Waterfront Italian that earns its wine bar name
Bellwether / Waterfront · Bellingham · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lombardi's Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar’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 waterfront setting does a lot of the work before the list even lands on the table — it's a good-looking room with wine bar ambitions. Flip open the list and it mostly delivers: Italian regionals anchor one side, Pacific Northwest bottles hold down the other, with California filling the gaps. It's a coherent list that actually matches the menu, which is more than you can say for most Italian spots at this price point.
The Italian side covers the classics — Chianti and Barolo show up, and there's Pinot Grigio for the table that always orders Pinot Grigio. The Pacific Northwest section leans on familiar names like Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest, which is a smart move in a market where locals take their Washington wine seriously. California fills the remaining real estate without much adventure. The list won't surprise anyone, but it's built with the menu in mind, and that intentionality counts for something.
Somewhere between 10 and 16 pours, which is a healthy number for a restaurant of this size. The range tracks the bottle list — Italian whites and reds, a couple of Washington options, the usual California suspects. Glass prices running $10–$16 feel appropriate for the neighborhood and the room.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon — $38
Columbia Crest Grand Estates consistently punches above its bottle price, and at the low end of this list's range, it's the move for a table splitting a red without wincing at the bill.
Barolo
Most tables at an upscale-casual Italian spot default to Chianti or whatever California Cab is on special — the Barolo gets skipped. That's a mistake. Even a mid-tier Barolo brings structure and grip that stands up to the heartier pasta dishes in a way the crowd-pleasers just don't.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon
Chateau Ste. Michelle is fine wine — genuinely — but it's everywhere in Washington, it's at every grocery store, and you can buy it for $12 a bottle. Ordering it at restaurant markup is paying a premium for something you already know.
Chianti + Spaghetti Bolognese
Chianti's high acid and earthy cherry character cut right through the richness of a meat-heavy Bolognese — it's not a coincidence that these two come from the same patch of Italy. This is the combo that justifies ordering both.
The Bottom Line
Lombardi's is doing wine right for what it is: a waterfront Italian spot that wants you to drink well without making you work for it. It's not a destination list, but it's an honest one — fair prices, solid range, and enough Washington representation to feel local.
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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