Pizza Done Right, Wine List Done Fine
Central Ocala · Ocala · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Piesanos doesn't try to be anything it's not — and honestly, that's kind of refreshing. You're here for stone-fired pizza in Ocala, and the list stays in its lane: approachable Italian and California names at prices that won't make you wince. Nothing surprising, nothing offensive.
We're looking at 20-40 labels split between Italian stalwarts and California crowd-pleasers — think Santa Margherita, Ruffino, and Meiomi as the headliners. There's no deep-cut Barolo hiding in the back or obscure Sicilian producer to get excited about, but the Italy-California axis makes sense for a pizza joint. Gaps are obvious: no sparkling, no rosé worth mentioning, and zero adventurous picks. It's a list built to move bottles, not to challenge anyone.
Eight to twelve options by the glass in the $8–$14 range is a solid showing for a casual Italian spot. The pours cover the basics — you'll find a white, a red, probably something from each of the featured producers. Rotation appears minimal; this is a set-it-and-forget-it glass program, but the pricing keeps it accessible for a weeknight pizza run.
Ruffino Chianti — $28
At the low end of the bottle range, Ruffino Chianti is the obvious move here — it's a known quantity that actually works with tomato-heavy pizza, and the markup is reasonable enough that you're not getting punished for ordering it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Yes, it's ubiquitous. Yes, everyone orders it. But at Piesanos it's actually priced fairly and it does exactly what you want it to do alongside lighter pizza toppings — crisp, clean, no drama. Don't sleep on the obvious choice when the obvious choice is priced right.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a fine enough bottle at a grocery store, but it's sweet, jammy, and feels out of place next to a wood-fired pizza. If you're paying restaurant prices for it, you're overpaying for a wine that's fighting the food rather than playing with it.
Ruffino Chianti + Stone-Fired Pizza
Chianti and tomato sauce is one of the great no-brainer pairings in Italian-American dining — the acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese, the herbal notes echo the oregano, and the whole thing just clicks. Order the Chianti, order a pizza, don't overthink it.
The Bottom Line
Piesanos isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. If you're grabbing dinner with the family and want a decent bottle at a fair price alongside solid pizza, you'll leave happy — just don't come expecting discovery.
SR 200 / Southwest Ocala · Ocala · Thai
Royal Orchid makes solid Thai food, and you should absolutely go — just order a Thai iced tea or a beer and pretend the wine list doesn't exist. If someone at your table insists on wine, point them to the Riesling and move on.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SR 200 / Southwest Ocala · Ocala · Italian
Carrabba's Ocala isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but Wine Wednesday (call ahead to confirm it's still running at this location) can turn a steep markup into a reasonable deal. Come for the Chicken Bryan, drink the Riesling, skip the Caymus.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Ocala · Ocala · Charcuterie and Tapas
The Keep is doing something genuinely different for downtown Ocala — a rotating mead program, thoughtful wine picks, and markups that actually respect the customer. If you're in the area and care about what's in your glass, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
South Ocala · Ocala · American Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is a great place to eat a steak and throw peanut shells on the floor — we respect the chaos. But the wine list is purely functional at best and an afterthought at worst, so come here for the food and the fun, not the Cabernet.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
World Equestrian Center · Ocala · Seafood
Juno & The Peacock shouldn't be this interesting, and that's the whole point — a seafood restaurant inside an Ocala equestrian complex with Chacra Patagonian Chardonnay and Eyrie Pinot Blanc is a genuine surprise. Markups lean steep and the format feels set-it-and-forget-it, but the underlying list has real taste behind it.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
World Equestrian Center · Ocala · American
The Polo Pony is a reliable pour for the horse show crowd — familiar bottles, fair enough execution, and enough range to keep a table happy. We wouldn't drive to Ocala for the wine list, but if you're already at the World Equestrian Center, you'll drink just fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
