Italy Goes Deep, Markups Go Higher
West Side · Cleveland · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Il Venetian lands with real weight — over 200 bottles organized by Italian region, with Tre Venezie, Bolgheri, and Piedmont each getting their own section. This isn't a steakhouse wine list that accidentally has some Chianti; someone actually thought about this. The Italian focus feels intentional and earned.
The Italian backbone is the clear strength here — you've got Amarone della Valpolicella representing the Veneto, Frescobaldi's Luce 'Lucente' flying the flag for Modern Tuscany, and solid Bordeaux and U.S. sections rounding things out for guests who won't budge on their Cab. The regional breakdown — Tre Venezie through Piedmont — shows more geographic literacy than most Italian restaurants in Cleveland manage. Gaps exist on the natural wine front and anything particularly adventurous from Southern Italy, but for a place positioning itself as upscale Italian-American, the depth is genuinely respectable. Just don't expect anything that'll make you forget about the markup.
Twenty-plus pours across sparkling, white, rosé, and red is a legitimately strong by-the-glass program — most restaurants at this price point offer half that. The range runs from the Roederer Estate sparkling at $12 to En Route Pinot Noir at $25, giving you real options at different spend levels. The problem is the pricing math: several of these pours are running 200–250% over retail, so that generous selection comes at a cost.
Campuget 1753 Syrah Rosé Rhône FR — $13
At 154% markup, it's the least aggressive pricing on the glass list, and a Rhône rosé with some Syrah structure actually holds up to the richer pasta dishes here. It's also just a good pour for $13.
2018 Frescobaldi Luce 'Lucente' Tuscany IT
Most guests are going to reach for the Cab or the Amarone, but Lucente — a Sangiovese-Merlot blend from one of Tuscany's best estates — is the kind of wine that rewards the curious diner. It's got structure and fruit without the full Brunello price tag.
En Route Pinot Noir Russian River CA
At $25 a glass against a $60 retail price, you're looking at a 240% markup on a wine that's already priced as a premium Pinot. That math doesn't work in your favor — order a bottle of something Italian instead.
Amarone della Valpolicella + Veal Parmigiana
Amarone's dried-grape intensity and grippy tannins need something with weight and richness to push back — Veal Parm, with its tomato acidity and savory depth, is exactly that. It's a classic Veneto pairing and it earns its place on this menu.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Il Venetian has a wine list that genuinely respects Italian wine culture, and for Cleveland, that's saying something. The markups are real and worth factoring into your budget — but if you pick carefully, there's a solid night of drinking to be had here.
University Circle · Cleveland · Regional
Table 45 is a dependable hotel wine list that punches above its Cleveland zip code — it's not adventurous, but it's not embarrassing either. Send a friend here if they want recognizable, quality bottles in a proper setting; steer them toward Jordan and Drouhin and away from the obvious crowd-pleasers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Flats East Bank · Cleveland · Italian
Lago East Bank is a legitimately strong Italian wine program in a city that doesn't always get credit for having them — the WS Award of Excellence since 2023 is earned. Markups keep it from being a great value play, but if you're going to drop money on a bottle of Barolo anywhere in Cleveland, this is the room to do it.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Shaker Square · Cleveland · French
Edwins is one of the most genuinely interesting restaurant stories in Cleveland — a fine-dining French program run by people earning their place in the industry — and the wine list is good enough to stand on its own merits, mission aside. Send a friend here and tell them to order French across the board, from the escargot to the bottle.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Woodmere · Cleveland · American Steakhouse
J. Gilbert's is a reliable, well-stocked steakhouse list that plays it safe with California heavyweights and charges accordingly — nothing groundbreaking, but the Sunday wine deal is one of the better recurring specials in Cleveland and reason enough to plan around it. Come for the filet, drink better than you expected to.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Gateway District · Cleveland · Italian, American, Steakhouse
The Centro is a reliable pour for downtown Cleveland — the list won't surprise you, the prices will sting a little, but it's a competent wine program for a hotel steakhouse anchored in a beautiful room. Send a friend here if they want familiar bottles and a good steak; steer them elsewhere if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Cleveland · American Grill
J. Alexander's has no business having this good of a markup on their wine list, but here we are. It's a chain, it's comfortable, and it's offering pours like Austin Hope Cabernet at prices that would embarrass half the independent restaurants in Cleveland — send a friend here without hesitation.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Amarillo · Amarillo · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood
Mac Joe's is the wild card of the Texas Panhandle — a 450-label list in a Tuscan-themed Italian joint in Amarillo is not something anyone sees coming. The pricing leans steep and the selection plays it safe with California royalty, but the sheer ambition here earns genuine respect.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Warwick · Providence · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood
Tavolo is the rare suburban restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to show up — not just an afterthought to the menu. Come on a Tuesday, order a Brunello, get the osso buco, and tell your big-city friends to calm down.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Downtown Albany · Albany · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood
Delmonico's isn't trying to be a wine destination, and to its credit, it doesn't pretend to be — the list is safe, the markups are fair, and the Tommasi Amarone gives you one genuinely good reason to order a bottle. Send a friend here for dinner knowing the wine won't disappoint, just don't expect it to impress anyone either.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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