Minneapolis's Best Italian Wine List, Full Stop
Linden Hills · Minneapolis · Contemporary Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Terzo lands on your table and immediately tells you this isn't a pasta joint that happens to have wine — it's a wine bar that happens to make exceptional pasta. Three hundred-plus selections anchored in Italy, with a cellar running close to a thousand bottles, in a Linden Hills neighborhood spot that seats maybe 50 people. That's a serious commitment.
The Italy focus is deep and deliberate: Piedmont gets proper treatment with multiple Barolo estates represented, Tuscany covers all the expected appellations without leaning lazy, and the northern Italian whites from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Alto Adige are where Terzo quietly separates itself from every other Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities. The inclusion of Frank Cornelissen from Etna signals that whoever built this list isn't just buying safe — they're paying attention to what's interesting. Gaps are hard to find, which is a rare thing to say about any list this size.
Twenty to thirty options by the glass is generous by any measure, and the rotation here tracks with what's smart to pour rather than what's cheapest to open. You're not staring at a wall of Pinot Grigio and Chianti — the glass list reflects the same Italian regional curiosity as the bottle program. If you're here for a quick dinner and one pour, you're still in good hands.
Frank Cornelissen Etna Rosso — $18
Cornelissen is one of the most talked-about natural producers in Sicily, and finding him on a glass pour at a neighborhood restaurant in Minneapolis at a fair price is the kind of thing worth noting. This is a bottle that commands serious markup elsewhere.
Friuli Venezia Giulia White (Northern Italian selection)
Everyone comes to Terzo for the Barolo and goes home talking about the pasta. Meanwhile, the northern Italian whites from Friuli are doing the quiet work of being some of the most food-friendly, terroir-driven pours on the list — and most tables walk right past them.
Chianti Classico (entry-level Tuscan selection)
With a list this good, ordering the familiar Tuscan red that you could find anywhere is a missed opportunity. The same dollars stretch much further in other parts of this list.
Frank Cornelissen Etna Rosso + Housemade Tagliatelle
Cornelissen's Nerello Mascalese has enough acid and volcanic mineral edge to cut through rich pasta but not enough tannin to fight it. It's the kind of pairing that feels effortless because the wine actually has personality.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Terzo is the best Italian wine list in Minneapolis and genuinely competes with programs in much larger cities — the depth, the pricing, and the staff all earn it. Yes, send your friends here for wine, and tell them to skip the obvious Tuscan reds and go exploring.
North Loop / Warehouse District · Minneapolis · Modern Argentinian Steakhouse
Porzana punches above its class for a Minneapolis steakhouse — the Italian and Argentine selections show genuine curation, and the Fenocchio Barolo alone justifies a serious wine order. Just go in with eyes open on markups and skip the entry-level bottles unless you're pouring by the glass.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lowry Hill · Minneapolis · Steakhouse and Wood-Fired Pizza
Burch has the bones of a genuinely great wine program — knowledgeable staff, proper storage, and a list that respects the classics — but the pricing strategy on the mid-tier and entry-level bottles will test your patience. Go big or go home: the value-to-quality ratio only really clicks once you're spending $200+.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / North Loop · Minneapolis · New American / Contemporary American
112 Eatery's wine list is punching well above its weight for a Minneapolis neighborhood bistro, with a genuinely distinctive Old World focus and producers that belong on serious lists anywhere in the country. The markups sting on a few bottles, but the curation earns enough goodwill to keep us coming back.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown · Minneapolis · French Bistro
Barbette is a wine list built by someone who actually drinks wine and wants you to as well — it's small, French, and surprisingly legit for a neighborhood bistro in Uptown. If you're a natural wine fan or just someone who wants good Beaujolais with steak frites, send your friends here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Loring Park · Minneapolis · New American
Cafe Lurcat is a reliable, well-staffed wine program in one of Minneapolis's prettiest dining rooms — just know you're paying a premium for the address and the ambiance. Ask the sommelier for help navigating the list and you'll drink well; go on autopilot and order the obvious Napa Cab and you'll leave having spent more than you should have.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Southwest Minneapolis (Fulton) · Minneapolis · Italian, fresh housemade pasta
Broders' Pasta Bar isn't a wine destination, but it's exactly the kind of neighborhood spot that gets the wine list right by staying in its lane. Fair prices, Italian focus, solid glass pours — bring a friend who orders by the bottle and you're in good shape.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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