The Classics Are Here, Playing It Safe
Uptown · Columbus · Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mabella's Italian Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Mabella's reads like a greatest-hits album you've heard a hundred times — Caymus, Rombauer, Meiomi, Santa Margherita. It's the kind of list that won't confuse anyone but won't surprise them either. For a warm, brick-walled Italian steakhouse in Columbus, Georgia, it gets the job done.
The list runs 40 to 60 bottles, leaning hard on California and Italy — which honestly tracks for the format. You've got Napa Cab country covered with Caymus leading the charge, and the Italian side leans on recognizable names like Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. What's missing is any real depth: no Barolo, no Brunello, no Super Tuscans, no small producers doing interesting things. This is a list built for people who already know what they want, not for anyone looking to discover something new.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass at $10–$18 is a reasonable spread for a steakhouse of this size. Expect the usual suspects — Meiomi Pinot Noir, Rombauer Chardonnay, and likely the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio making an appearance. There's no evidence of rotation or a thoughtful by-the-glass program; it feels more like a static menu than a living, breathing selection.
Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico — $40–$50
One of the most food-friendly bottles on the list and the best actual match for the Italian side of the menu. Ricasoli is Chianti royalty — the real deal — and in a list full of California blockbusters, this is where the money is better spent.
Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico
Most tables here are ordering Caymus or Rombauer without a second thought. The Ricasoli Chianti Classico is the wine that actually belongs on this menu — high-acid, cherry-driven Sangiovese that cuts through red sauce and plays nicely with a ribeye. It's getting overlooked every night.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Caymus is a fine wine, but it's also one of the most aggressively marked-up bottles in American restaurants. You're paying a significant premium for a label people recognize, not for something that punches above its price point. At steakhouse markups, you can do better elsewhere on this list.
Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico + House-made pasta with red sauce
Sangiovese and tomato-based pasta is one of those combinations that exists for a reason — the wine's acidity mirrors the acidity in the sauce, neither one drowning out the other. It's the most Italian thing you can order at a place called Mabella's, and the Ricasoli is the right bottle to do it with.
The Bottom Line
Mabella's is a reliable dinner-out option in Columbus with a wine list that plays it completely safe — familiar names, steep markups, no real adventure. If you know what you like and you like Caymus, you'll be comfortable here; if you're hoping for a wine list that matches the ambition of the kitchen, keep your expectations in check.
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Vertigo shouldn't have a wine list this interesting — and that's the whole point. If you're anywhere near Columbus, Georgia and care even a little about what's in your glass, this place is worth the detour.
Surprising Depth
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbus · Seafood chain
This is a wine program in name only — three crowd-pleaser labels at chain markups with no soul behind the selection. Order a cocktail or a beer and spend your money somewhere it's appreciated.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbus · Rooftop American
Eighteen85 is a place to drink wine, not to drink well. Come for the view, order something cold, and set your expectations accordingly — the list won't surprise you, but at least it won't bankrupt you either.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbus · New American
For Columbus, Georgia, The Animal Farm's wine list is a genuine Wild Card — small but considered, fairly priced, and stocked with producers most local restaurants haven't heard of. We'd absolutely send a friend here with instructions to start with the Riesling and work their way through the whites.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Columbus · American / Bistro
The Loft is a great time if you're there for the music, the scene, or a solid burger — but the wine list is along for the ride, not leading the charge. Come thirsty for the atmosphere; manage your expectations on the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown Columbus · Columbus · Seafood
Red Lobster 13th St. is not a wine destination — it's a seafood chain where wine exists because a menu has to have one. Order the Riesling with your lobster tail, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and make your peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Peoria · Italian Steakhouse
Johnny's wine list is exactly what it is: a well-curated collection of American crowd-pleasers with markups to match the steakhouse zip code. You won't be wowed, but you won't be stuck either — and 28 glasses by the pour means you have options.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· College Station · Italian Steakhouse
The wine list here is an afterthought dressed up with four surprisingly good dessert wines. Come for the steak, order water or a cocktail through dinner, then let the back half of this list redeem itself.
Grocery Store
Acceptable
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Reston · Reston · Italian Steakhouse
Davio's Reston is a reliable wine destination if your expectations match the room — it's a steakhouse wine list, not a wine bar list. The by-the-glass breadth saves it, and a few smart picks like the Pieropan Soave keep it from being totally forgettable.
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.
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