Coal-Fired Pizza, Convenience Store Wine
Irving Mall Area · Irving · Pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grimaldi's Pizzeria – Irving’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Grimaldi's Irving is about as ambitious as a paper menu — eight labels, mostly grocery store regulars, priced like they're doing you a favor. It's a beer-and-wine program that exists because the liquor license requires one, not because anyone here spent time thinking about it. The coal-fired pizza is the draw; the wine is an afterthought.
Eight bottles split between Italy and California, and neither region gets the respect it deserves. On the Italian side, Stemmari Nero d'Avola and Poggiotondo Chianti are perfectly fine Sunday-sauce wines that deserve better company than Meiomi and Cavit. The California side leans hard into recognizable brand names — Freakshow Zinfandel, Liberty School Cab — crowd pleasers that move units but don't inspire. There are no surprises here, no deep cuts, nothing that would make a serious wine drinker pause.
Six of the eight bottles pour by the glass, which is actually a reasonable ratio for a list this small. Pours run $9–$14, which sounds fine until you realize the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio underneath it is a $10 retail bottle. The rotation appears to be set-and-forget — don't expect anything new showing up here with the seasons.
Stemmari Nero d'Avola — $30 (est.)
Sicilian Nero d'Avola is a legit pizza grape — dark fruit, medium tannin, enough acid to cut through cheese and charred crust. It's the one bottle on this list with a real sense of place, and it belongs here more than the Meiomi does.
Mille Gradi Sangiovese
Most people at a pizza joint default to whatever Cab is cheapest, but Sangiovese is the move — it's the grape that Italian grandmothers have been drinking with tomato-based food for centuries. This one gets overlooked because the name doesn't ring any bells, which is exactly why you should order it.
Cavit Pinot Noir
At a 174% markup over a $9.49 retail bottle, this is the worst deal on a list full of mediocre deals. Cavit is a Trentino co-op wine that belongs on an airplane, not on a restaurant list charging $26 for the privilege. Pass.
Poggiotondo Chianti + Coal-fired pizza
Chianti is basically engineered for this situation — bright acidity, earthy red fruit, and enough grip to stand up to a char-edged crust and San Marzano tomato sauce. It's the most geographically honest pairing on the menu and it actually works.
The Bottom Line
Grimaldi's is worth the trip for the coal-fired pizza; the wine list is not worth thinking about. Order the Chianti or the Nero d'Avola, don't look at the markup math, and focus on the pizza.
· Irving · New American / Wine Bar
Bacchus has no business being this interesting with only four bottles on the list, but here we are. If you're open to drinking outside your comfort zone over brunch in suburban Texas, this tiny, weird card is worth the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Deep Ellum · Irving · Bar / Entertainment
Electric Shuffle is genuinely a fun night out — just don't make wine the reason you go. Grab a cocktail, dominate at shuffleboard, and save the bottle hunt for somewhere that actually wants to be in that conversation.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irving · Wine Bar
Mercy is punching way above its weight for Irving, Texas — a 14-bottle list that somehow covers natural wine, skin contact, sparkling, and old-world obscurities without a single safe-harbor Cab in sight. If you're anywhere near this zip code and you're tired of the same old list, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irving · Spanish / Wine Bar
Barcelona Wine Bar in Irving shouldn't be this good, and yet here we are — a 48-bottle all-by-the-glass list with real depth, fair prices, and a genuine point of view. If you're anywhere near this part of Dallas, it's worth a detour just for the wine.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Galleria · Irving · Italian
North Italia isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely respectable one — fair prices, regional Italian whites worth ordering, and enough variety to reward curious drinkers. Send your friends here knowing they won't be stuck choosing between Pinot Grigio and nothing.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oak Lawn · Irving · Italian / Enoteca
Enoteca Italia is doing something genuinely different on the Dallas Italian scene — a focused, boots-on-the-ground Italian list in a room that feels like a special occasion. Markup concerns aside, if you want to drink Italian and have someone who actually knows what they're pouring, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Belltown · Seattle · Pizza
Belltown Pizza's wine list won't be the reason you come back, but it also won't be the reason you're annoyed. Fair prices, local representation, and just enough Italian to make sense — it does the job without making you think too hard.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Creekside · Ashland · Pizza
Creekside Pizza isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and at these prices in this market, the honest, unpretentious list earns a pass. Send a friend here if they want something decent to drink without a lecture or a markup.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Harrisburg · Pizza
Bacco isn't trying to be a wine bar — it's a pizzeria that respects the Italian tradition enough to pour the right wines at honest prices. Send a friend here without hesitation; just steer them toward the Lugana.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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