Piedmont Royalty Meets Penn Quarter Power Lunch
Penn Quarter · Washington · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed RPM Italian’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at RPM Italian lands with authority — 350-plus selections anchored hard in Piedmont and Tuscany, exactly where an Italian-focused room should be planting its flag. It's not trying to be everything to everyone; it knows what it is and commits. Sarah Gaines is on staff as sommelier, which means there's an actual adult in the room making decisions about what goes on this list.
Piedmont is the obvious star: Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja all show up, which is a murderers' row of Barolo and Barbaresco producers that most DC restaurants can't touch. Tuscany holds its own with Biondi-Santi Brunello, Ornellaia, Tignanello, Sassicaia, and Masseto — the full Super Tuscan hall of fame, plus serious Chianti Classico from Antinori and Castello di Ama. California gets a solid supporting role with Kistler, Far Niente, and Opus One for the crowd that won't cross the Atlantic even on paper. The list has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2017, and when you see producers like Produttori del Barbaresco alongside Gaja, that credential makes complete sense.
With 20 to 35 options by the glass, RPM isn't just pouring the cheapest stuff they could negotiate — there's real range here, and the Wednesday half-price wine night means you can explore the list without committing to a full bottle at these price points. We'd want to know more about glass pour rotation, but with a working sommelier program you're generally not stuck with the same eight bottles for six months.
Barbaresco Rabajà Produttori del Barbaresco 2020 — $165
Produttori del Barbaresco is the cooperative that overdelivers every single vintage, and Rabajà is one of their top single-vineyard releases. At $165 in a room where Gaja is on the same page at multiples of that price, this is the smartest order on the Piedmont section — serious Nebbiolo from a serious producer without the flagship tax.
Brunello di Montalcino Col d'Orcia 2018
Col d'Orcia doesn't get the name recognition of Biondi-Santi, but it's a historic Montalcino estate making genuinely excellent Brunello at a fraction of the trophy-wine prices nearby on the list. The 2018 vintage in Montalcino is excellent, and most tables will scroll past this one chasing the famous labels. Their loss.
Super Tuscan Ornellaia 2020
Ornellaia is a great wine — nobody's arguing that. But at $450 a bottle in a restaurant setting, you're paying a stiff premium for a label that everyone already knows. Retail on the 2020 runs well under $200. If you want to flex on the Super Tuscan side of the list, you'll get more wine per dollar elsewhere.
Barolo Marcenasco Vietti 2019 + Bone-in Short Rib
Vietti's Marcenasco Barolo brings the structure and acid to cut through the braised-fat richness of the short rib, and Nebbiolo's natural savory edge plays directly into the deeply reduced meat flavors. This is the kind of pairing that makes you understand why Italian food and Italian wine evolved together.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night on Wednesdays — the single best reason to rearrange your week if you've been eyeing something further up the list.
The Bottom Line
RPM Italian is the real deal for Italian wine in DC — serious producers, a sommelier who clearly curated this list with intention, and Wednesday half-price night to soften the markup sting. Yes, markups run steep, but when the list is this good, you know exactly what you're paying for.
· Washington · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is one of the more focused and honest Greek programs you'll find at a mid-to-high scale restaurant in D.C. The by-the-glass selection is wide, the pricing doesn't insult you, and the Greek variety depth is genuinely impressive. If you've been waiting for a reason to finally figure out what Xinomavro tastes like, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Washington · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão's wine list is exactly what a national Brazilian steakhouse chain's wine list looks like: functional, familiar, and priced for margin rather than your benefit. The by-the-glass count is impressive on paper, but most of the options are labels you've seen at your grocery store for a fraction of what they're charging here. If you're coming for the meat — and you should be — stick to the Catena Malbec and enjoy the show.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Washington · Washington · Steak House
A 20-wine by-the-glass list with every pour between $14 and $30, split across four sparkling, six white, two rosé and eight red. With a steak, start with the $26 Clos Duval Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or the $22 Monte Antico Supremus; for the cheapest glass, take the $14 Dr. Loosen Riesling. Pour sizes aren't posted and the page is undated, so confirm today's wines. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown DC · Washington · Steakhouse
A steakhouse beverage menu with 30 wines by the glass and a bottle list that is mostly California, with some France, Italy and Portugal. Start with the $9/glass happy hour Bonanza Cabernet if you arrive in the window, or the Eroica Riesling, the only Riesling on the glass list, and ask for prices because regular wine prices aren't posted. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Georgetown · Washington · Seafood, Steakhouse
An unpriced list that is easier to read for what it offers than for what it costs. If you want Bordeaux, ask for the 2020 Margaux de Brane Cantenac, or look at the Brunello di Montalcino in Sommelier's Selections, and get the price before you commit. This unrated guide covers the posted Beverage Menu, not service, storage or markups.
Washington · Washington · Latin, Vegetarian
A wide-ranging list with 14 wines by the glass from $17 to $95 and a bottle book that runs from $60 to $1,275. Start with the $17 Eichinger Grüner Veltliner or the $20 Pêcheur Trousseau, and ask for the Natural Wines section if you want something low-intervention. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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