Wisconsin's Quiet Overachiever Does Italy Right
Hubertus · Italian, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed May 1, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Johnny Manhattan's’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're in Hubertus, Wisconsin — population not many — and the wine list opens with Tignanello and Stag's Leap. That's not something you expect when you're 40 minutes northwest of Milwaukee. The room backs it up too: updated, warm, clearly a place that takes itself seriously without being insufferable about it.
About 80 to 120 bottles split mostly between California Cabs and Italian reds, which is exactly the right call for a room serving filet mignon and veal parm. The California anchor is strong — Caymus, Jordan, Stag's Leap, and Duckhorn all show up, which tells you the list was built with steak in mind. Italy gets proper respect with Antinori's Tignanello and Ruffino's Brunello di Montalcino alongside more accessible crowd-pleasers like Santa Margherita and Banfi Chianti Classico. It's not a deep-dig list for wine nerds, but it's coherent and purposeful in a way that a lot of restaurants in bigger cities aren't.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass with a price range of $9 to $16 keeps things accessible without feeling like a TGI Fridays pour situation. The glass program leans on the same California and Italian hits as the bottle list — don't come expecting a rotating natural wine feature. It does what it needs to do for a steakhouse crowd on a Tuesday night.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $35–$60 est.
Jordan punches well above where most restaurants price it. A structured, food-friendly Cab that holds its own next to a New York strip without requiring a special occasion budget.
Antinori Tignanello
Most tables in a Wisconsin steakhouse are reaching for the Caymus and calling it a night. Tignanello — a Sangiovese-Cabernet Super Tuscan from one of Italy's great houses — is sitting right there and it absolutely sings with the pasta bolognese or veal parm. Most people walk right past it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
It's fine. It's always fine. It's also everywhere, and at restaurant markup it's hard to justify when you could be drinking something with more personality for the same money.
Ruffino Brunello di Montalcino + Veal Parmigiana
Brunello's firm tannins and bright acidity cut right through the richness of the veal and the tomato-forward sauce. It's a classically Italian match and it works precisely because neither element tries to dominate the other.
The Bottom Line
Johnny Manhattan's earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and has held it since 2018 for a reason — this is a legitimately well-curated list for a small-town Italian steakhouse that gets California and Italy right. If you're within driving distance, it's worth making the reservation and going deeper than the Caymus.
North End · Boston · Italian, Steakhouse
A broad list with 29 glass pours, Italian and American bottle sections, and a From the Vault section that goes well into four figures. Start with the 2021 Mauro Molino Barolo at $26 a glass or the Batasiolo Gavi di Gavi at $15, and confirm vintages, since the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Fort Myers · Fort Myers · Italian, Steakhouse
Terra Nostra's posted list is built around Napa Cabernet, Brunello, Barolo and Super Tuscans, as its own header says, and its 20 glass pours start at $8. Start with the $12 J. Lohr Cabernet or the $13 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva by the glass, or step up to the $110 Paulo Scavino Barolo if you want a bottle. Confirm today's availability and prices, since the list says both are subject to change; this unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or retail markups.
Madison · Madison · Italian, Steakhouse
Draper Brothers Chophouse is a dependable, California-forward wine list in a genuinely beautiful room — it won't blow any minds, but it will reliably get out of the way of a good steak. Send your friends here for the beef and the atmosphere; just temper expectations if they're hoping for a wine list that matches the ambition of the building.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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