Indy's Italian Wine Secret Nobody Told You About
Indianapolis · Indianapolis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at a modern Italian spot in Indianapolis and suddenly you're looking at Friulano, Alto Adige Pinot Bianco, and Vermentino from Terenzuolo — this is not your average red-or-white situation. The list signals immediately that someone here has done their homework and is not interested in playing it safe with Pinot Grigio from nowhere. For Indiana, this thing is a genuine surprise.
The regional specificity here is real: Alto Adige, Friuli, Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and Basilicata all show up, and the picks within each region are considered rather than obvious. Borgoluce representing Prosecco, Bindi Sergardi in Chianti, Elena Walch flying the flag for South Tyrol — these are producers worth knowing, not filler brands. The list also dips into Champagne (Delamotte Brut, no less) without overcommitting to France, keeping the Italian identity intact. If there's a gap, it's that bottle pricing data is limited, so you're somewhat flying blind on the full cellar depth — but what's visible earns respect.
Fifteen-plus options by the glass is serious business, especially with a three-sparkling opener that includes both a Prosecco Rosé and a legitimate grower Champagne. The spread across whites and reds covers real Italian ground without redundancy — you're not choosing between three Chiantis, you're choosing between Chianti, Friulano, Vermentino, and Pinot Bianco. That's a by-the-glass program with an actual point of view.
Bindi Sergardi 'La Boncia' Chianti — $13
Thirteen dollars for a Chianti from a producer with centuries of history in the Siena hills? On a Thursday, that's $6.50. This is the kind of pour that makes the whole trip worthwhile — proper Sangiovese at a price that makes you order a second glass without guilt.
A & M Mauri Friulano
Friulano is one of Italy's most underrated white grapes — nutty, textural, nothing like the Pinot Grigios that dominate Italian-American lists — and most people at this restaurant will walk right past it. At $17 a glass, it's the move for anyone willing to try something they've probably never had before.
Champagne Delamotte Brut
Delamotte is a genuinely excellent house and the wine is good — but at $25 a glass, you're paying a steep per-ounce premium when the Italian sparkling options around it are delivering serious quality for nearly half the price. Save the Champagne splurge for a bottle elsewhere and put that money toward exploring the Italian side of this list.
Terenzuolo 'Vignébasse' Vermentino + Ask the kitchen for their lightest pasta or seafood preparation
Vermentino's bright acidity and herby coastal character is built for anything light and briny — it cuts through richness and lifts delicate flavors rather than competing with them. At $14 a glass, it's an easy yes.
Thursday — Half off all bottles under $100; $50 off premium bottles over $100. One of the better standing wine deals in Indianapolis.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Nesso is doing something genuinely rare in the Midwest: building a wine list that treats Italian regional wines with the same seriousness the cuisine deserves. Add Thursday half-price bottles and a sommelier on staff, and this is the kind of place you text a friend about before you've even finished dinner.
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Steakhouse
Prime 47 is a dependable, California-forward steakhouse list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — not because it takes risks, but because it executes the classics reliably and keeps the Cabs flowing. Send a friend here if they want a good bottle with a great steak; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Indianapolis · Indianapolis · French, Japanese
Vida is the kind of wine program that makes you wish more mid-sized American cities had a Jared May running their lists — deep Burgundy, serious California, and a dining concept that actually justifies both. Yes, you'll pay for it, but this is a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner for real reasons.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Indianapolis · Indianapolis · American Steakhouse
St. Elmo is the rare steakhouse that earns its Best of Award of Excellence without feeling like it's trying to impress anyone — the list is deep, the wines are real, and Monday half-price night is genuinely one of the best deals in Indianapolis. The markups can sting, but the bones of this program are excellent.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Herron-Morton Place · Indianapolis · Fine-Casual American
Tinker Street is the wine list that Indianapolis shouldn't have yet somehow does — globally curious, genuinely deep in spots, and anchored by a few pours that would feel at home at a serious wine bar in any major city. The markups on entry-level bottles keep it from being a full Rager, but the ambition earns a trip.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Mass Ave · Indianapolis · Southern, American, Brew Pub
The Eagle is a genuinely great place to eat fried chicken — the wine list, however, is an afterthought dressed up in a menu. Drink the beer, order the bubbles if you must, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that reciprocates.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Indianapolis · New American
Cerulean is exactly what a serious restaurant in a mid-sized American city should be doing with wine — real producers, fair pours, a sommelier who actually knows the list. Send your friends here, especially if they're doing the tasting menu.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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
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