Houston's Italian anchor with serious cellar credentials
Uptown Park · Houston · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lombardi Cucina Italiana’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Lombardi arrives feeling like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — Tuscany and Piedmont front and center, California riding shotgun. It's polished without being stuffy, which fits the room: white tablecloths but not a museum. A Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2025 confirms this isn't an afterthought list.
Italy dominates the way it should at a place like this — Barolo from Ceretto and Marchesi di Barolo, Brunello from Banfi and Poggio Antico, and Super Tuscans headlined by Tignanello and Sassicaia. Gaja Barbaresco anchors the prestige end of the Piedmont section and signals the kitchen takes its Italian bonafides seriously. The California contingent is tight but credible: Jordan and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars give Cab-lovers a familiar handhold without overpowering the Italian identity. Gaps show up in Southern Italy and white varietals — if you're hunting Vermentino or Greco di Tufo, you'll be underwhelmed.
The by-the-glass program runs a respectable 12-20 options, which gives a table of mixed drinkers real options beyond house pours. We'd expect Chianti Classico, a Super Tuscan, and at least one California Cab to anchor the list, plus a handful of whites. Rotation feels limited — this reads more like a set menu than a living program.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley — $65
Jordan is one of California's most consistent Cabs and regularly retails around $30-35 — even at Italian restaurant markup it clears the bar as the most approachable premium bottle on the California side of the list.
Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
Banfi gets the clicks because it's the name everyone knows, but Poggio Antico makes a more focused, terroir-driven Brunello that most tables walk right past. If it's on the list, it's the move.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a legend, full stop — but at a restaurant it's almost always marked up to a price point where you're paying for the name more than the glass. Save it for a bottle shop and order the Tignanello instead.
Ceretto Barolo + Osso buco
Barolo and braised veal shank is one of the great Italian pairings for a reason — the wine's tannin and acid cut right through the richness of the marrow while the cherry and tar notes echo the gremolata. Ceretto's approachable style makes it work without needing another decade in the cellar.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Lombardi is a dependable upscale Italian with a wine list that earns its Award of Excellence — Italy is well-represented and the prestige bottles are genuinely exciting. Pricing leans steep and the program could use more energy, but for Houston's Uptown Park crowd looking for a Barolo with their pappardelle, this delivers.
Montrose · Houston · French
The Marigold Club is Houston's most interesting new wine room for anyone who thinks Champagne is a food group and France is the only country that matters — in the best possible way. Go on a Sunday, order the Delamotte, eat the Duck Wellington, and tip generously.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Houston · Houston · American, Italian
Milton's is the kind of neighborhood trattoria that surprises you — the room says casual pasta night, the wine list quietly whispers Biondi-Santi. If you care about Italian wine and you're in Houston, it's worth a reservation just to explore the bottle list.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montrose · Houston · Italian
Marmo is hiding a legitimately serious Italian wine program behind a piano bar and a plate of hand-rolled pasta — and that's exactly what makes it worth seeking out. Send a friend here if they think Houston Italian restaurants don't take wine seriously; this list will change their mind.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Houston · Houston · Mexican (Oaxacan)
Xochi is doing something genuinely rare: running a serious Mexican wine program inside a serious restaurant, with a sommelier who knows the material and a list that earns its Wine Spectator credential. Send your adventurous friends here and tell them to skip the Cab.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Houston · Houston · Steak house
Taste of Texas is a Houston institution that takes its California Cabernet seriously — 30 years of Wine Spectator recognition backs that up. It's not a destination wine list, but if you're here for a steak and want a proper bottle to go with it, you won't leave disappointed.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Houston · Houston · American
State of Grace is a reliable, well-run wine program anchored by a knowledgeable sommelier and a list that respects both the food and the guest's wallet. If you want a neighborhood spot in Houston where the wine won't let you down, this is a safe and satisfying call.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Decatur · Decatur · Italian, Mediterranean
Café Lily is your dependable Decatur neighborhood restaurant that happens to take its wine seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator nod — nothing flashy, but never a disappointment. Go on a Tuesday, order the lamb, and let the half-price wine night do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Uptown · Dallas · Italian, Mediterranean
Avanti is pulling off something rare in Dallas: genuinely great Italian bottles at prices that feel like a Wednesday night deal every night of the week. Wednesday half-price wine just makes a great deal mathematically irresponsible — go now.
Old World Focus
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Travelers Rest · Travelers Rest · Italian, Mediterranean
Restaurant 17 earns its Wine Spectator nod — this is a thoughtful, fairly priced list that respects both the Italian kitchen it's supporting and the guests sitting in front of those mountain views. Send a friend here and tell them to skip the Caymus.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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