Springfield's Italian Night Out, Wine Included
· Springfield · Italian / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Piccolo Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list opens with 23 by-the-glass options and a price ceiling that stretches from $12 to $595 a bottle — that's a wider runway than you'd expect from a mid-size Italian spot in Springfield. There's genuine intention here: someone clearly sat down and thought about this list, even if the execution doesn't quite land as a knockout.
The bottle list leans appropriately Italian — Villa Antinori Rosso, a Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino 2019, and a Gio Barba Colle Metallo Montepulciano give the list some real backbone without turning into a textbook. There's also a nod to California with Newton The Puzzle 2021 and Kenwood Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, which rounds things out for guests who don't want to stray too far from familiar territory. The Sancerre from J. de Villebois sits at the top of the white tier and is a legitimately good call for a list this size. Where it falls short: no visible natural wine presence, no grower Champagne, and the entry-level stuff — CK Mondavi at $12 — drags the bottom of the list down.
Twenty-three pours by the glass is a lot, and the range is real: you can go from a $12 CK Mondavi Chardonnay to a $28 Three Monkey's & Pat Lafontaine Pinot Line Pinot Noir without leaving the BTG section. The Ridolfi Brunello at $25 a glass is a standout — it's rare to pour that at all, let alone by the glass. The bubbly section deserves a mention too: Moët at $35 a glass, a Valdo Prosecco, a Freixenet Cava, and even a non-alcoholic Prosecco for the designated drivers.
Ridolfi Brunello di Montalcino 2019 — $25/glass
Brunello by the glass — full stop. You'd pay $40+ for this pour in a bigger market, and the 2019 vintage is genuinely serious. For Springfield, this is a steal and a half.
Karl Josef Riesling 2024
Riesling gets skipped constantly, and that's everyone's loss. At $15 a glass, this is the most food-flexible wine on the list — works with the richness of pasta, cuts through cream sauces, and keeps things lively. Most guests will order the Pinot Grigio and never look back.
CK Mondavi Chardonnay 2023
It's $12 a glass, which sounds harmless until you realize you could get the Bezel by Cakebread Family Chardonnay for $16 and actually enjoy it. CK Mondavi is grocery store juice at restaurant markup — step four dollars up and don't look back.
Villa Antinori Rosso 2023 + Pasta with red meat sauce
Antinori's Rosso is built for the table — medium-bodied, Sangiovese-forward, with just enough acidity to cut through a rich Bolognese or braised meat pasta. It's the house red you didn't know this place had.
The Bottom Line
Piccolo punches above its weight for a Springfield Italian spot — the Brunello by the glass alone earns it a second look. It's not destination wine dining, but it's a genuinely solid list that won't embarrass you on a date night.
Downtown · Springfield · American Bar and Grill
Big Whiskey's is a genuinely fun spot for a beer, a whiskey flight, or a bucket of wings with a crowd. But the wine program doesn't appear to be a program at all — it's a placeholder. If someone at your table insists on wine, catch happy hour and keep expectations low. Otherwise, lean into what this place actually does well.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Springfield · Pizza / Bar
The Rail Pizza Company isn't here to impress you with wine — it's here to sell you pizza and pour you something cold while you eat it. If your expectations are calibrated accordingly, Bota Box gets the job done; just don't come expecting anything beyond that.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Glenstone · Springfield · American Grill
This is a hotel-adjacent chain bar doing the bare minimum on wine, and it shows. If you're staying at the DoubleTree and don't want to drive anywhere, grab the J Lohr Cab and call it a night — but don't come here for the list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Springfield · Sports Bar & Grill
The Dugout is a perfectly fine sports bar where wings get eaten, games get watched, and wine gets ignored — and that's the right call. Come for the BBQ Bacon Burger, leave the wine glass at home.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Springfield · Springfield · Farm-to-table gastropub
Farmers Gastropub is a reliable neighborhood stop where the food gets more attention than the wine list — and that's okay. Order the Tempranillo, enjoy the locally sourced kitchen, and don't come here expecting to geek out on wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Springfield · Springfield · American Grill
FD's Grillhouse isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it knows it — the list is safe, the markups lean steep, and the by-the-glass selection does most of the heavy lifting. If you're here for burgers and a decent pour, you'll leave fine; just skip The Prisoner and let Catena or Chapoutier do the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· La Crosse · Italian / New American
SAGRA is doing something genuinely surprising for its geography: a tight, intentional natural wine list at fair prices in a mid-sized Wisconsin city. If you're passing through La Crosse and care about what's in your glass, this is not a place to walk past.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Santa Barbara · Italian / New American
Nella's list is small enough to read in two minutes but built by someone who clearly gives a damn — the Loire picks alone are worth the detour. Not a deep cellar, but an honest, well-priced program that earns its place in Santa Barbara's dining scene.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brookside / Ben Holt · Stockton · Italian / New American
Mezzo isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the work to be a reliable one — solid California producers, a smart sparkling section, and prices that won't ruin the night. Send your friends here knowing the wine won't let them down.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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