Lakeland's Secret Stash of Serious Italian
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Scarpa's Italian Bar & Lounge’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You don't expect to find Gaja and Tignanello anchoring a wine list in South Lakeland, and yet here we are. Scarpa's opens with genuine ambition — this isn't a list built by someone who called a distributor and said 'give me the usual.' There's a real point of view here, even if the pricing occasionally tests your patience.
The 55-label list leans hard into Italy — Piedmont and Tuscany carry the most weight, with Produttori Barbaresco and Conterno Fantino's Barolo 'Vigna del Gris' 2018 doing the heavy lifting on the prestige end. The Camigliano Organic Brunello di Montalcino is a smart pick that shows someone did their homework beyond the trophy bottles. California gets a reasonable showing via Ridge, Caymus, and The Prisoner, though that section tilts toward crowd-pleasers over curiosities. The Oregon presence is a welcome surprise for Florida — Willamette and Rogue Valley representation is rare at this price point in this zip code.
Twenty-six by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a bar-format Italian spot — that's almost half the list poured by the stem, which means you can explore without committing to a full bottle. Pours run $9.50 to $25, which is a wide enough range to cover a casual Tuesday glass and a serious splurge. We'd love to know how often the selection rotates, but the sheer volume of options gives the program real credibility.
Ridge Vineyards 'Three Valleys' Red Blend (Sonoma County, CA) — Not published
Ridge's Three Valleys consistently punches above its retail price, and in a list that skews toward Italian prestige and Napa trophy wines, it's the bottle that delivers real Sonoma character without the four-figure intimidation factor. If the price is in the $60-80 range, grab it — Ridge's track record makes it the safest bet on this list for value-to-quality ratio.
Produttori Barbaresco, Barbaresco (Piedmont, IT)
The Produttori cooperative is one of Barbaresco's great institutions — serious Nebbiolo that most people skip because it doesn't have the individual-producer mystique of something like Gaja. They'll walk past it for Tignanello every time. That's their loss. This is old-world class without old-world ego pricing.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
At $140, you're paying a significant premium for one of the most mass-produced Napa Cabs on the market. Caymus moves a lot of bottles precisely because it's approachable and ubiquitous — neither of which justifies this price tag when the Conterno Fantino Barolo is sitting right there on the same list.
Conterno Fantino Barolo 'Vigna del Gris' 2018 (Piedmont, IT) + Braised short rib or lamb ragu (house pasta)
Barolo at this level needs something with weight and fat to calm its tannins — a slow-braised meat dish does exactly that. The 2018 vintage in Piedmont was excellent, and Vigna del Gris has the structure to hold up to rich, reduced sauces without getting lost in them.
The Bottom Line
Scarpa's is doing something genuinely unusual for its market — a curated, Italy-forward list with real producers that you'd be happy to find in a major city wine bar. The markups on the top shelf are steep, but the depth of the by-the-glass program and the presence of names like Produttori and Ridge mean there's value hiding in this list if you know where to look.
· 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
· Lakeland · Steakhouse
Texas Cattle Company isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list doesn't pretend otherwise — but fair pricing across 17 glass pours and a genuine quality tier anchored by Halter Ranch Cab make this a reliable place to drink reasonably well with your steak. If you're with a group that just wants something cold and red without a lecture, this list does its job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Lakeland · Bistro / European
Bay Street Bistro earns its reputation as Lakeland's go-to for a romantic, upscale dinner — the food clearly punches above the city's weight class. The wine program, however, doesn't match that ambition: pricing skews steep relative to what's on offer, and there's no evidence of the curation or deals you'd want alongside a $40 entrée. Go for the Beef Wellington, but do your homework on the wine list before you commit to a bottle.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Italian
Carrabba's Lakeland is a place you drink wine at, not a place you go to drink wine. If you're here, order the cheapest bottle that sounds like Italy and focus on the food.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Seafood / New Orleans-inspired
Harry's Lakeland is a dependable pit stop — fair prices, an absurdly generous by-the-glass program, and a list that won't intimidate anyone. It's not a destination for wine, but it's also not going to ruin your dinner.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lakeland · Food Hall (Multi-Concept)
The Joinery is a Wild Card in the best sense: a food hall that actually thought about its wine program, priced it fairly, and threw in a Greek white and some non-alcoholic options for good measure. Don't come here expecting a deep list, but do come expecting to drink something decent without getting gouged.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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