Nicola's Ristorante
Cincinnati's Italian anchor with serious cellar cred
Over-the-Rhine · Cincinnati · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 26, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
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.
Selection Deep Dive
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.
By the Glass
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.
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