Pizza joint hiding serious Italian firepower
Bellevue · Italian / Pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mercato Stellina Pizzeria’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You walk into a pizzeria and the wine list opens with Tignanello and three Brunellos. That's not something you expect, and it absolutely earns a second look. At 18 bottles, this isn't a long list — but someone clearly gave a damn about what went on it.
The list leans hard into Italian reds, and that's the right call for a pizza spot — Produttori del Barbaresco, Felsina Fontalloro, Il Poggione Brunello, and Casanova di Neri give you a legitimate tour of Tuscany and Piedmont without padding the list with filler. Washington State gets a solid nod too, with Betz, Gramercy Cellars, and Spring Valley holding their own alongside the Italian heavyweights. The white and sparkling selection is thin — Scarpetta Prosecco and a house white are essentially your options — so if you're a Chardonnay or Vermentino person, you're eating humble pie. The Ferghettina Brut Rosé at $125 adds a little fizz, but the list is clearly built for red wine drinkers.
The list is structured as bottles only — we see no explicit by-the-glass program noted on the menu. If you're coming for a glass and a slice situation, confirm with the staff before you sit down, because the format here appears to be all-in on bottles.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2019 — $100
Produttori is a co-op that punches far above its price class — this is a serious Nebbiolo from one of the most respected names in Piedmont, and at $100 on a restaurant list, it's the pick of the room. You'd pay this or more at retail for a great vintage.
Gramercy Cellars Lagniappe Syrah 2018
Gramercy is one of Washington's finest producers and Lagniappe is their top-tier Syrah — most tables will scroll right past it chasing the Brunellos, but this bottle is a legitimate showstopper and a testament to what Walla Walla can do with the grape.
House Red or White
At $40 for an unnamed house pour, you're one step above a mystery grab bag. With the Barbaresco at $100 and real producers on this list, there's no reason to spend $40 on something with no identity — stretch a little or go home.
Marchese Antinori Chianti Riserva 2020 + Margherita pizza
Sangiovese and tomato sauce is one of the great marriages in food and wine — the acidity mirrors the sauce, the earthy tannins handle the char, and Antinori's Chianti Riserva brings enough structure to stand up to the crust without overwhelming the simplicity of the pie.
The Bottom Line
Mercato Stellina is a pizza spot that accidentally built a wine list worth talking about — the Italian backbone is legit, the Washington State picks are well-chosen, and the pricing is honest. If you're expecting a deep white or sparkling program you'll be disappointed, but for a Nebbiolo or a Syrah with your Neapolitan, this place delivers.
Bellevue · Bellevue · Wine Bar / New American
Purple's Bellevue list is small enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to think about for the rest of dinner. The pricing is shockingly fair, the picks are genuinely adventurous, and the Romanian grape alone earns it a visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Southern Italian
Carmine's is a dependable wine experience in a room that earns it — the Italian backbone is solid, the Marc Hébrart alone proves someone cared when building this list, and 13 by-the-glass options gives you real choices. Just mind the markups and steer away from the California name-drops.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond Town Center · Bellevue · Steakhouse and Seafood
Matts' isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. The Pacific Northwest focus is smart, the by-the-glass picks punch above the room's casual energy, and $9 oyster bar pours during happy hour is a deal worth showing up for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellefield Office Park Area · Bellevue · Upscale American Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Bellevue is a reliable machine for a certain kind of corporate dinner — but the wine list is a profit center dressed up as a wine program, and the markups make that clear. Order the Belle Glos, catch Ruth's Hour if you can, and save the serious wine drinking for somewhere that actually cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Bellevue Square · Bellevue · Asian, Chinese-inspired
On a Wednesday, P.F. Chang's Bellevue is legitimately worth pulling up a chair for wine — half-price bottles with recognizable labels is a deal you won't find at most actual wine bars. Any other night, the list is competent but overpriced for what it is, and you'd be better off sticking to the cocktails.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lincoln Square · Bellevue · American, Global/International, Seafood
Earls Bellevue isn't going to wow any wine nerds, but it's a genuinely solid operation for what it is — fair prices, a few legitimately good bottles, and one of the best mid-week deals in Bellevue if you time your visit right. Come on a Tuesday or Wednesday and grab the Lingua Franca at half price; you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Arlington · Italian / Pizza
Cane Rosso Arlington's wine list is the restaurant equivalent of a reliable wingman — not the most exciting person in the room, but it shows up, it's priced honestly, and it won't let you down. Send a friend here for pizza and point them toward the San Felice.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fairfax · Los Angeles · Italian / Pizza
Jon & Vinny's is doing something genuinely unusual: a wine list with real curatorial vision at a place where you're also ordering garlic bread. Send your wine-curious friends here and tell them to ignore the price anchors and dig into the $22–$60 range — that's where this list really earns it.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Arlington · Poughkeepsie · Italian / Pizza
Pizzeria Posto isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — the list is short, safe, and Italian enough to make sense with the food. Come for the pizza, order the Montepulciano, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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