland wine list is functional the way a vending machine is functional — it dispenses what you ask for without fuss or personality. The by-the-glass breadth gives casual drinkers options, but the markups on several bottles and the complete absence of anything interesting or Italian-forward make this a list you tolerate rather than enjoy. Order the Lambrusco or the Trapiche Malbec and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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