RARE Italian

The wine list at RARE Italian hits you like a brick of ambition — 5,049 labels at an Italian steakhouse in Fort Collins is not something you see coming. There's a sommelier on staff, the glassware is serious, and the room hums with the kind of energy that makes you want to order something from Piedmont and settle in. This is not your average Colorado pasta joint playing dress-up with a wine list.

The Italian backbone is exactly where it should be: Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo 'Enrico VI' 2019 from Piedmont and Donatella Cinelli Colombini's Brunello Riserva 'Casato Prime Donne' 2018 anchor the prestige end, while the Veneto shows up with a rare Villa Spinosa Recioto Valpolicella Classico 2019 that most restaurants wouldn't bother stocking. The New World has a thoughtful presence too — Zena Crown 'Conifer' Pinot Noir from Eola-Amity Hills and Napanook by Dominus from Yountville give serious drinkers something to chase. The Caiarossa 2016 Super Tuscan blend rounds things out with an ambitious multi-varietal Tuscan that rewards curiosity. Gaps? The list skews toward reds and Italian heavyweights — if you want a deep white wine bench or broader Southern Hemisphere exploration, you'll find it thinner.

Thirty-seven by-the-glass options is a legitimate program — not just the usual suspects clinging to a chalkboard. Prices run $9 to $19 a glass, which is reasonable given the list's ambition, and the Nino Franco 'Rustico' Prosecco Superiore DOCG showing up by the glass is a small win for people who know their Valdobbiadene from their Prosecco DOC. The Villa Spinosa Recioto Valpolicella at $15 a glass is the kind of offering that makes you realize someone actually curated this thing.