Deli counter wine list that actually delivers
Lyon Village · Arlington · Italian deli and pizzeria · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 27, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk in for a Napoli sub and leave with a bottle of Barbera d'Asti — that's the Italian Store experience in a nutshell. The wine selection sits modestly alongside imported pantry goods and fresh pasta, but it punches well above its deli-counter weight. This is not a wine destination, but it's a surprisingly honest one.
The list runs somewhere between 15 and 30 labels, almost entirely Italian and almost entirely correct choices for what they're doing here. Tuscany anchors things with a Chianti Classico, Piedmont shows up with a Barbera d'Asti, and you've got a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo rounding out the regional spread. It's not deep, but it maps neatly to the food — nothing feels random or phoned in. The gaps are predictable: no serious Barolo, no Campanian reds, nothing that's going to make a collector raise an eyebrow.
By-the-glass options are unclear from available data, and the grab-and-go format suggests bottle sales are the primary mode here. If you're eating in with a slice, ask at the counter — the staff is approachable even if wine isn't their primary expertise.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo — $15
At deli retail pricing, a solid Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one of Italy's great overachievers — earthy, dark-fruited, built for food — and here it likely lands well under $20. That's a hard deal to argue with when you're grabbing a pie to go.
Barbera d'Asti
Most people reach past Barbera for something with more name recognition, but this Piedmontese red — bright acidity, low tannin, honest fruit — is the actual perfect deli wine. It works cold, it works with cured meat, it works with pizza. Stop sleeping on it.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie
There's nothing wrong with it per se, but a generic Pinot Grigio delle Venezie at a deli is the path of least resistance. You can get this anywhere. Use the trip to try something you wouldn't otherwise grab off a shelf.
Chianti Classico + The Napoli sub
Sangiovese's natural acidity and savory edge cut right through the cured meats and provolone in the Napoli. It's not a complicated equation — it's just Italy doing what Italy does.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Italian Store isn't a wine destination, but it's an honest one — Italian-focused, fairly priced, and stocked with bottles that actually make sense next to the food. If you're picking up dinner, grab a bottle while you're at it.
Shirlington · Arlington · American Brasserie
Carlyle won't change your relationship with wine, but it won't ruin it either — and on Tuesday, when everything on the bottle list is half off, it briefly becomes one of the better deals in Shirlington. Come for the prime rib, order the Jordan, and call it a good night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Westover · Arlington · Turkish and Mediterranean
Maya Bistro isn't a wine destination, but Monday half-price bottles and legitimately interesting Turkish pours make it a Wild Card worth knowing about. Come for the pide, stay for the Angora — just don't touch the Oyster Bay.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballston · Arlington · New England–inspired seafood & raw bar
Salt Line Ballston isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the list is smarter and more purposeful than most seafood spots in this price range. Send a friend here for oysters and Muscadet and they'll thank you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
National Landing / Pentagon City · Arlington · Southern & Korean-influenced American
Succotash Prime's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a polished upscale Southern spot in a hotel-adjacent dining corridor — safe, recognizable, and priced for expense accounts. We'd send a friend here for a reliable night out, not a wine destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
National Landing / Crystal City · Arlington · Modern Italian
Corso is a dependable Italian wine list in a neighborhood that could easily get away with doing much less — it doesn't dazzle, but it doesn't disappoint either. If the Wednesday half-price bottle rumor holds up when you call ahead, it might just tip into genuinely great value territory.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Clarendon · Arlington · Retail Wine & Takeout
Liberty To-Go is a genuine wild card — a tavern wine shop hybrid with a fortified wine section that would embarrass most dedicated wine bars, all priced without the usual Arlington markup. Come for the Barolo, stay for the Sherry flight you didn't know you needed.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.