Lakeland's Italian Wine Anchor Does Not Disappoint
Lakeland · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed April 27, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Palace Southside’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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 · Seafood / Grill
Bonefish Grill Lakeland is a seafood restaurant with a three-wine list — two of which are ubiquitous grocery store brands marked up accordingly. If you're coming here for wine, adjust expectations significantly. Order the cocktail instead, or call ahead to check the corkage policy.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
The Macaroni Grill Lakeland wine list is functional the way a vending machine is functional — it dispenses what you ask for without fuss or personality. The by-the-glass breadth gives casual drinkers options, but the markups on several bottles and the complete absence of anything interesting or Italian-forward make this a list you tolerate rather than enjoy. Order the Lambrusco or the Trapiche Malbec and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Steakhouse
Texas Cattle Company isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list doesn't pretend otherwise — but fair pricing across 17 glass pours and a genuine quality tier anchored by Halter Ranch Cab make this a reliable place to drink reasonably well with your steak. If you're with a group that just wants something cold and red without a lecture, this list does its job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Lakeland · Bistro / European
Bay Street Bistro earns its reputation as Lakeland's go-to for a romantic, upscale dinner — the food clearly punches above the city's weight class. The wine program, however, doesn't match that ambition: pricing skews steep relative to what's on offer, and there's no evidence of the curation or deals you'd want alongside a $40 entrée. Go for the Beef Wellington, but do your homework on the wine list before you commit to a bottle.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· 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
· Billings · Italian
Ciao Mambo has assembled an Italian wine list that would hold up at a serious restaurant in a much larger market — Vietti Barolo, Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco, and a Valle d'Aosta oddity on the same list in Billings is genuinely impressive. Without pricing or glass program data we can't call it a Rager, but if you're passing through Montana and want a real bottle of Nebbiolo with your pasta, this is your move.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vinings · Vinings · Italian
Cotto is doing more with a 51-bottle list than most Italian restaurants do with twice as many labels — the Italian whites alone make this worth a visit for anyone tired of the same old Pinot Grigio rut. The markup is fair, the by-the-glass program is genuinely generous, and the presence of bottles like the Bocale Trebbiano Spoletino signals real intent. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Santa Margherita and work their way through the Vermentinos instead.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Tavola Trattoria's wine program is five bottles deep and priced without apology — $101 for a Saracco Moscato is the kind of markup that makes you consider ordering water and going wine shopping after dinner. The list has no still wines at all, which is a strange call for an Italian restaurant. Order a cocktail or ask if they have a corkage policy, because this wine list isn't doing you any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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