Cincinnati's Italian anchor with serious cellar cred
Over-the-Rhine · Cincinnati · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Nicola's Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at Nicola's and it's immediately clear this place takes Italy seriously — not just Chianti-and-call-it-a-day seriously, but Barolo-Brunello-Amarone seriously. Two hundred to three hundred labels deep in a historic Over-the-Rhine dining room tells you everything about the restaurant's priorities. This is a room that respects the grape.
The list is anchored in the Italian north and center — Piedmont and Tuscany carry the weight, and they carry it well. Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino anchor the reds, and the presence of Amarone della Valpolicella signals a genuine love of the peninsula rather than a highlight-reel approach. A 200-300 bottle list for a Cincinnati neighborhood restaurant is genuinely impressive, and with a sommelier on staff, there's actual curatorial intent behind it — this isn't a list assembled by a distributor rep on autopilot. The gaps are probably in the south (Sicily, Campania) and anything non-Italian, but at Nicola's, that's almost beside the point.
Fifteen to twenty by-the-glass options is a solid pour program for a fine-dining Italian spot — enough that you're not just choosing between a Pinot Grigio and a sad Merlot. Whether the rotation turns over to reflect seasonal or producer changes isn't clear from the outside, but the depth of the bottle list suggests the glass pours aren't afterthoughts. Ask your server what's open; a place with this cellar usually has something good breathing.
Barolo — null
We can't pin a specific price without menu access, but Barolo at a restaurant with proper storage, a trained sommelier, and this level of Italian focus is where your money is most honestly spent. You're paying for context here, and the context is right.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at a place like this default to Barolo or Brunello and sleep on the Amarone. It's a bigger, richer wine — dried grapes, serious concentration — and in a $$$-$$$$ room with proper storage, it's going to show well. Don't skip it just because it sounds unfamiliar.
House pour by the glass
At a restaurant in this price tier with a list this deep, the entry-level glass pour is almost always the worst value on the menu. Step up one tier on the glass list or just commit to a bottle — you're already at Nicola's, don't half-measures it.
Brunello di Montalcino + Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese
Brunello's Sangiovese backbone — bright acidity, firm tannins, earthy depth — cuts right through the richness of a slow-cooked meat ragu without trampling it. It's the most classically Italian pairing on the menu and for good reason: they were built for each other.
The Bottom Line
Nicola's is the kind of Italian restaurant that makes a strong case for skipping your usual Cab and actually learning something new about Italian wine — with a sommelier on hand and a list this deep, you're in good hands. Markups will sting at the higher end, but the foundation is solid and the commitment is real.
Downtown · Cincinnati · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Cincinnati is a reliable, well-stocked steakhouse list that delivers exactly what it promises — big California reds, proper storage, and a bottle for every budget above $50. Just don't come expecting discovery; come expecting execution.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Over-the-Rhine · Cincinnati · Tapas / Mediterranean-inspired small plates
Abigail Street is a Wild Card because nobody walks into a tapas spot in OTR expecting Lebanese orange wines and Champagne from Bollinger — but here we are. The markup math on the tap program stings, but the top half of this list is doing real work and earns a recommendation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North / Kenwood area · Cincinnati · New American / Grill & Wine Bar
Seasons 52 Cincinnati is a chain wine program that punches above its weight class on volume and actually tries — Monday half-price bottles are a legitimate reason to show up on a specific night. Just go in knowing this is a crowd-pleaser list, not a discovery list, and you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Mason · Cincinnati · West Coast–style American (brunch-focused cafe)
Maplewood Mason isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the list is fair, accessible, and has just enough personality (Stolpman, Jezebel Blanc) to keep it from being totally forgettable. If you're here for brunch, grab a glass and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hyde Park · Cincinnati · Italian (housemade pasta, wood-fired pizza)
Forno Hyde Park is a reliable neighborhood wine program that doesn't embarrass itself — solid Italian range, reasonable glass pours, and a Wood-Down Wednesday deal that genuinely changes the math on the better bottles. The markups on everyday bottles are hard to ignore, but if you time it right and order smart, there's a real dinner here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Newport (Greater Cincinnati Riverfront) · Cincinnati · Seafood
Chart House delivers exactly what it promises: a reliable, unadventurous wine list in a spectacular waterfront setting. Come for the view and the lobster bisque — just don't expect the wine list to match the scenery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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