Old-School Cleveland Hiding a Serious Wine List
Old Brooklyn · Cleveland · Northern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into leopard print carpet and Art Deco wood paneling expecting a wine list that tops out at Pinot Grigio and calls it a day. Then the list lands and it's 100-plus bottles deep with Kosta-Browne, Far Niente, and a 2003 Dom Pérignon sitting at the bottom of the page. This neighborhood joint on Fulton Road is playing a different game than its exterior suggests.
The backbone is exactly what you'd want from a Northern Italian kitchen: Tuscan and Piedmontese reds doing the heavy lifting, with some smart French Burgundy (Louis Jadot Meursault, Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet) rounding out the white side. California gets serious real estate too — Jordan, Kosta-Browne, Far Niente, and Miner all show up, which tells you someone here actually cares about the Chardonnay program. The Italian angle is reinforced by the Antinori Vermentino Guado al Tasso 2011, a producer-driven pick that feels intentional rather than accidental. The list doesn't go especially deep on by-the-glass natural wine or anything cutting-edge, but for a classic Italian-American room in Cleveland, the range earns real respect.
Ten to sixteen pours on offer, which is a healthy spread for this kind of spot. We'd love to see more rotation and a few more Italian-focused options to match the kitchen, but what's here covers the bases without leaning on the usual suspects. The Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir at $40 by the bottle suggests the glass program has at least one interesting move.
Antinori Vermentino Guado al Tasso 2011 — $55
A producer-pedigreed Italian white from one of Tuscany's great estates at a price that doesn't insult you. Vermentino at this level is rare on Cleveland lists, and $55 for Antinori's coastal Maremma program is an honest deal.
Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir
Most tables are going to walk right past this and order the Dom at $250. Don't. The Chandon Blanc de Noir is a versatile, food-friendly sparkler that works across the whole menu and won't leave you staring at your credit card statement.
Kosta-Browne Chardonnay Russian River
At $160, you're paying a premium for a name that's already priced aggressively at retail. It's a great wine, but the markup here makes it a tough sell when you've got Far Niente on the same list for $95.
Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet + Linguini with White Clam Sauce
Burgundian Chardonnay with its mineral edge and restrained fruit is the classic call against briny clam sauce. The acidity cuts through the butter, the texture holds up to the pasta, and Jadot's Puligny won't overshadow the dish the way a bigger California Chardonnay might.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Johnny's Bar is the kind of place that surprises you — a neighborhood institution with a wine list that punches well above its leopard-print weight class. If you're in Cleveland and eating Italian, this is where you want to be drinking.
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
Bay Harbor Islands · Bay Harbor Islands · Northern Italian
The Palm Miami earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on the strength of a reliable, well-stored California-focused list that does exactly what it's supposed to do in a steakhouse setting. It won't surprise you, but it won't embarrass you either — just budget accordingly, because the markups here are real.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Northern Italian
The Palm DC is a perfectly competent California wine destination if you want big names, reliable quality, and zero surprises — just know you're paying for the address as much as the wine. Send your client here, but order Jordan, not Opus One.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Salt Lake City · Salt Lake City · Northern Italian
Veneto is quietly one of the best Italian wine lists in the mountain west — focused, deep where it counts, and priced with enough fairness that you won't wince at the bill. Send your friends here, and tell them to order the Barolo.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.