Pizza-first, but the wine shows up
Northeast Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rusciano's Authentic Taste of Italy’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're here for wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, and the wine list knows it. It's short — maybe 20 bottles — and it doesn't try to be anything it's not. Italian grapes, Italian regions, priced to match a casual neighborhood joint where $40 is a splurge.
The list leans into its identity: Chianti Classico, Barbera d'Asti, and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie cover the Italian bases without wandering into France or California. There's no deep cellar here, no aged Barolo waiting in the wings, but every bottle has a reason to be on the list. The Southern Italian and Neapolitan influence shapes the selections — these are wines that make sense next to a wood-fired crust. Gaps exist: no Campanian varietals like Falanghina or Aglianico would feel at home here, and that's a missed opportunity.
Four to eight options by the glass, priced between $9 and $14 — honest for Cedar Rapids and honest for the food. Rotation isn't well-documented, so don't expect a lot of movement on the BTG list from visit to visit. What's there is drinkable and straightforward.
Barbera d'Asti — $28–$35
Barbera at this price point drinks above its station — bright acidity, low tannin, and it cuts right through the char and fat of a wood-fired pie. This is the move.
Chianti Classico
Most people at a pizza spot reach for whatever's cheapest, but the Chianti Classico here is the wine the list was built around. Sangiovese-driven, earthy, and right at home with tomato-based pies — worth the extra few dollars over a generic house red.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie
Nothing technically wrong, but Pinot Grigio delle Venezie is the path of least resistance — pleasant, forgettable, and outclassed by better choices on this same list. It's the wine you order when you're not paying attention.
Chianti Classico + Margherita Pizza
San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, wood-fired char — this is exactly the flavor profile Sangiovese was born for. The Chianti's acidity matches the tomato, the earthiness plays off the crust, and nothing gets in the way.
Wednesday — Free Margherita pizza with every bottle of wine purchased on Wednesdays. Not a half-price wine night, but a free pizza with a bottle is a solid deal either way.
The Bottom Line
Rusciano's isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either — the list is focused, fairly priced, and built to drink with the food. Send a friend here for pizza and tell them to order the Barbera.
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Italian
Biaggi's isn't a wine destination, but the Italian-forward list does enough right that you can drink well if you know where to look. Stick to the Italian bottles, avoid the obvious crowd-pleasers, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids · Upscale Steakhouse / Fine Dining American
Midtown Reserve is doing more with wine than anyone in Cedar Rapids has a right to expect, with a list that actually has some range and genuine finds if you look past the house pours. The markups are real and the glass program plays it safe, but for a serious dinner in Iowa, this is absolutely where you want to be drinking.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
NewBo · Cedar Rapids · Steakhouse / Butcher Restaurant
Butcher's Block is a reliable steakhouse wine list that does exactly what it's supposed to — get Napa Cab on the table with a great piece of beef. It won't excite the adventurous drinker, and the markups sting a little, but if you're here for the meat, the wine will do its job.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Czech Village · Cedar Rapids · Pub food and American
Parlor City is a genuinely fun neighborhood pub, and the daily happy hour makes the wine situation tolerable — half-price Moscato d'Asti at 4pm is a perfectly fine life choice. But if wine is your priority tonight, this isn't your stop.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · American / Brewpub
Granite City is a perfectly fine place to drink a pint brewed on-site — that's genuinely the move here. The wine list exists as a formality, not an invitation, and the markups on grocery-store bottles aren't doing anyone any favors.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lindale Mall area · Cedar Rapids · Sports Bar
Buffalo Wild Wings Cedar Rapids is not a wine destination — it's a sports bar that technically serves wine the way a gas station technically sells food. Order a beer, enjoy the wings, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else in Cedar Rapids.
Grocery Store
Steep
Red Flag
MIA
Set & Forget
Hot Mess
· Johns Creek · Italian
Pasta Vino isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a neighborhood Italian with a list that actually makes sense for the room. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the Italian selections (especially the Chianti duo and the Lugana) show some genuine thought. Send a friend here for dinner knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Arlington · Italian
Piccolo Mondo punches above its Arlington zip code with a genuinely Italy-forward wine list that includes some names worth ordering. We'd love to see pricing and by-the-glass details more clearly published — and without knowing the markups, we can't fully endorse the value play — but the producer selection alone puts this ahead of most neighborhood Italian spots in the DFW suburbs. If you're going, head straight for the Tuscan reds and don't look back.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
The Macaroni Grill Lakeland wine list is functional the way a vending machine is functional — it dispenses what you ask for without fuss or personality. The by-the-glass breadth gives casual drinkers options, but the markups on several bottles and the complete absence of anything interesting or Italian-forward make this a list you tolerate rather than enjoy. Order the Lambrusco or the Trapiche Malbec and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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