Italian-leaning list that gets the job done
Third Ward · Milwaukee · Modern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 9, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Onesto’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Onesto's brick-walled Third Ward dining room and the wine list feels exactly like you'd expect — Italian-leaning, approachable, no surprises. It matches the room: polished enough to impress a date, casual enough that you're not stressed about ordering. What you see is what you get, and what you get is fine.
The list leans on crowd-pleasing Italian staples — Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, Chianti — without venturing much into the deeper corners of Italy's wine map. There's no Barolo lurking, no Vermentino hiding in the back pages, and producers like Cavit and Ruffino suggest the selection was built for accessibility over ambition. That's not a crime in a lively neighborhood Italian spot, but it does mean curious drinkers won't find much to dig into. The Italian focus is coherent, at least — this isn't a list that bolts on a random California Cab just to say it has one.
The by-the-glass program is where most people will live here, and it's priced in a way that won't make you wince — everything we clocked comes in between $10 and $12 a pour. The range covers the basics: Prosecco, Pinot Grigio in multiple iterations, a Chianti, and a Greek white to keep things mildly interesting. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority, but at these price points, it's hard to complain too loudly.
Scarpetta Pinot Grigio (Friuli) — $12
At $12 a glass, this is a step above the commodity Pinot Grigio on the same list — Friuli-sourced, cleaner and more mineral than your average mass-market pour. The retail gap is slim, which means you're not getting gouged for the upgrade.
Skouras Zoe White
A Greek white (Roditis and Moschofilero blend) on an Italian wine list is the kind of odd-man-out that most people scroll past. Don't. It's bright, aromatic, and refreshing in a way that cuts through rich pasta better than another Pinot Grigio ever will.
Cavit Pinot Grigio
At $10 a glass, you're paying restaurant markup on a wine that retails for $9 a bottle. Cavit is fine for a weeknight kitchen table pour, but you can do meaningfully better on this same list for just two dollars more.
Ruffino Chianti Superiore DOCG + Short rib ravioli
Chianti's high acidity and cherry-driven fruit are practically engineered for braised beef. The Ruffino Superiore has enough structure to stand up to the richness of short rib without steamrolling the pasta itself — it's the most obvious call on this list, in the best possible way.
The Bottom Line
Onesto's wine program is an honest reflection of the restaurant itself — approachable, crowd-pleasing, and priced fairly enough that you won't leave feeling robbed. It's not a destination for wine geeks, but it's a perfectly solid companion to a good bowl of pasta in a great-looking room.
Story Hill · Milwaukee · American, Regional
A compact 12-wine list with glass and bottle prices posted, half-glass portions, and a bottle shop run by the same business. Order the $11 Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône or the $11 Anjou Chenin Blanc by the glass and confirm current availability, since the menu is linked as 8-22-26. This unrated guide covers the posted beverage menu, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Milwaukee · American, Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary
A very large list with no by-the-glass section posted: 657 priced wines from $30 to $4,450, and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the biggest group at 93 entries. For a starting point, the $50 Jean Marc Martin Haut-Médoc Merlot 2015 is the lowest-priced wine in the "Sommelier's Favorites Reds", and the $70 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White Blend 2023 is the South African pick. Prices carry no unit and the page is undated, so confirm both. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Brady Street · Milwaukee · American
A short, varied list: 35 wines, from Lambrusco and Mourvèdre to Napa Cabernet, with paired numbers from 11 to 15 and a Cruvinet box at 11 to 22. Try the 11 | 43 Pirates del Ebro Tempranillo, or the Selbach Riesling with the scallops, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Riverwest · Milwaukee · Pub fare and brewery food
Lakefront is a beer hall with a one-line wine list: three Wollersheim wines at $9. If you want wine, start with the Prairie Fumé alongside the cheese curds and ask about pour size, since the menu does not say. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Brady Street · Milwaukee · Italian-American
A friendly, easy list for a pasta-and-pizza room: 19 pours by the glass from $7 to $13, plus bottles from $36 to $90. Start with the $7 Wollersheim Prairie Fumé, or get the $10 Banfi Chianti Superiore with a bowl of Pomodoro, and confirm prices because the page is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Historic Third Ward · Milwaukee · Italian-Mediterranean
A bottle list with Greek, Sicilian and Lebanese bottles alongside Napa Cabernet, and Dom Perignon at $550. Start with the $40 Oenops 'Apla' or the $65 Château Musar 'Jeune', and plan around Wine Wednesday, when the restaurant says select bottles are half price from 5pm to 9pm. Confirm vintages and which bottles qualify before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Modern Italian
This is an Italian-heavy list with a clear glass page, and the glass page is the easiest place to start. Begin with the Villa Trasqua Chianti Classico at 14|50, then go to the Piedmont and Super Tuscan pages if the table wants a bottle: Tignanello 2022 is listed at $325. Confirm prices and units, because the list doesn't label them. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Gold Coast · Chicago · Modern Italian
Start with the $14 Lunardi Pinot Grigio, or step into red with the Castello di Verduno Nebbiolo, posted at $18 - $72. Where a line shows a bare price pair, ask which number is the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted Sommelier's Highlights wines, not service, storage or retail markups, so confirm current availability and prices.
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Modern Italian
Colletta's wine list punches well above its suburban strip-mall expectations — an all-Italian program with genuine depth in whites and a sparkling section worth lingering over. The markup is honest, the by-the-glass count is generous, and the producers skew toward the interesting rather than the obvious. If you're eating here, skip the red and let the white Italian side of the list do the work.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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