California Cabs and Candles Near the Lake
Midtown / Highway 50 · South Lake Tahoe · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Izabella Ristorante Italiano’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Izabella lands exactly how you'd expect from a cozy Italian spot near the Stateline casino corridor — heavy on California prestige labels with a handful of Italian classics mixed in. It's approachable, it's recognizable, and it leans hard into the tourist-friendly comfort zone. Nothing here will surprise you, but nothing will embarrass you either.
About 55 labels split between California and Italy, which tracks perfectly with the room. The California side is stacked with Napa Cab royalty — Joseph Phelps, Chateau Montelena, Jordan, Hess Collection — and the Chardonnay shelf leans on Rombauer and Frank Family, two names every wine-curious diner already knows. The Italian presence is real but thin: Castello Banfi's Brunello and the Villa Antinori Classico Riserva are solid anchors, but there's not much depth beyond those. What's missing is anything under the radar — no emerging Sicilian producers, no natural-leaning Tuscan bottles, nothing that feels like a wine buyer with an actual opinion made these calls.
Twenty-six by-the-glass options is a genuinely impressive number for a restaurant this size — that's nearly half the list pouring by the stem, which gives you real flexibility to match pours to courses. Prices run $7 to $20 a glass, which is reasonable for the Tahoe market. The rotation appears static rather than seasonal, but at least you have options.
St. Supéry ÉLU Meritage Napa Valley — null
ÉLU is a Napa Meritage blend that regularly punches above its price class — complex, Bordeaux-structured, and usually priced more accessibly than the single-varietal Cab heavyweights on this list. If it's available by the glass, it's your move.
Freestone Joseph Phelps Sonoma Pinot Noir 2013
Most eyes go straight to the Phelps Insignia or the Napa Cabs, but Freestone is a serious Pinot program from the Sonoma Coast that doesn't get nearly enough credit. A 2013 with some age on it at a restaurant is a rare find — this is the bottle most tables walk right past.
Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
At $150 on the list, you're paying a sharp premium for a name everyone recognizes. That's exactly how tourist-area restaurants make their money — on brand recognition rather than value. The Chateau Montelena or Jordan will drink just as well for less.
Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino + Eggplant Parmigiana
Brunello's high acidity and firm tannins are built for rich tomato-based dishes, and the Banfi is a reliable, food-forward expression of Sangiovese. The eggplant's earthiness and the sauce's acidity play right into what this wine does best — it's a classic Italian restaurant pairing done right.
The Bottom Line
Izabella is a dependable wine play for a mountain-town Italian dinner — the glass selection is genuinely broad and the marquee bottles are there if you want them, but the markups are Tahoe-elevated and the list doesn't take many risks. Send your friends here for a solid Cab and a good meal, not a wine discovery.
· South Lake Tahoe · Modern American, steak & seafood
The Landing is a genuinely lovely place to drink wine — the setting alone earns it goodwill — but the list itself is working harder to not offend than to impress. We'd recommend coming for the Chilean sea bass and the lake view, ordering a California Pinot or Chardonnay without overthinking it, and saving your serious wine curiosity for a list that wants to meet you there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· South Lake Tahoe · Food Hall Bar, Multi-Vendor Cuisine
The Thirsty Bear is a food hall bar with a convenience-store wine program and a by-the-glass menu that's mostly agave cocktails. At $8 across the board, the pricing isn't the problem — the effort is. If you're at Cascade Kitchens for the food, order a beer or one of the actual cocktails; the wine list isn't the reason to be here.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Heavenly Gondola / Stateline · South Lake Tahoe · American / California Cuisine
ECHO's wine program is exactly what a hotel lounge in a ski town should be: fair prices, nothing offensive, nothing exciting. If you're here for the mountain, this list won't get in the way — and that's honestly enough.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mid-Town / Al Tahoe Blvd · South Lake Tahoe · Wine Shop & Café / Delicatessen
The Cork & More is the kind of place that shouldn't work as well as it does — a wine shop and deli hybrid in a tourist ski town charging near-retail prices. We'd absolutely send a friend here, especially one who's been burned by $80 Napa Cabs at resort restaurants one too many times.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Heavenly Village / Base Area · South Lake Tahoe · Farm-to-Table / New American
Maggie's isn't going to make a wine person drive up from the Bay Area, but for a ski-base hotel restaurant it punches well above its weight — fair markups, considered pours, and a list that treats guests like adults. If you're already at Heavenly Village, you're in good hands.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lake Tahoe Lakefront · South Lake Tahoe · Californian with Mediterranean/Greek influences
Jimmy's is a dependable resort wine list with some genuine bright spots — just don't expect adventurous pricing or a staff member who can walk you through the Ornellaia. If you're in South Lake Tahoe and want a proper glass of something good with a fire crackling and the lake out the window, you could do a lot worse.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Vinings · Vinings · Italian
Cotto is doing more with a 51-bottle list than most Italian restaurants do with twice as many labels — the Italian whites alone make this worth a visit for anyone tired of the same old Pinot Grigio rut. The markup is fair, the by-the-glass program is genuinely generous, and the presence of bottles like the Bocale Trebbiano Spoletino signals real intent. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Santa Margherita and work their way through the Vermentinos instead.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Tavola Trattoria's wine program is five bottles deep and priced without apology — $101 for a Saracco Moscato is the kind of markup that makes you consider ordering water and going wine shopping after dinner. The list has no still wines at all, which is a strange call for an Italian restaurant. Order a cocktail or ask if they have a corkage policy, because this wine list isn't doing you any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
La Tavola is an Italian restaurant with a five-bottle wine list that stops at sparkling and rosé — no reds, no whites, no depth whatsoever. The pricing on what's there is difficult to justify. Unless you came specifically for Lambrusco or Franciacorta, you're better off calling ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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