Ravello Ristorante

Walking into Ravello — exposed brick, soft lighting, the whole romantic Italian package — you don't exactly expect a Wine Spectator-recognized list in downtown Montgomery. But flip open that wine menu and the names start landing: Gaja, Giacomo Conterno, Sassicaia. This isn't a list someone threw together with a distributor catalog and a prayer.

The list runs 150-plus bottles with a clear identity: Piedmont and California are the twin pillars, and they're taken seriously. Barolo fans get the real thing — Bruno Giacosa and Giacomo Conterno sitting alongside the more approachable Vietti Castiglione for those easing into Nebbiolo. Super Tuscans show up with Sassicaia and Tignanello, and Brunello is covered through Casanova di Neri and Banfi. On the California side, Kistler Chardonnay and Stag's Leap keep company with crowd-pleasers like Rombauer and Caymus, which is fine — give the people what they want, but give the serious drinkers something to chase too. The list skews red and Italian-heavy, so white wine lovers outside Chardonnay won't find much to get excited about.

Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a respectable range for a restaurant this size, and the Wednesday half-price wine night is the kind of program that makes us actually want to come back mid-week. We'd push the staff harder on rotating the glass list more aggressively — a Barbaresco or a Brunello by the glass would elevate this program significantly.