Retail therapy, but make it wine
Strip District · Pittsburgh · Market / Wine Library · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Pennsylvania Market Wine Library’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walk into The Pennsylvania Market and the wine library hits you before the food does — 150 labels stacked in a retail-style setup that feels more like a well-curated bottle shop than a restaurant wine list. The price tags are shockingly honest, and that alone earns some goodwill. This is not a place trying to be fancy; it's a place that actually wants you to drink well.
The 150-label list pulls from a genuinely global spread — Spanish Rioja from Faustino, Argentine Malbec via 3 Sapas, Italian Valpolicella from the reliable Bertani, and California representation through Cambria Syrah. There are a few crowd-friendly approachable bottles (Lapis Luna, Bogle) sitting alongside more interesting picks, which keeps the list accessible without being totally dumbed down. Gaps exist — no real depth in Burgundy, Alsace, or anything aged — but for a market concept, the breadth is more than respectable. It reads like a boutique shop owner's honest buying habits, not a corporate wine director's safe bet spreadsheet.
By-the-glass specifics aren't well documented, but the pour pricing on bottles like Pavolino Pinot Noir and Bogle Red Blend at $13 suggests the glass program, if active, is priced to move rather than to impress. The hybrid retail-dine model means you can often grab a bottle to crack on-site at near-retail cost, which effectively makes the whole list a by-the-glass opportunity if you're with friends.
Pavolino Pinot Noir — $13
At essentially retail cost, this is the kind of pour that makes you suspicious something went wrong — it didn't. Honest Pinot at a price that would embarrass most restaurants.
Bertani Valpolicella
Bertani is a serious Veneto producer that most people walk past in favor of flashier names. Their Valpolicella is structured, food-friendly, and way more interesting than the label suggests — especially at market pricing.
Truchard Cabernet Sauvignon
At $15 it's technically still a decent deal, but relative to everything else on this list, it's the one bottle where the markup creeps toward normal restaurant territory. Truchard retails around $30, so you're paying a more standard premium — not bad, just not the steal the rest of the list is.
Cambria Syrah + Charcuterie board from the market counter
Cambria's Santa Maria Syrah has enough dark fruit and pepper to stand up to cured meats and hard cheeses without overwhelming them — exactly the kind of grab-and-graze match this market format calls for.
The Bottom Line
The Pennsylvania Market Wine Library is the rare place where the pricing alone justifies the trip — near-retail bottles in a casual market setting is a concept more cities need. It's not polished, but it's genuinely on your side.
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mt. Washington · Pittsburgh · American
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lawrenceville · Pittsburgh · Spanish
Morcilla isn't trying to be a wine bar, but the list reads like it was built by someone who wishes it were — in the best possible way. If you're in Pittsburgh and want to drink serious Spanish wine with your food, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Eddie V's is the kind of wine list that earns its Rager badge on depth, staff, and execution — even if the pricing leans into the occasion-dining model hard. If someone else is expensing it, drink well. If you're paying yourself, pick strategically.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Shadyside · Pittsburgh · Italian
Girasole is the rare Pittsburgh restaurant where the wine list actually reflects the kitchen's ambition — fully Italian, reasonably deep, with real producers anchoring the top end. The markups run steep in spots, but the Barbera and the Barbaresco make this worth a dedicated wine-focused dinner.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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