Lancaster's Italian anchor finally earns its vino stripes
Lancaster · Lancaster · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lombardo's Restaurant’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 arrives looking purposeful — this isn't a generic Italian-American spot where Pinot Grigio and Chianti share equal billing with the bread basket. The Italy-only focus signals that someone here made a deliberate call, and Wine Spectator's 2024 Award of Excellence backs it up. It's not flashy, but it's honest.
The list runs 150-plus bottles and stays almost entirely in Italy, which is either a strength or a constraint depending on your mood — we'd call it a strength. Piedmont and Tuscany anchor the card with proper heavyweights: Gaja and Barolo producers from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino selections for the big-spenders, and Antinori and Banfi holding down the Tuscan middle ground. Masi Amarone brings Veneto representation that gives the list some geographic range without losing focus. The gaps show up in Southern Italy and the islands — no Nerello Mascalese, no Aglianico to speak of — but for a restaurant of this scale in Lancaster, the depth here is genuinely impressive.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, which is a solid count for a mid-size restaurant program. The price range of $10–$18 a glass is fair for what you're getting — Ruffino and Banfi likely anchor the approachable end, with better Italian producers available if you're willing to push into the $15–$18 tier. No obvious rotation or themed flight program, which is a missed opportunity given the strength of the bottle list.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino — $75–$90
Banfi's Brunello punches well above its price in this context — a full-throttle Sangiovese from one of Montalcino's most consistent producers, and priced at the lower end of what you'd pay elsewhere in a white-tablecloth setting. Order it with the osso buco and don't look back.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at an Italian spot like this reach for Barolo or Brunello by default, but the Masi Amarone is the sleeper. It's rich, it's structured, and it has the kind of dried-fruit intensity that makes it an event in a glass. Most diners walk right past it — their loss.
Ruffino entry-level Chianti
Ruffino makes fine wine at the top of their range, but the basic Chianti is a grocery store staple that shows up at a restaurant markup without adding any excitement to your evening. Save your money or step up to something from the Brunello or Barolo section.
Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo + Veal Piccata
Gaja's Langhe Nebbiolo brings enough structure and acidity to stand up to the bright lemon-caper sauce in the piccata without overwhelming the delicate veal. It's a more approachable entry point into the Gaja universe than their single-vineyard Barolos, and it makes the dish taste like it was designed around the wine.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Lombardo's is doing something real with wine in a city where most Italian spots phone it in — the Italy-only list has genuine depth, the pricing is fair, and the 2024 Wine Spectator nod is deserved. If you care about drinking well at dinner and you're anywhere near Lancaster, this is your spot.
East Lancaster · Lancaster · Classic Italian and Italian-American
Lombardo's won't expand your wine horizons, but it won't ruin your dinner either — order the Chianti, avoid the Santa Margherita markup, and let the kitchen do the heavy lifting. A solid neighborhood Italian that treats wine as a supporting character, not the main event.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Lancaster · Lancaster · Fine Dining / New American
Amorette is doing something genuinely rare in a city Lancaster's size — running a wine program with real depth, real staff, and a cellar worth caring about. The markups will sting on the high end, but the breadth of the list means there are smart plays available if you know where to look.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Penn Square Rooftop · Lancaster · Rooftop Bar
The Exchange is a fine place to have a glass of wine — it's just not a fine place to think about wine. Come for the rooftop, order the Matanzas Creek, and let the view do the rest.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
New Holland Pike · Lancaster · Brewpub / Beer Hall
This is not a wine destination — it's a beer hall that happens to take Pennsylvania wine seriously enough to put together a thoughtful, all-local list at fair prices. If you're here with a non-beer drinker, they're covered, and they might even discover something worth coming back for.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lancaster Area · Lancaster · Bottle Shop / Bar
Beer Fridge isn't a wine destination, but its nine-bottle list punches above its weight class — especially the Rioja and the Barbera. Come for the beer, stay for the pleasant surprise.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bainbridge / Greater Lancaster · Lancaster · Winery
Nissley is a Wild Card in the best sense: you're not getting a canonical wine list, you're getting a third-generation Pennsylvania winery doing its own thing with grapes most restaurants wouldn't touch. If you're open to that, the prices alone make it worth the trip out to Bainbridge.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown McMinnville · McMinnville · Italian
Nick's is a genuine find — an old-school Italian spot in wine country that actually backs up the setting with a list worth digging into. If you're doing a Willamette Valley trip and want one dinner where the wine list matches the ambition of the food, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Chelsea · Atlantic City · Italian
Boca Coal Fired Bistro is a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list to match — nothing you haven't seen before, but nothing to embarrass yourself with either. Stick to the Chianti Classico, enjoy the pizza, and don't come here expecting to be wowed by what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Boardwalk (Bally's) · Atlantic City · Italian
Jerry Longo's is a fun enough spot for a casino dinner, but the wine list is an afterthought — familiar labels, steep markups, and zero ambition. Lean into the martinis. The name is telling you something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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