Italy's deep cuts, poured with intention
· Chicago · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed il Carciofo’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at il Carciofo lands like a letter from a friend who moved to northern Italy and never came back. This isn't a greatest hits of Barolo and Brunello — it's a 111-bottle deep dive into the stuff serious Italian wine nerds argue about on forums at 1am. If you've never heard of half these producers, that's exactly the point.
The list leans hard into obscure Italian regions and indigenous varieties, and it's better for it. You've got Emilio Bulfon's Ucelùt from Friuli — one of the rarest grapes in Italy — sitting alongside a Frecciarossa Pinot Nero from Oltrepò Pavese and L'Avventura 'Amor' from Paso Robles, which is the one curveball that actually earns its spot. The sparkling section alone is doing serious work, with Monogram Franciacorta 'Saten' and the criminally underrated Cleto Chiarli Brut de Noir Rosé. There's even a dedicated non-alcoholic section with two proper German Rieslings — the Leitz 'Ein Zwei Zero' and Dr. Fischer 'Steinbock' — which is a thoughtful touch you almost never see executed this well.
Twenty-three by-the-glass options is a real commitment and il Carciofo follows through. Standouts include the Cantina Settecani Lambrusco Grasparossa at $14 — fizzy, dark-fruited, and built for a table of food — and the Tommaso Bussola Recioto at $18, which is a serious dessert wine at a price that doesn't make you wince. The glass list rotates enough variety across sparkling, white, red, and dessert that you could drink your way through the evening without ever touching a bottle.
Cantina Settecani Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro — $14/glass
A proper Lambrusco — not the sweet grocery store stuff — with real grip and fizz. At $14 a glass it's the move when you want something fun and food-friendly without overthinking it.
Emilio Bulfon Ucelùt
Ucelùt is one of the rarest indigenous Friulian grapes in existence, and Emilio Bulfon is essentially the person keeping it alive. Most diners will scroll right past it. Don't.
Adami 'Garbél' Prosecco NV
Adami is a solid producer and this isn't a bad bottle, but at $68 you're paying a steep premium for a Prosecco when the Cleto Chiarli Brut de Noir Rosé at $64 is a far more interesting pour.
Sergio Mottura Poggio della Costa 2024 + Artichoke preparations (the restaurant's namesake)
Mottura's Grechetto from Umbria has the herbal bite and citrus edge to handle artichoke's notoriously wine-hostile bitterness — one of the few white grapes that actually plays nicely with it.
The Bottom Line
il Carciofo is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine list that treats Italian regional variety as the main event, not the footnote. If you're tired of the same Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico circuit, this is exactly where you should be eating dinner.
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