Serious Italian wine in small-town Wisconsin
Oconomowoc · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · May 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lago Su Bella’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You don't expect to find Sassicaia and Brunello di Montalcino on a wine list in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin — and yet here we are. The list reads like someone actually cares, which is exactly what Wine Spectator recognized when they handed out that Award of Excellence back in 2020. For a cozy downtown Italian spot an hour west of Milwaukee, this thing punches well above its weight class.
The Italian spine is where this list earns its keep — Barolo from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico Riserva, Amarone della Valpolicella, and marquee Super Tuscans like Tignanello and Sassicaia all make appearances. California gets a respectable supporting role with Napa Cabernet and Sonoma/Russian River Valley Pinot Noir rounding things out. The Friuli Pinot Grigio is a smart nod to food-friendly northern Italian whites that most places ignore in favor of the safe Pinzimonio crowd-pleasers. At 150-250 bottles, it's not an encyclopedia, but it's focused in all the right ways.
With 12-20 options by the glass, there's enough to explore without overwhelming the table on a Tuesday night. Sommelier Lani Bertrand shapes a program where the pours feel curated rather than just whatever's open. We'd push for a few more rotating whites, but what's here gets the job done.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45
Chianti Classico Riserva is one of the most food-versatile reds on earth and tends to be priced fairly here. At a restaurant topping out most bottles under $150, this is the sweet spot — real Italian character without the Barolo premium.
Pinot Grigio (Friuli)
Everyone sleeps on Friulian Pinot Grigio because they've been burned by the watery northern Italian stuff. This isn't that — Friuli produces textured, mineral-driven whites that actually stand up to food. Most diners walk past it and order another Cab. Don't be most diners.
Sassicaia
Look, Sassicaia is a great wine — but it's also one of the most recognizable Super Tuscans on the planet, which means restaurants mark it up knowing people will order it by name. If you're here for value and exploration, there are better stories on this list for less money.
Amarone della Valpolicella + Gnocchi
A rich, concentrated Amarone needs something to push back against it. Gnocchi — especially in a hearty braised or brown butter preparation — provides the density and weight to match without getting bulldozed. It's the kind of pairing that makes the wine taste better and the dish taste better simultaneously.
The Bottom Line
Lago Su Bella is a genuine wine surprise for Wisconsin — an Italian-focused list with real depth, a credentialed sommelier on staff, and pricing that doesn't make you feel robbed. If you're anywhere near Oconomowoc and like Italian wine with your Italian food, this one belongs on your radar.
· Johns Creek · Italian
Pasta Vino isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a neighborhood Italian with a list that actually makes sense for the room. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the Italian selections (especially the Chianti duo and the Lugana) show some genuine thought. Send a friend here for dinner knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Arlington · Italian
Piccolo Mondo punches above its Arlington zip code with a genuinely Italy-forward wine list that includes some names worth ordering. We'd love to see pricing and by-the-glass details more clearly published — and without knowing the markups, we can't fully endorse the value play — but the producer selection alone puts this ahead of most neighborhood Italian spots in the DFW suburbs. If you're going, head straight for the Tuscan reds and don't look back.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
The Macaroni Grill Lakeland wine list is functional the way a vending machine is functional — it dispenses what you ask for without fuss or personality. The by-the-glass breadth gives casual drinkers options, but the markups on several bottles and the complete absence of anything interesting or Italian-forward make this a list you tolerate rather than enjoy. Order the Lambrusco or the Trapiche Malbec and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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