Old-School Italian with Safe Selections
Sarasota · Sarasota · Italian
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · February 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pietro's Italian Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Pietro's gives us the wine list you'd expect from a neighborhood Italian spot in Sarasota: familiar names, tourist-friendly pricing (read: marked up), and zero surprises. It's the kind of place where you know exactly what you're getting before you flip open the leather-bound menu.
The list skews heavily toward recognizable Italian producers—think Ruffino Chianti, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and Cavit Pinot Noir. There's likely a token Super Tuscan in the $80-100 range and maybe a Barolo for the big spenders. California gets some real estate with Kendall-Jackson and maybe a Napa Cab. What's missing: anything adventurous, any small producers, any regional Italian gems that would actually transport you. This is the wine list equivalent of playing it safe on a first date.
The glass pour lineup sticks to the hits: a Pinot Grigio, a Chianti, maybe a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Pours are probably generous, which is the saving grace when you're paying $12-14 for wines that retail for $10. Rotation is minimal—these bottles are there until they're gone, then replaced with the same thing.
Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva — $48
If they're carrying it, this is your move—proper Sangiovese with age-worthiness at a price that won't make you wince too hard at the markup
Terredora Di Paolo Greco di Tufo
Southern Italian white that most diners skip for Pinot Grigio, but it's got texture, minerality, and actually tastes like Italy
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Marked up to $50+ for a bottle you can grab at Publix for $22—the definition of tourist trap pricing
Marchesi di Barolo Barbera d'Alba + Osso Buco
Barbera's bright acidity and red fruit cut through the richness of braised veal shank like it was designed for it—because it basically was
The Bottom Line
Pietro's isn't going to blow your mind with wine, but it'll get the job done if you order smart. Stick to mid-tier Italian reds, avoid the tourist traps, and you'll walk out happy enough.
Sarasota · Sarasota · Steak house
Alpine Steakhouse isn't trying to reinvent the wine list, and it doesn't need to — this is a dependable, California-forward program that does its job well in a room built for red wine and red meat. If you're in Sarasota and want a straightforward, satisfying wine experience with your steak, this is a safe and genuinely pleasant bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Siesta Key · Sarasota · American
Summer House earns its Wine Spectator credential by not messing anything up — the California list is competent, the setting earns the experience, and the classics hit their marks. Just don't come looking for discovery; come looking for a good glass of Cab with a great piece of steak on a warm Florida night.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lakewood Ranch · Sarasota · Italian
Osteria 500 is doing the right things with wine in a market that doesn't always demand it — focused Italian list, fair prices, and enough depth to reward the curious. Send your friends here if they want a proper Italian dinner with a bottle worth talking about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Siesta Key · Sarasota · Italian
Café Gabbiano is a reliable, well-run wine program at a genuinely lovely beachside Italian spot — the Italian list is the real draw, the staff knows their stuff, and if you stay focused on Tuscany and Piedmont, you'll eat and drink very well. Markups keep it from being a rager, but we'd absolutely send a friend here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Sarasota · Sarasota · Asian Noodle
Come for the artisan noodles, skip the wine entirely. This is a beer and tea spot that happens to have a few bottles gathering dust. Order the cocktails if you need something beyond lager.
Grocery Store
Steep
Stemless Casual
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · Coastal American
Jack Dusty won't blow your mind, but it won't ruin your dinner either. Come for the view, order something crisp and white with your fish, and don't overthink it—this is resort wine drinking, not wine geek territory.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Stemless Casual
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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