Italian classics, familiar pours, predictable markup
Town and Country · St. Louis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Napoli 2 reads like a greatest hits of Italian-leaning restaurant staples with some California heavyweights sprinkled in for the crowd that came here for a steak. It's competent and organized, with enough range to keep most tables happy — but don't expect anyone to have wrestled over these selections.
The Italian backbone is where this list earns its keep: Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino anchor the Piedmont and Tuscany sections, and the presence of a Chianti Classico Riserva gives the middle of the list some genuine backbone. The California contingent — Cakebread, Rombauer, Jordan, Silver Oak, Caymus — is essentially the suburban steakhouse canon, and it's priced accordingly. There are no wild swings toward orange wine, natural producers, or lesser-known Italian regions like Campania or Friuli, which would have given this list some personality. It does the job for an upscale Italian dinner, but it's playing a very safe game.
Ten to fourteen pours by the glass is a respectable showing, and the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio will be the workhorse here — reliable if unremarkable, and not exactly a bargain at these prices. We'd like to see the glass program lean harder into the Italian selections rather than defaulting to California Chardonnay as the go-to opener.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV — $85
At roughly 42% over retail, the Veuve is the least punishing bottle on this list by a wide margin. For a celebratory dinner at a $30-$50-per-entree Italian spot, it's the closest thing to a fair deal in the house.
Chianti Classico Riserva
Most tables at Napoli 2 will gravitate toward the big California reds or the Brunello, but a good Chianti Classico Riserva is exactly what this food is asking for — food-friendly acidity, earthy depth, and enough structure to hold up to a meat-focused main without blowing your budget or your palate.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2020
At $195 against a $90 retail price, this is a 116% markup on a wine that's already overexposed and overpriced at retail. Caymus is everywhere for a reason — but that reason is marketing, not quality. Skip it.
Barolo + Meat-focused main (steak or chop)
Barolo's tannin structure and dried cherry depth are built for red meat. A proper chop or bistecca with the Barolo is the most Italian thing you can do at this table — and it's the wine choice that actually justifies why this list exists.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Napoli 2 is a reliable, if pricey, wine experience for fans of Italian classics and California comfort pours — just know you're paying a Town and Country premium for the privilege. Send your friends here for the Barolo and the bubbles, and steer them away from the Caymus.
Clayton · St. Louis · Upscale American pub fare with English and French influences
801 Local has put in real work on this list — more work than most suburban pubs bother with — but the markup on recognizable bottles undercuts the goodwill. Come for the Vietti and the Frank Family; leave The Prisoner for someone else's table.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Grand Center · St. Louis · Italian
Vito's earns its Sicilian stripes in the kitchen, but the wine list is an afterthought — overpriced grocery brands with zero connection to the cuisine they're supposed to accompany. Order a beer or a soft drink, save the wine for a place that cares.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian
Café Napoli is a dependable destination for Italian wine in Clayton — just go in with eyes open on the pricing and steer hard toward the Italian side of the list. The California section is a trap and the markups on crowd-pleasers are rough, but the underlying Italian bones are solid enough to make this worth your time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clayton · St. Louis · American, European
Herbie's isn't going to blow any wine nerd's mind, but it delivers a well-curated, fairly priced list that genuinely supports a great meal. If you're in Clayton and ordering the Beef Wellington, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian
Casa Don Alfonso is the rare Italian restaurant that backs up its Amalfi aesthetic with a wine list serious enough to match. If Italy is your thing — or you want it to become your thing — this is worth the trip to Clayton.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Clayton · St. Louis · American
Truffles has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2004, and the list earns that credential every year — this is one of the most serious wine programs in St. Louis, full stop. Markups are real, but if you know where to look on this list, you'll drink very well.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
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.