Little Italy's Dependable Italian Wine Anchor
Little Italy / University Circle · Cleveland · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Michaelangelo's Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine menu at Michaelangelo's reads like a love letter to Italy with a California chaser — exactly what you'd want from a spot that takes its 'Wine Bar' designation seriously. It's not trying to impress sommeliers; it's trying to make sure your Ossobuco has a proper companion. That's a reasonable goal and they mostly pull it off.
The list leans heavily Italian, and that's the right call for this room. You've got serious northern players — Rocche Costamagna's Barolo and Barbaresco anchor the reds with some credibility, while Cantina del Garda shows up across multiple categories (Soave, Amarone, Ripasso, Prosecco) which suggests a solid importer relationship rather than random bottle-hunting. California gets a seat at the table via Treana Cabernet Sauvignon and the R|Collection blend, which keeps the crowd happy without derailing the Italian identity. The gaps are real though — no Brunello, no Sagrantino, and the white side of Italy feels thin beyond Pinot Grigio and Gavi.
Eighteen by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a neighborhood Italian in Cleveland — most spots half that size are calling themselves wine bars. The $10–$19 range is honest and accessible, and the fact that you can pour a Barolo by the glass (Rocche Costamagna) without committing to a full bottle is a small act of generosity. We'd like to see more rotation here, but what's on the board covers the bases.
Valpolicella Ripasso, Cantina del Garda — $14
Ripasso is the sleeper category of Italian reds — partial re-fermentation on Amarone skins gives you dark fruit and structure at a fraction of the price. At this price point by the glass, it drinks well above its station and works with half the menu.
Pinot Nero, Valle Isarco
Alto Adige Pinot Nero is one of Italy's most underrated wines — cool-climate, lean, and aromatic in a way that Italian reds rarely are. Most diners walk right past it for the Barolo or the Chianti, which means more of this for the people paying attention.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Treana
Treana makes a fine Cab, but you're at an Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Ordering a Paso Robles Cabernet here is like ordering a burger at a sushi spot — it exists, it's fine, but why are you doing this to yourself when there's Barolo on the same list?
Barolo, Rocche Costamagna + Ossobuco con Risotto e Spinaci Fritti
Nebbiolo and braised veal shank is one of the classic combinations in Italian cooking for a reason — the wine's tannin and acidity cut through the richness of the bone marrow while the earthy depth of the Barolo echoes the saffron risotto underneath. This is the move.
The Bottom Line
Michaelangelo's isn't reinventing wine lists, but it's doing the honest work of a neighborhood Italian that actually cares — fair prices, real Italian producers, and enough by-the-glass depth to keep the meal interesting. Send a friend here? Yes, and tell them to get the Ripasso.
University Circle · Cleveland · Regional
Table 45 is a dependable hotel wine list that punches above its Cleveland zip code — it's not adventurous, but it's not embarrassing either. Send a friend here if they want recognizable, quality bottles in a proper setting; steer them toward Jordan and Drouhin and away from the obvious crowd-pleasers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Flats East Bank · Cleveland · Italian
Lago East Bank is a legitimately strong Italian wine program in a city that doesn't always get credit for having them — the WS Award of Excellence since 2023 is earned. Markups keep it from being a great value play, but if you're going to drop money on a bottle of Barolo anywhere in Cleveland, this is the room to do it.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Shaker Square · Cleveland · French
Edwins is one of the most genuinely interesting restaurant stories in Cleveland — a fine-dining French program run by people earning their place in the industry — and the wine list is good enough to stand on its own merits, mission aside. Send a friend here and tell them to order French across the board, from the escargot to the bottle.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Woodmere · Cleveland · American Steakhouse
J. Gilbert's is a reliable, well-stocked steakhouse list that plays it safe with California heavyweights and charges accordingly — nothing groundbreaking, but the Sunday wine deal is one of the better recurring specials in Cleveland and reason enough to plan around it. Come for the filet, drink better than you expected to.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Gateway District · Cleveland · Italian, American, Steakhouse
The Centro is a reliable pour for downtown Cleveland — the list won't surprise you, the prices will sting a little, but it's a competent wine program for a hotel steakhouse anchored in a beautiful room. Send a friend here if they want familiar bottles and a good steak; steer them elsewhere if they're looking for anything off the beaten path.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Cleveland · American Grill
J. Alexander's has no business having this good of a markup on their wine list, but here we are. It's a chain, it's comfortable, and it's offering pours like Austin Hope Cabernet at prices that would embarrass half the independent restaurants in Cleveland — send a friend here without hesitation.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
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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