Old-School Red Sauce, Honest Italian Pours
Midtown Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Luigi's Restaurant & Delicatessen’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Luigi's is exactly what you'd expect from a decades-old Bakersfield institution — short, Italian-forward, and unpretentious. It doesn't try to be anything it isn't, which is honestly refreshing. You're here for the food and the vibe, and the wine is playing a supporting role it understands.
The list runs 20 to 40 bottles and leans into its Italian identity with selections like Chianti, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and Pinot Grigio delle Venezie alongside some California options. It's not deep — there's no Barolo hiding in a back cellar — but every bottle earns its spot on the menu. The Italy-California split makes sense for the crowd, covering the traditionalist who wants to drink Italian with their pasta and the regular who defaults to a California red. Gaps exist: no sparkling, no rosé visible, and zero adventurousness beyond the expected regions, but the list is coherent rather than scattered.
Four to eight options by the glass in the $8–$12 range is genuinely respectable for a casual deli-restaurant in Bakersfield. The pours appear to include the Italian house red, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, and likely the Chianti — solid everyday options without a lot of drama. Don't expect the list to rotate seasonally; what's up there has probably been up there for a while.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo — $30
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo at this price point is almost always a win — the grape delivers dark fruit and a rustic savory edge that punches well above its cost, and it's a natural fit for Luigi's red sauce-heavy menu.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie
Most people sleep on Pinot Grigio at an Italian-American joint, but delle Venezie is the better-quality designation — crisper and more aromatic than generic mass-market Pinot Grigio. It's a genuinely good call here, especially if you're starting with lighter antipasti.
Italian house red
At a place with Chianti and Montepulciano on the list, the nameless house red feels like a step down with limited upside. Spend a few dollars more and get something with an actual identity.
Chianti + Pasta with meat sauce
Chianti's high acidity and earthy cherry character cut through a rich meat sauce without competing with it — this is the pairing that Italian-American restaurants were invented for. Classic for a reason.
The Bottom Line
Luigi's isn't a wine destination, but the list is honest, priced fairly, and built to complement the food — which is exactly the job. Send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; just don't send them expecting a deep cellar.
· Bakersfield · Wine bar + brewpub
BottleShock has a great name and a wine list that hasn't caught up to it yet. Four labels — including a Prosecco and a Chianti Classico you've seen a hundred times — isn't enough to earn the wine bar designation. Until the list grows up, come for the brew side of the menu and treat the wine as an afterthought.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Bakersfield · Hotel lounge
MI Greatroom is doing exactly what a Marriott convention hotel bar is designed to do — serve recognizable, inoffensive wines to people who aren't thinking about wine. There's no shame in that, but there's no reason to come here specifically for what's in the glass. Order the Maso Canali, catch up with whoever you're meeting, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · Steakhouse and Seafood
This is a wine program that exists only because restaurants are expected to have one. If you're at Sizzler Bakersfield, order a beer, a lemonade, or whatever they're mixing at the bar — the wine list is not the reason to be here, and it's not trying to be.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · Hotel bar and small plates
Brimstone Bar isn't trying to be a wine destination — but whoever put Terre Rouge on the menu made a real choice, and that's more than most hotel bars can say. If you're in Bakersfield and you want something other than a mass-market Cab, this is the move. Just don't come expecting options.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Bakersfield · Bakersfield · Latin American / Mexican / Spanish / American
Zama is a fun room with a wine list that plays it safe — the markups are real, the picks are predictable, but Wine Wednesday changes the math considerably if you time your visit right. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Riesling or the Bonanza, and enjoy the patio.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· Hartford · Italian-American
Carbone's Hartford punches above its weight on Italian whites and Champagne — the Greco di Tufo, the Etna Bianco, and the Suavia 'Massifitti' are exactly the kind of picks that separate a real wine list from a prop. Markup runs steep in spots (that Livio Felluga isn't doing anyone favors), and the by-the-glass program leaves some of the best bottles stranded on the bottle-only list. Come for the Italian-American classics, bring a table of four, and split something interesting from the whites.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Kansas City · Kansas City · Italian-American
A glass list that fits an Italian menu: 24 wines from $8 to $13, with Barolo, Amarone and Brunello available by the bottle. Start with the $8 Capasoldo Pinot Grigio, or the $13 Banfi Chianti Riserva if you are ordering the Veal Parmigiana, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Old Mill District · Bend · Italian-American
This is a pasta-house list with a wide Italian and Oregon spread: bottles start at $36 and 14 wines come by the glass. Start with the Pastini Rosso at $9.25 for 6oz or the La Quercia Montepulciano at $10, and save Elk Cove ($60) for when you want to splurge on a Willamette Pinot. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and the list is undated, so confirm what is available.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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