Solid Italian list, plays it mostly safe
Unknown · Lexington · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lorenzo's Trattoria’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Lorenzo's arrives looking the part — 80-plus labels, a genuine Italian backbone, and enough California muscle to keep the Napa crowd happy. It reads like a restaurant that actually thought about wine, not just phoned in a distributor special. The Italian regionality is real: Friuli whites, Veneto reds, even a Amarone on the list.
Italy anchors the list properly, with Friuli represented by both Marco Felluga and Jermann on the Pinot Grigio front — that's a legit dual-producer play that most Italian joints in Lexington wouldn't bother with. Veneto gets some love too, with the L. Righetti Capitel Roari and the Amarone Campagnola 2018 rounding out a credible northeast Italian section. California shows up with Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cab and Lewis Cellars Chardonnay — these are respectable names, not filler. The gaps are in Tuscany and Piedmont, where the list thins out and you're left wanting more Barolo and Brunello depth.
Glass pour pricing starts around $7-$9 for entry-level whites, which is fair for Lexington. We don't have a confirmed count or full rotation on the by-the-glass program, which itself is a mild red flag — a list this size should be promoting its glass pours more aggressively. If they're rotating thoughtfully, there's real potential here; if it's the same four pours all year, that's a missed opportunity.
L. Righetti Capitel Roari 2017 — $94
Amarone-adjacent Ripasso-style depth from the Veneto at a price that undercuts what you'd normally pay for this kind of concentration. If the markup holds closer to retail than the Gio Pinot Grigio does, this is the bottle to order at Lorenzo's.
Jermann Pinot Grigio 2020
Most people skip right past Pinot Grigio assuming it's boring, and most of the time they're right. Jermann is the exception — this is a Friuli producer making Pinot Grigio that actually has something to say. Don't let the grape's bad reputation talk you out of it.
Gio Pinot Grigio 2021
At a 100% markup on a $15 retail bottle, you're paying $30 for something that drinks exactly like a $15 bottle. With Jermann on the same list, there's no reason to settle here.
Amarone Campagnola 2018 + Braised Ossobuco
Amarone's dried-grape intensity and iron-tinged fruit need something equally substantial. The slow-braised veal shank pulls enough collagen and richness to stand up to it without getting steamrolled. This is the combo you came for.
The Bottom Line
Lorenzo's is doing more right than most Italian restaurants in Lexington — the Italian regional bones are solid, and a few standout producers lift the list above the crowd. The markup on entry-level pours stings a little, but climb up the list and there's genuine reward.
South Lexington / Harrodsburg Road · Lexington · Italian, Contemporary Italian, Seafood
Giuseppe's isn't a wine destination, but Monday night half-price bottles make it one of the better value plays in Lexington — show up then, lean on the seafood, and you'll leave happy. Any other night, the markups ask a lot and the list doesn't ask you to think very hard.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Lansdowne / Nicholasville Road · Lexington · Italian-American
Sutton's isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly reasonable place to drink a bottle of Chianti while someone else handles the cooking. The Tignanello alone earns this list a second look if you know to ask for it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Gratz Park · Lexington · New American / Southern
Jonathan at Gratz Park is the kind of reliable wine room you'd expect from a historic inn with a real sommelier — competent, well-stocked, and leaning safe. Pricing is on the steeper side and the list won't surprise you, but in Lexington, this is still one of the better places to order a full bottle with dinner.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Palomar / Harrodsburg Road · Lexington · Italian, Seasonal American-Influenced
Bella Notte isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood spot with one genuinely smart move: Thursday half-price bottles turn a steep list into a real value play. Go on a Thursday, order the Decoy Cab with a wood-grilled steak, and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Lexington · Italian
ItalX is a dependable Italian wine list for a night out downtown — not exciting, but not embarrassing either. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink well enough, as long as they steer toward the Italian reds and away from the obvious tourist traps.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Summit at Fritz Farm · Lexington · New American / Southern
33 Staves is a perfectly competent hotel wine list in a city where nobody's really coming for the wine. Drink it for what it is, keep your expectations calibrated, and save the serious bottle hunting for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Italian
North Italia Gilbert is a chain that does the bare minimum of interesting things — and sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Tuesday in Gilbert. The Italian regional whites are the real reason to open this list; everything else is serviceable.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nob Hill · San Francisco · Italian
Seven Hills is doing something most Italian restaurants in this city won't — building a wine list that actually reflects the breadth of Italian winemaking rather than the highlights reel. If you're even mildly curious about obscure Italian whites, this is one of the better places in SF to take the leap.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Italian
Roma has enough wine on the list to get you through a good dinner, but it leans hard on California crowd-pleasers and marks them up accordingly. Stick to the Italian reds, avoid the Napa trophies, and you'll drink well enough — just don't expect the list to match the ambition of the cuisine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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