Lakeland's Italian Wine Anchor Does Not Disappoint
Lakeland · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Palace Southside’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Palace Southside and the wine list feels like it was built by someone who actually loves Italian wine — not just someone who called a distributor and said 'give me the usual.' The Ospitalità Italiana certification hanging in the background tells you this place takes the Italian thing seriously, and the list backs that up. For Lakeland, Florida, this is a genuinely pleasant surprise.
The list runs 150-plus bottles and stays almost entirely Italian, which is exactly the right call for a place like this. You've got the heavy hitters covered — Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone della Valpolicella — alongside more approachable entry points like Gavi di Gavi, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, and Chianti Classico Riserva. Super Tuscans make an appearance too, which rounds out the premium tier nicely. What's missing is a broader reach into lesser-known Italian regions — a Nerello Mascalese from Etna or a Sagrantino from Umbria would push this from solid to exceptional.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 options by the glass is a respectable number, and in an Italian-focused program that likely means you can work your way through multiple regions without committing to a bottle. The glass program appears consistent rather than rotating, so don't expect seasonal surprises — but reliable is not nothing.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45
Chianti Classico Riserva at the lower end of their bottle pricing is where you want to be. It's a wine that regularly commands $50-70 at comparable restaurants, and it plays well with everything on a handcrafted pizza menu.
Gavi di Gavi
Most tables at an Italian restaurant default to Pinot Grigio and never look up. Gavi di Gavi is the smarter white — more texture, more regional character, and it cuts through rich, cheesy pizza in a way that generic Grigio just doesn't.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarone is spectacular wine, but at a pizza-forward Italian spot, it's a mismatch waiting to happen. It's also the most likely bottle on this list to carry a steep markup given its prestige — you'll spend top dollar on a wine that's begging for a braise, not a Margherita.
Barolo + Handcrafted pizza with cured meats
Barolo's firm tannins and dried cherry core actually hold up beautifully against the salt and fat of cured meats on pizza — it's an unconventional move that works, and ordering Barolo at a neighborhood Italian spot is exactly the kind of thing this list was built for.
The Bottom Line
Palace Southside has earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and in the context of Lakeland, it's the best Italian wine list in the area without much competition. Send your friends here — just steer them away from the Amarone and toward the Barolo.
· Lakeland · Italian
Carrabba's Lakeland is a place you drink wine at, not a place you go to drink wine. If you're here, order the cheapest bottle that sounds like Italy and focus on the food.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Seafood / New Orleans-inspired
Harry's Lakeland is a dependable pit stop — fair prices, an absurdly generous by-the-glass program, and a list that won't intimidate anyone. It's not a destination for wine, but it's also not going to ruin your dinner.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Food Hall (Multi-Concept)
The Joinery is a Wild Card in the best sense: a food hall that actually thought about its wine program, priced it fairly, and threw in a Greek white and some non-alcoholic options for good measure. Don't come here expecting a deep list, but do come expecting to drink something decent without getting gouged.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · American / Hotel Restaurant
Terrace Grille's wine program is a placeholder, not a program — fine for a hotel guest who wants a glass with dinner and nothing more. We wouldn't send anyone here specifically for wine, but the prices are so low they almost become charming in a 'what do you have to lose' kind of way.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian Chef's Table
Scarpa's is doing more with wine than most of Lakeland, and the Italian selections show genuine care. Markups on the prestige bottles get steep fast, but lean toward the house Brunello and the overlooked Italian producers and you'll eat and drink well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian Bar
Scarpa's is doing something genuinely unusual for its market — a curated, Italy-forward list with real producers that you'd be happy to find in a major city wine bar. The markups on the top shelf are steep, but the depth of the by-the-glass program and the presence of names like Produttori and Ridge mean there's value hiding in this list if you know where to look.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fort Wayne · Italian
Biaggi's Fort Wayne is a safe harbor for anyone who wants a glass of California Cab with their chicken parmesan and doesn't want any surprises. If you dig past the obvious picks, there's a short but legitimate Italian selection worth your attention — but the list as a whole isn't why you're coming here.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Daytona Beach · Italian
The Garlic is punching above its weight class for a Daytona Beach Italian spot — 105 labels and 33 by-the-glass options is real effort, and the pricing is mostly honest. It's not a wine destination, but it's absolutely the right place to drink well if you're already there for pasta.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond · Redmond · Italian
Zio Sal isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the work to make sure wine-curious diners in Redmond don't have to settle. Solid Italian focus, fair pricing, and enough depth to reward someone who actually looks at the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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