Italy in Your Glass, Raleigh on Your Plate
Unknown · Raleigh · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Osteria Cicchetti’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Osteria Cicchetti feels like the restaurant itself — warm, unpretentious, and doing the right thing without making a big deal about it. It leans Italian the way you'd hope a place called 'osteria' would, with a supporting cast of international bottles that don't overstay their welcome. Nothing here is going to make you gasp, but nothing is going to make you groan either.
The list holds steady at an estimated 80-150 bottles with a clear Italian backbone — think Montepulciano, Pinot Grigio, and the familiar appellations that make sense alongside housemade pasta and wood-fired dishes. There's a nod to Germany with the Dr. Loosen Riesling making an appearance, which shows someone was paying attention when they built this list. What's missing is any real depth in Piedmont, Tuscany, or southern Italy — you get the geography right but not the granularity. For a neighborhood spot in Raleigh at this price point, though, it's a respectable effort.
The by-the-glass program runs an estimated 10-18 options, which is a solid spread for a casual osteria. You'll find the Ilauri Tavo Pinot Grigio and the Vigneti del Sole Montepulciano holding down the Italian flanks, and the Ancient Peaks Chardonnay covering anyone who wanders off the peninsula. The rotation doesn't appear to be especially dynamic, but the core pours are well-matched to the menu.
Vigneti del Sole Montepulciano — Unknown
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is criminally underrated as a food wine — earthy, fruit-forward, and built for pasta and small plates. At a neighborhood spot with fair markups, this is the move: good Italian red without the Chianti markup.
Dr. Loosen Riesling
Most people at an Italian restaurant are going straight for the red, but the Dr. Loosen Riesling is quietly one of the most versatile bottles on the list. It cuts through rich dishes and holds its own against anything with acid or spice. Don't sleep on it.
Ancient Peaks Chardonnay
A perfectly fine California Chardonnay that has no particular reason to be on an Italian osteria list. If you're going Chardonnay, you're already off the path — at least make it an Italian white. This one feels like a concession to crowd-pleasers rather than a considered pick.
Vigneti del Sole Montepulciano + Housemade Pasta
Montepulciano's rustic tannins and dark fruit don't fight the richness of a slow-cooked ragu or a butter-heavy pasta — they just make the whole thing feel more Italian. It's the most natural match on the menu.
The Bottom Line
Osteria Cicchetti isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the work to make sure wine feels at home here. Send your friends — just steer them toward the Italian bottles and away from the Chardonnay.
Glenwood South · Raleigh · Mediterranean
Vidrio isn't trying to reinvent wine lists, and it doesn't need to — solid French selections, fair pricing, and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options make this a dependable wine destination in Raleigh. Send a friend here and they won't come back disappointed.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · American, Seafood
The Players Retreat is the Wild Card because nobody walks in expecting a legitimate wine program at a beloved Raleigh neighborhood bar — and yet, here we are. Matt Fern keeps things credible, the California and French anchors are well-chosen, and as long as you steer past the grocery-store staples, you're drinking better than the room suggests.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian
Cucciolo Terrazza is a genuine surprise in Raleigh's dining scene — a neighborhood Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator badge and actually makes you want to explore beyond the first familiar name you recognize. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Napa Cab.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brier Creek · Raleigh · Indian
Azitra is doing something genuinely unusual — running a Wine Spectator-caliber list at an upscale Indian restaurant in Raleigh — and largely pulling it off. The Wednesday half-price program alone makes it worth putting in your rotation; the Bollinger and the Drouhin make it worth telling your friends about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Unknown · Raleigh · Pizza
Ruckus Pizza is a solid spot for a casual pizza night — just don't come for the wine. Order a beer or a cocktail, or grab a bottle from the shop next door if they'll let you bring it in.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Apex · Raleigh · Winery (BYOF or charcuterie)
Cloer is a Wild Card in the best sense: it's a real working vineyard producing honest North Carolina wine at fair prices, and the vibe alone is worth the trip out of Raleigh. Bring food, bring friends, and give the Muscadine a real shot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gilbert · Gilbert · Italian
North Italia Gilbert is a chain that does the bare minimum of interesting things — and sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Tuesday in Gilbert. The Italian regional whites are the real reason to open this list; everything else is serviceable.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nob Hill · San Francisco · Italian
Seven Hills is doing something most Italian restaurants in this city won't — building a wine list that actually reflects the breadth of Italian winemaking rather than the highlights reel. If you're even mildly curious about obscure Italian whites, this is one of the better places in SF to take the leap.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Italian
Roma has enough wine on the list to get you through a good dinner, but it leans hard on California crowd-pleasers and marks them up accordingly. Stick to the Italian reds, avoid the Napa trophies, and you'll drink well enough — just don't expect the list to match the ambition of the cuisine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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