California muscle meets Italian soul, beautifully
Irving · Irving · Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Knife Italian Steak’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Knife Italian Steak lands like a confident double down — California heavyweights on one side, Italian icons on the other, and enough depth to make you reconsider whatever you were planning to order. This is a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence list (2025) and it shows from page one. The format is polished, the range is serious, and this is clearly not an afterthought.
Two regions run the show here, and they run it well. On the California side, you've got the full power lineup: Caymus Cabernet, Silver Oak Alexander Valley, Opus One, and Stag's Leap CASK 23 — essentially a greatest-hits of Napa and Sonoma with no apologies. Italy matches it step for step with Sassicaia, Tignanello, Giacomo Conterno Barolo, and Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino — four names that represent the absolute ceiling of Italian winemaking. The whites don't get ignored either: Far Niente and Chateau Montelena Chardonnay bring legitimate California pedigree. If you wanted more exploration outside these two regions, you'll need to look elsewhere — but if California and Italy are your world, this list delivers.
With 20-35 by-the-glass options starting around $15, there's genuine range for glass drinkers rather than the usual four-options-and-a-shrug treatment. The program skews toward the same California-Italy axis as the bottle list, which is consistent if not adventurous. Rotation details weren't confirmed, but at this price point and ambition level, expect the pours to reflect the room.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay — $60s range
A Judgment of Paris winner that tends to be underpriced relative to its legacy. Clean, structured, and built for food — exactly what you want next to housemade pasta or burrata.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo
Most people ordering here are gravitating toward Napa Cab, which means the Conterno often goes overlooked. That's a mistake. This is one of the most respected Barolo producers on the planet, and sharing a list with Opus One means it's probably not getting the attention it deserves.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
It's fine wine, but Caymus has become the house Cab of every steakhouse in America. At restaurant markup, you're paying a premium for a label that's available at every Total Wine in Texas. The CASK 23 or Silver Oak Alexander Valley is a better use of your money if you're going California Cab.
Sassicaia + 40-day dry-aged ribeye
Sassicaia is Cabernet-dominant with serious structure and an earthy, savory backbone that was basically engineered for aged beef. The dry-aged ribeye's funky, concentrated flavor needs a wine with enough spine to stand up to it — and Sassicaia has exactly that.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Knife Italian Steak is a legitimate destination wine list in an unlikely suburb zip code, and the California-Italy double focus gives it a clear identity that most steakhouses lack. The markups are real and there's no sommelier to guide you, but the bones here are excellent — trust the list.
Las Colinas · Irving · Cajun / Southern
Po Melvin's is almost certainly cooking something worth eating — the wine list just isn't part of the experience. Order the Riesling or Prosecco if you want wine, otherwise stick to a cold beer or whatever's on tap.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Valley Ranch · Irving · Japanese sushi and Asian fusion
The Blue Fish is a fun night out, and the food holds up — but the wine list is running on autopilot. Order the Mumm Napa, enjoy your rolls, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Colinas / Toyota Music Factory · Irving · Modern American
The Henry Las Colinas isn't a destination for wine lovers, but it's a genuinely solid neighborhood option with fair pricing and a Tuesday half-price program that makes the whole conversation more interesting. Show up on a Tuesday, order the Jordan, and stop overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Irving Mall Area · Irving · Cajun / Creole
Razzoo's Irving is a great place to eat Cajun food and drink cold beer — the wine program is incidental and treated as such. If your table insists on wine, the Prosecco is your safest exit ramp.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Irving Mall Area · Irving · Pizza
Grimaldi's is worth the trip for the coal-fired pizza; the wine list is not worth thinking about. Order the Chianti or the Nero d'Avola, don't look at the markup math, and focus on the pizza.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Colinas · Irving · American Sports Bar / Casual Dining
Champps Las Colinas is a place to watch a game and drink a beer — the wine list exists as a formality, not a feature. If you're committed to wine anyway, grab the La Marca or the Joel Gott and make peace with it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Naperville · Naperville · Italian Steakhouse
Chicago Prime Italian is a reliable night out for wine in the western suburbs — the Italian selections are well-chosen, the BTG program is generous, and the room is worth the reservation. Just stay away from the Napa Cab unless someone else is paying.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town · Fort Collins · Italian Steakhouse
RARE Italian is the real deal — a 5,000-label list with sommelier support and the bottles to back it up is genuinely rare at this latitude. The markups sting on the entry-level stuff, but climb the list even a little and you're drinking very well in a room that knows what it's doing.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Uptown · Columbus · Italian Steakhouse
Mabella's is a reliable dinner-out option in Columbus with a wine list that plays it completely safe — familiar names, steep markups, no real adventure. If you know what you like and you like Caymus, you'll be comfortable here; if you're hoping for a wine list that matches the ambition of the kitchen, keep your expectations in check.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.