Five Bottles Don't Make a Wine Program
Peoria · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rizzi's Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Rizzi's fits on a sticky note — five labels, no by-the-glass breakdown we could find, and zero pricing transparency online. For a family Italian spot with pasta dishes running $16–$21, the wine program feels like an afterthought bolted on after someone grabbed a few bottles from the nearest Total Wine.
Five wines, all California, zero Italy — which is a strange call for a restaurant with 'Italian' in its DNA. You've got a supermarket-friendly Sean Minor Chardonnay, a crowd-pleasing Rombauer Zinfandel, and a mid-tier Honig Sauvignon Blanc carrying the quality end of things. The Aviary Vineyards Birds of Prey Red Blend and Le Mistral Joseph's Blend round things out as approachable, mass-market pours. There's no Chianti, no Barbera, no Montepulciano — nothing to actually anchor the list to the cuisine it's meant to support.
By-the-glass options aren't specified anywhere we could find, which is itself a problem. If you're running five bottles total, you'd hope all of them are available by the glass, but without confirmation we're left guessing. A neighborhood Italian dinner spot really should have at least a house red and white clearly called out — this one doesn't make it easy.
Honig Vineyard & Winery Sauvignon Blanc — Unknown
Honig is a legitimate Napa producer making clean, structured Sauvignon Blanc that overdelivers at retail. If it's priced anywhere near reason here, it's the most defensible pour on the list — bright enough to cut through cream sauces and light enough for the pasta crowd.
Le Mistral Joseph's Blend Single Vineyard Monterey County
Most people at a table like this will default to Rombauer or the Chardonnay, but Le Mistral's Joseph's Blend is a Rhône-style red from Monterey that actually has some personality. It's the one bottle here that suggests someone, at some point, tried.
Aviary Vineyards Birds of Prey Red Wine Blend
This is a label-first, content-second wine built for casual grocery runs — not for a sit-down Italian dinner. The name is flashy, the wine is not. Save your money.
Honig Vineyard & Winery Sauvignon Blanc + Tortellini Michelangelo
A creamy, herbaceous pasta dish needs something with enough acidity to keep things moving. Honig's Sauvignon Blanc has the citrus snap and green notes to do exactly that — it's the closest thing to a thoughtful pairing this list offers.
The Bottom Line
Rizzi's is a perfectly nice neighborhood Italian spot, and we have no notes on the food — but the wine program is an afterthought with five California bottles and no pricing transparency. Order a cocktail or bring your own if corkage is an option.
Peoria Heights · Peoria · New American
Fusion 45 is doing something genuinely ambitious for Peoria — a creative kitchen with Old World wine ambitions is not nothing — but until we can get eyes on the actual list with prices, we're cautiously optimistic rather than fully sold. Worth a visit, worth asking your server what's good to drink.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Peoria · Steakhouse
Bourbon & Bones has put real effort into building a Champagne list that would hold its own in a major city, but outside the bubbles section the list plays it safe and the markups are steep enough to sting. Come here for the occasion, not the exploration.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Peoria · Italian Steakhouse
Johnny's wine list is exactly what it is: a well-curated collection of American crowd-pleasers with markups to match the steakhouse zip code. You won't be wowed, but you won't be stuck either — and 28 glasses by the pour means you have options.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Peoria · Hotel Steakhouse
Oak & Prime is a reliable pour for a classic steakhouse night — safe, familiar, and priced accordingly steep. Don't come hunting for discovery, but know that the bones are solid if you stick to the right bottles.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Peoria · Peoria · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list does exactly what corporate intended: give guests something recognizable to order without scaring anyone off. If you calibrate expectations accordingly — and let the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling do the heavy lifting — you won't be miserable. But you won't be talking about the wine on the drive home either.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Peoria · Peoria · Steakhouse
LongHorn Peoria is a fine place to eat a steak; it is not a fine place to drink wine. Order a cocktail or a beer, enjoy your ribeye, and save the wine night for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lincoln · Italian
Lincoln Ristorante is doing something genuinely unusual: running a wine list in central Nebraska that would hold its own in most major American cities. The Italian focus is deep and well-curated, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the pricing — particularly on the reds — is fair enough that you won't feel punished for ordering well. If you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the only room that answers that call.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Italian
Il Tavolo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a reliable Italian spot with fair pours, sensible pricing, and enough range to keep the table happy. If you're in Jersey City and want a glass of Chianti that won't cost you a car payment, this is a safe and honest bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Italian
Sorellina has done something genuinely weird here — built an all-dessert-wine list and committed to it fully, with enough range and producer credibility to make it worth taking seriously. If you are coming here expecting a broad Italian bottle list to drink through dinner, adjust your expectations before you walk in. But if you want to spend an evening exploring Italian sweet wines poured by the glass at prices that do not insult you, this is one of the more interesting niche programs in the area.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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