Wine Wednesday Makes the Whole Thing Click
Old Mill District · Bend · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pastini - Old Mill District’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Pastini Old Mill reads exactly like what you'd expect from a casual Italian chain — Pacific Northwest staples, a few Italian imports, nothing that's going to raise your pulse. But then Wednesday rolls around, and suddenly that $45 Erath Pinot Noir becomes a $22.50 bottle, and the whole conversation changes.
The list leans into Oregon and Washington with predictable picks — Erath, King Estate Acrobat, Chateau Ste. Michelle — alongside Italian-leaning crowd-pleasers like Barone Fini, Mezzacorona, and Cavit. There's a nod to the local identity with Elk Cove Pinot Noir and Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris, which is genuinely appreciated, even if the rest of the list doesn't quite live up to that ambition. Gaps are obvious: no Rosso di anything from Italy, no real depth beyond the grocery store shelf-talker tier. What you see is what you get, and what you get is safe.
We don't have a confirmed glass pour list or count, which at a casual Italian chain is usually not a great sign — it likely mirrors the bottle list with a handful of predictable pours. If they're rotating anything beyond the usual suspects, it isn't being communicated loudly enough to show up anywhere.
Erath Pinot Noir (Oregon) — $22.50 on Wine Wednesday (normally $45)
At half price on Wednesday, this drops to a totally fair ask for an everyday Oregon Pinot. Retail is $18, so you're paying a modest premium at the half-price rate — far better than the standard 150% markup. Come on a Wednesday, order pasta, drink this.
Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Cooper Mountain is a biodynamic producer that most people at a casual Italian chain won't recognize or reach for — they'll go straight for the Cavit. That's their loss. This is a step up in both farming philosophy and flavor, and it's the most interesting bottle on the list by a decent margin.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling (Columbia Valley)
At $30 on a $9 retail bottle, you're paying a 233% markup for something you can grab at any grocery store on the way home. Nothing wrong with the wine itself, but the value math here is embarrassing.
Elk Cove Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon) + Made-from-scratch pasta with a tomato-based sauce
Elk Cove's Willamette Pinot has enough acidity and red fruit to cut through a rich tomato sauce without stepping on the pasta itself. It's the most regionally appropriate bottle on the list and one of the few that actually feels intentional.
Wednesday — Pastini runs a chain-wide Wine Wednesday promotion: 50% off any bottle on the list, every Wednesday. Most bottles land under $20 at half price, which transforms an otherwise steep list into one of the better midweek wine deals in Bend.
The Bottom Line
Pastini is a Lazy List on a normal night, but Wine Wednesday flips the math enough to make it worth a visit if you know what you're doing — show up on Wednesday, order the Elk Cove or Cooper Mountain, skip the Ste. Michelle, and enjoy your pasta. Any other night, manage your expectations accordingly.
Downtown Bend · Bend · Wine Bar & Retail Wine Shop
Viaggio is the kind of wine bar that has no business being this good in a ski town, and that's exactly why it earned a Wild Card badge. If you care about what's in your glass, make a stop here before or after dinner — you'll leave with a better bottle than you planned on.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Westside (Galveston Avenue area) · Bend · Italian (Tuscan-focused, handmade pasta)
Trattoria Sbandati is a small Italian restaurant with a small Italian wine list that punches well above its size because someone made real choices instead of filling slots. If you're in Bend and you want to drink actual Tuscan wine with actual Tuscan food, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Tetherow · Bend · Upscale Pacific Northwest and New American
Solomon's is a safe, well-intentioned resort wine program that does Oregon proud without doing anything adventurous — come for the elk and the Drouhin, not for discovery. If you're staying at Tetherow or celebrating something, it delivers. If you're driving across Bend specifically for the wine list, adjust your expectations.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Tetherow · Bend · Elevated pub fare with American and Scottish-inspired dishes
The Row is a reliable pour in a beautiful setting — the wine list won't blow your mind, but the Sokol Blosser rosé and a smart sparkling pick make it easy enough to drink well here. Order the fish, grab the rosé, enjoy the view.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastside · Bend · Casual American café with wood-fired pizza and seasonal, locally sourced dishes
Jackson's Corner Eastside is a counter-service café that quietly put together a wine list worth paying attention to — Oregon-focused, fairly priced, and genuinely thoughtful for the format. Send a friend here if they want good pizza and don't want to feel gouged for drinking something decent with it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eastside · Bend · Italian
Salute isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's built a list that actually respects the cuisine it's serving — and in a casual Italian spot in Bend, that puts it well ahead of the competition. Send a friend here, point them at the Vermentino or the Le Volte, and they'll thank you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ocean Casino Resort · Atlantic City · Italian-American
Superfrico is a reliable wine program in a setting designed to get you to spend money — and it mostly delivers without being a total shakedown. Send a friend here for a fun night, not a wine education.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Broadway · Saratoga Springs · Italian-American
Come to Wheatfields for the house-made pasta — it earns its reputation. But the wine list is a lazy lineup of commercial brands at steep markups, and no one on staff is going to steer you toward anything interesting. Grab a glass of Prosecco during happy hour (50% off Monday through Friday, 3-7pm) and redirect your wine energy somewhere else in town.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Broadway · Idaho Falls · Italian-American
This is the wine list equivalent of unlimited breadsticks — comforting, familiar, and not something you'd brag about to anyone. Come for the pasta, order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if they'll let you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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