Italian Staples, Wednesday Bottles Worth Planning For
Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Il Fornaio Irvine’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Il Fornaio Irvine reads like a greatest hits album of Italian-American dining — familiar, comfortable, and leaning hard into the crowd pleasers. That's not a knock exactly; there's genuine effort here to represent the Italian peninsula, from Alto Adige Pinot Grigio to Sicilian whites to Super Tuscans. But the corporate fingerprints are visible, and you won't mistake this for a curated indie list.
The list runs roughly 45-60 labels with a sensible Italian backbone — Boscarelli's Rosso di Montepulciano, Tolaini's Valdisanti Super Tuscan, Donnafugata's Anthìlia from Sicily, and Tommasi Amarone anchor the Italian side with some real credibility. California fills out the back half with the usual suspects: Caymus, Silver Oak, Stags' Leap, and The Prisoner — solid names, but bottles you could find at any mid-range steakhouse in Orange County. The Alto Adige showing is a quiet bright spot, with St. Michael-Eppan's Pinot Grigio representing one of the best appellations for that grape on the entire list. Gaps exist in natural wine, anything beyond Italy and California, and serious Barolo or Brunello territory.
There are approximately 12-16 by-the-glass options at $14-$20 a pour, which is standard for upscale corporate Italian but leaves little room for adventure. The Villa Sandi Prosecco is a reliable opener and the Il Fornaio house Pinot Grigio from Trentino covers the casual white drinker. Don't expect frequent rotation — this is a set-and-occasionally-refresh situation rather than a dynamic glass program.
St. Michael-Eppan Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige — $50–$65 (bottle estimate based on stated range)
St. Michael-Eppan is one of Alto Adige's benchmark producers for Pinot Grigio — this is a serious, mineral-driven wine that earns its place on any list. In a sea of forgettable grocery-store Pinot Grigios, this one actually tastes like it comes from somewhere. Worth every dollar, especially on a Wednesday.
Donnafugata 'Anthìlia' Sicilia DOC
Most tables at Il Fornaio will blow right past this Sicilian white and reach for something they recognize. Don't. Donnafugata is a serious producer and Anthìlia — a Catarrato-Damaschino blend — is bright, textural, and genuinely interesting. It's the wine that makes you feel like you're actually eating somewhere in Palermo rather than Irvine.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Caymus is a perfectly decent wine being charged a perfectly indecent restaurant markup. You can buy this bottle at Costco for well under $100; here it's sitting in a price tier that requires you to really want it. There are better California Cab stories on this list for less, and better Italian reds full stop.
Tolaini 'Valdisanti' Super Tuscan, Toscana + Grilled meats
Valdisanti is a Sangiovese-led blend with the structure and dark fruit to handle something off the grill without overwhelming it. A wood-fired bistecca or grilled lamb chop gives the wine something to push against, and the Tuscan provenance keeps the whole thing on-theme.
Wednesday — Vino è Vita Wednesdays: Il Fornaio Insiders members get 50% off all bottles of wine, all day. Sign up for the loyalty program before you go — this is the move.
The Bottom Line
Il Fornaio Irvine is a reliable corporate Italian with a wine list that rewards a little digging — and if you can get there on a Wednesday as an Insider member, half-price bottles turn a steep markup into a genuinely good deal. It's not a destination wine experience, but it's a competent one that won't embarrass you in front of a client or a date.
· Irvine · Brazilian churrasco (rodizio steakhouse)
The real headline here is the Monday–Thursday deal: half-price South American bottles under $150, available in both the dining room and bar. That's a legitimately good incentive to plan your Fogo visit mid-week. The wine list isn't pushing any boundaries, but at half-price it doesn't need to — grab something from Argentina, let the gaucho do his thing at the table, and call it a win.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Fleming's Irvine delivers exactly what it promises: a wide, competent, California-forward wine list that covers all the bases for a steakhouse crowd. The markup is real — this is not a list for value hunters — but the by-the-glass depth is genuinely good and the Loosen Bros. Riesling at $11 is the rare honest deal hiding in plain sight. If you want adventure, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable glass with your ribeye in Irvine, this gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Benchmark is a genuinely pleasant surprise for Irvine — a short, owner-driven list that punches above its modest size by leaning hard into Paso Robles producers who actually deserve your attention. If you're a Cab-or-nothing drinker, you might feel constrained; if you're willing to follow the owner's enthusiasm toward Law Estate Grenache or a Bodega de Edgar Tempranillo, this list rewards the curious.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Reunion Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list proves it. Three by-the-glass pours from mass-market California producers, priced at a premium — this is a wine program on autopilot. Order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine for somewhere that actually thought about it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Corona del Mar · Irvine · New American and Seafood
CdM is genuinely worth your Wednesday. Half-price wine on an already polished dinner menu is a real offer, and the room alone justifies a reservation. We just can't tell you which bottle to order yet — the wine program is opaque enough that you'd be flying blind without a server who actually knows the list. Come for the Dirty Pasta and the vibe; if the wine follows, consider it a bonus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Irvine Business Complex · Irvine · Northern Italian Steakhouse
Davio's Irvine is the wine list equivalent of a reliable business-class seat — comfortable, well-organized, and priced at a premium you'll notice. The by-the-glass program is the real strength here; thirty options with some genuinely good producers mixed in means you can eat well and drink reasonably well in the same visit. If you're hoping to geek out on the bottle list or find anything that'll make you lean forward in your chair, keep looking — but for a weeknight dinner or a client meal, this gets the job done without embarrassing anyone.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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