Great Pizza, Wine List Phoning It In
Naperville · Naperville · Chicago-style pizzeria / Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Lou Malnati's takes about twelve seconds to read — and that includes blinking. It's a short column of house wines tacked onto the back of a menu built around deep dish, which is fair enough, but there's no real effort here beyond checking a box that says 'yes, we serve wine.'
The list is essentially two house wines — a red and a white under the Lou Malnati's label — plus a Chianti, a California Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, all from value-tier, unnamed producers. There's no vintage information, no producer transparency, and no regional depth beyond the bare minimum of Italian and California table wine. If you're hoping for anything off the beaten path — a Barbera, a Montepulciano, anything that might actually sing with tomato sauce and sausage — you won't find it here. The list reads like it was built once and hasn't been revisited since.
You're looking at four to six pours, all landing between $7 and $9 a glass. The range is the same as the bottle list because the bottle list is basically the by-the-glass list. There's no rotation, no seasonal swap, and nothing to get excited about — but at least the pricing per glass is honest enough that you won't feel totally burned.
Lou Malnati's House Red — $7
At $7 a glass, the house red is the least painful option on the list. You're not drinking anything memorable, but it's priced low enough that it's just a pizza lubricant — and that's fine for what this place is.
Chianti
Nobody's ordering the Chianti at a deep-dish pizza joint, which is a shame because a simple Chianti is actually the most logical match on the list for a tomato-heavy pie. It's not a revelation, but it's doing more work with the food than the California Cab ever will.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie
At $26 a bottle, you're paying a 160% markup on a wine retailing around $10. It's the least food-friendly option on a pizza menu and the worst value on the list. Order a beer or a Coke before you go here.
Chianti + Malnati Chicago Classic deep dish
The acidity in a basic Chianti is the only thing on this list actually built to cut through a deep dish loaded with chunky tomato sauce, sausage, and molten cheese. It won't blow your mind, but it'll do the job better than anything else available.
❌ The Bottom Line
Lou Malnati's is a legitimately iconic pizza destination — but the wine list is an afterthought, marked up on cheap bottles with zero curation or ambition. Come for the deep dish, drink beer, and save the wine night for somewhere that cares.
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · American pub / burgers
Jackson Avenue Pub is not a wine destination, but Wine Wednesdays at half-price make it a legitimately smart stop if you're already there for a burger and a game. Come for the beer, stay for the deal.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Freedom Commons / I-88 Corridor · Naperville · Seafood and Steakhouse
Hugo's Naperville is a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine program that will not let you down and will not excite you. Come for the prime beef and oysters, order the Jordan or the Duckhorn, and don't look too hard at the markup on the Pinot Grigio.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · Mexican
Fat Rosie's is a genuinely fun taco and tequila spot that has no business being reviewed for its wine — and that's kind of the point. If your table wants wine, order cocktails instead and save everyone the disappointment.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · Mediterranean
Vasili's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the Greek-focused list has enough genuine producers and interesting grapes to reward curious drinkers — especially on Tuesdays when the bottles go half-price. Watch the markups on the Agiorgitiko, lean into the northern Greek reds and the Malagousia, and you'll eat and drink very well along that riverwalk.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Hotel Arista / CityGate Centre · Naperville · Italian
Che Figata is the rare suburban hotel restaurant with a wine list worth actually engaging with — Italian-focused, sommelier-guided, and broad enough to reward exploration. The markups sting on a few bottles, but the range and program depth make this the best wine bet in Naperville's CityGate orbit.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Naperville · Naperville · Casual Dining Seafood
Bonefish Grill is a perfectly fine place to eat fish in Naperville — the wine list is just furniture. Order a cocktail or a glass of Kim Crawford, enjoy your Bang Bang Shrimp, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.