Red Sauce Nostalgia, Wine List Left Behind
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed June 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a Federal Hill institution — pink tablecloths, photos on the wall, the kind of place your grandfather called a special occasion. Then you open the wine list and realize it hasn't been updated since about the same era. We're talking a short roster of Italian and California standbys that feels more like a grocery store endcap than a curated list.
The list leans predictably on Italy and California — Ruffino Chianti, Bolla Valpolicella, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, Cavit, Banfi, Kendall-Jackson. These are recognizable names, which is exactly the problem: they're recognizable because you've seen them in every airport TGI Fridays from here to LAX. There's no regional depth, no surprises, no small producers making a case for Federal Hill's Italian roots. It's a 20-40 bottle list that plays it completely safe and asks you to pay handsomely for the privilege.
Glass pours likely number somewhere between four and eight options, drawing from the same familiar cast of characters on the bottle list. Don't expect rotation or anything seasonal — this is a set-and-forget program. If you're going glass-by-glass, you're essentially choosing between shades of beige.
Cavit Pinot Grigio delle Venezie — $32
Relative to the rest of the list, it's the least painful option at the table. At $32 it's still a 256% markup on a $9 bottle, but it's light, inoffensive, and won't slow you down mid-veal cutlet the way a heavier pour might. Low bar, but it clears it.
Bolla Valpolicella Classico
Nobody orders Valpolicella at a red sauce joint because they assume it'll be thin and forgettable — and Bolla isn't going to win any awards. But a light, slightly tart Valpolicella actually does something useful next to tomato-heavy pastas and chicken cacciatore that a bigger Chianti won't. It's underordered and, at $38, no worse a deal than anything else here.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
Forty-eight dollars for a bottle you can grab at CVS for $12. That's a 300% markup on one of the most aggressively mediocre Chardonnays in American wine. There is no world in which this is the move.
Ruffino Chianti DOCG + Veal Cutlet
Chianti's high acidity and bright cherry cut through the richness of a pan-fried veal cutlet without steamrolling it. Ruffino is nothing exciting, but it's doing exactly what Chianti was built to do in this context — and at a classic red sauce house, that's actually enough.
The Bottom Line
Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen is a Providence legend for its food and its history, not its wine list — which reads like something assembled in 1994 and never reconsidered. Come for the veal cutlet and the nostalgia, but don't let the wine list talk you into spending $48 on a Kendall-Jackson.
· Providence · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Providence is a steakhouse first, and the wine list reflects exactly that priority — it's serviceable, accessible, and won't embarrass anyone, but it's also not trying very hard. If you're here for the churrasco experience, grab the Jorjão Malbec or the Garzón Albariño and let the meat do the heavy lifting. Don't come expecting discovery; do come knowing exactly what you're getting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Federal Hill · Providence · Mediterranean with American flair, rotisserie-focused bistro
A glass-led list with a fair spread: 18 pours from $10 to $21, most reds at $14 or under, and a half-bottle section for when two people want different things. Start with the $15 Stoller Pinot Noir if you are ordering the short ribs, or the $13 Riesling with the choucroute, and confirm prices since the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Fox Point · Providence · American Brasserie
A compact list with three pour sizes: 17 wines come as 6 oz, 9 oz or bottle, and bottles run from $30 to $125. Start with the $10 Chateau Roc de Segur Bordeaux or the $11 Marqués De Valor Albariño, and confirm prices because the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian
A big Italian-leaning list: 41 Italian reds, 25 Cabernets and 22 wines by the glass. For a glass, the $14 Bonanza Cabernet by Caymus or the $11 Dante Di Fiorenza Super Tuscan are the easy picks; for a bottle, the $44 Carpineto Chianti Classico with the Mafaldine Bolognese is a safe, honest match. The menu says vintages can change with availability, so confirm before ordering. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian
A large Italian-American list with enough by-the-glass range to cover a big table. Start with the Fratelli Cozza Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at $10 a glass, or the Silvan Ridge Willamette Pinot at $13 if you want something lighter, and come on a Monday if you want to buy bottles at half price. The wine pages are undated, so confirm prices when you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
College Hill · Providence · American, French
A Cabernet-heavy list from autumn 2025, with glass pours from 10 and bottles up to a 450 Opus One. Start with the 10 Château du Petit Thouars Cabernet Franc, or the 16 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo if you want something from Piedmont, and check that the list is still current since it is marked September 2025. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Hartford · Italian-American
Carbone's Hartford punches above its weight on Italian whites and Champagne — the Greco di Tufo, the Etna Bianco, and the Suavia 'Massifitti' are exactly the kind of picks that separate a real wine list from a prop. Markup runs steep in spots (that Livio Felluga isn't doing anyone favors), and the by-the-glass program leaves some of the best bottles stranded on the bottle-only list. Come for the Italian-American classics, bring a table of four, and split something interesting from the whites.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Kansas City · Kansas City · Italian-American
A glass list that fits an Italian menu: 24 wines from $8 to $13, with Barolo, Amarone and Brunello available by the bottle. Start with the $8 Capasoldo Pinot Grigio, or the $13 Banfi Chianti Riserva if you are ordering the Veal Parmigiana, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Old Mill District · Bend · Italian-American
This is a pasta-house list with a wide Italian and Oregon spread: bottles start at $36 and 14 wines come by the glass. Start with the Pastini Rosso at $9.25 for 6oz or the La Quercia Montepulciano at $10, and save Elk Cove ($60) for when you want to splurge on a Willamette Pinot. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and the list is undated, so confirm what is available.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp