Midsize Italian List Punches Above Its Weight
Hallandale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · February 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Gioia Italy’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Twenty-five bottles isn't much, but Gioia's list reads like someone's personal Italian cellar — laser-focused on the boot from Piemonte to Sicilia. Fair pricing and a Wednesday half-price program suggest they actually want you to drink here, not just look at the list. The selection skews traditional with some serious heavy hitters lurking in the lineup.
This is an all-Italian show, and they're not messing around with the usual suspects. You've got legit Barolo and Barbaresco from Francone, Brunello from Ridolfi, and regional gems from Puglia and Salento through Cantine Fabio Cordella. The list leans northern but doesn't ignore the south — smart for a pizzeria that likely moves volume on lighter reds and crisp whites. No international filler, no California Cab hiding in the corner. Just Italy, done right, with producers who know their terroir.
Six glass pours starting at $12 is solid for a neighborhood Italian spot. The Chardonnay from Cantine Fabio Cordella shows they're not defaulting to Pinot Grigio basics, and the price point suggests fair restaurant markup. Glass selection appears to rotate with some thought, though we'd love to see more adventurous picks beyond the standards.
Barbaresco I Patriarchi DOCG Francone '19 — ~$65
Barbaresco at this probable price point is a steal compared to its Barolo sibling, offering elegant Nebbiolo with less sticker shock
Chardonnay Donna Tiziana IGP Cantine Fabio Cordella Salento '22
Pugliese Chardonnay flies under the radar but delivers Mediterranean sunshine and stone fruit without the Burgundy markup
Barolo Piemonte DOCG Francone '19
It's probably great wine, but 2019 Barolo needs more time and you'll pay top dollar for a bottle that's drinking tight
Brunello Di Montalcino Amauri DOCG Ridolfi '22 + Eggplant Parmigiana
Young Brunello's bright acidity and cherry fruit cut through the richness while the tannins play nice with tomato and cheese
Wednesday — Half-priced wine bottles from 6PM to closure
The Bottom Line
For a 25-bottle list in a Hallandale Beach pizzeria, Gioia Italy delivers surprising depth and Wednesday half-price makes it a no-brainer neighborhood wine night. Come for the pizza, stay for the Barbaresco.
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Mediterranean
The Terrace Grill isn't where you go to chase down rare bottles or get your mind blown by an unexpected producer — it's where you go to drink well without overthinking it. For waterfront Mediterranean dining in Fort Lauderdale, that's a perfectly respectable offer.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Italian, Floridian
La Fuga earns its Wine Spectator hardware with a focused Italian-California list that does right by the food — just be prepared for steep markups on the prestige bottles. Send a friend here when they want serious Italian wine with their pasta and a view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · Italian
Anthony's Runway 84 is a Fort Lauderdale institution that knows its audience and delivers exactly what it promises: big Napa names, old-school Italian comfort, and no surprises. Wine-forward diners may find the list a little safe, but the Italian highlights and the fresh Wine Spectator Award of Excellence signal that someone here is paying attention — even if the list isn't ready to take risks.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ft. Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · Steak House
Steak 954 is a legitimately strong wine program for a beach hotel steakhouse — deep on the producers that matter, proper storage, and a by-the-glass count that punches above its weight. Markups are what they are at this address, but if you pick smart, this is a great place to drink wine with a serious piece of beef.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale · French, Japanese
MAASS is the real thing — a sommelier-driven program with genuine depth, proper glassware, and staff that actually knows what's in the cellar. Markups run steep at the top end, but this is a Best of Award of Excellence list for a reason, and it earns every bit of the credential.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · American, Farm to Table
Daniel's is a legitimate Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence earner — the list is deep, the heavy hitters are all here, and the room is built for serious wine drinking. The markups sting and there's no sommelier pushing you toward discovery, but if you know what you're looking for, this is one of Fort Lauderdale's best bottles-over-dinner experiences.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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