Chicago's Italian Wine Obsession, Properly Done
The Loop · Chicago · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Village’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Village arrives like a small novel — 400 to 600 bottles deep, organized with the kind of regional conviction that tells you someone here actually cares. White tablecloths, warm light, the hum of a full dining room: this place has been doing Italian wine seriously since before most Loop restaurants discovered Primitivo. A Best of Award of Excellence since 2005 is not an accident.
Piedmont and Tuscany are the twin engines here, and they run hard. On the Piedmont side you get the full spectrum from Produttori del Barbaresco (the people's champ) all the way up to Gaja and Bruno Giacosa, which is about as serious as Barbaresco gets in any American restaurant. Tuscany holds its own with Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri anchoring the Brunello section, Felsina and Castello di Ama keeping Chianti Classico honest, and the Super Tuscan holy trinity — Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Tignanello — for when someone at the table needs to feel important. The Amarone bench with Allegrini and Masi rounds things out, though if you're hoping for French, Iberian, or New World depth, you're at the wrong restaurant and that is entirely fine.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a genuinely strong program for a Loop Italian, and Wednesday's half-price wine night means you can work through the list without the bill becoming a math problem. We'd expect to see Castello di Ama Chianti Classico and something from the Produttori stable anchoring the glass program — these are the kinds of wines that reward casual midweek exploration. Rotation and curation here appear active rather than set-and-forgotten, which is more than most places at this price point bother with.
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico 2021 — $95
At $95 this is the most approachable bottle on the list with genuine pedigree behind it — Ama is a serious Gaiole producer and the 2021 Chianti Classico is structured enough to stand up to Veal Milanese without demanding your full attention. Hit this one on a Wednesday and it's practically a gift.
Braida Barbaresco Montebruno 2019
Everyone reaches for Gaja because the name lands at the table, but Braida's Montebruno at $180 is the insider move. It's a single-vineyard Barbaresco from one of Alba's most respected family estates — earthy, floral, genuinely complex — and most diners will walk right past it chasing bigger labels.
Conterno Barolo Monfortino 2016
Monfortino is one of the great Barolos on earth, full stop. But $850 on a restaurant list, without retail comparisons available, is the kind of number that requires serious trust in the program. Unless this is a bucket-list bottle for you specifically, the money works harder elsewhere on this list.
Gaja Barbaresco 2019 + Veal Milanese
Gaja Barbaresco brings enough Nebbiolo iron and red fruit tension to cut through the richness of a proper Milanese without bullying the dish. The 2019 vintage is approachable now but still has structure — it's the rare bottle that makes a classic Italian-American plate feel like a special occasion.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — the single best reason to put this on a midweek rotation.
The Bottom Line
The Village is the real deal for Italian wine in Chicago — deep list, serious producers, and a Wednesday half-price program that makes the steep markups survivable. Send your wine-curious friends here and tell them to order Nebbiolo.
· Chicago · Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chão Chicago's wine list is built for throughput, not discovery — it's reliable, reasonably ranged by the glass, and anchored by South American selections that at least make thematic sense with the food. The markups are steeper than we'd like and the list won't excite anyone who drinks wine as seriously as they eat meat, but the Catena Malbec and the Bodega Garzón Albariño are legitimate picks that rise above the crowd-pleaser baseline. Come for the churrasco, drink the Catena, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
River North · Chicago · Seafood
A seafood house with a long, mixed list: a Seafood Whites section, Burgundy and Napa depth, and 22 pours by the glass. Order the Marc Brédif "Royal Oyster" Muscadet with a half dozen oysters, or start with the $11/glass Charles de Fère, and confirm current prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · Mediterranean, Steakhouse
A Napa-heavy bottle list with a real Greek section and a short, priced glass board. Start with the $10 happy-hour Vermentino or, if you are staying for dinner, the AA Sigalas Assyrtiko at $75, and confirm prices and availability when you sit down. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Magnificent Mile · Chicago · Mediterranean
A 38-pour glass list with unpriced Champagne and Burgundy-heavy bottle pages behind it. Start with the $14 Tiberio Trebbiano or the $15 Thymiopoulos Assyrtiko, and ask for bottle prices because the posted bottle pages carry none. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks menu, not service, storage or markups.
Fulton Market · Chicago · Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
A Mediterranean list built around Greece and Lebanon, with 18 wines on the by-the-glass pages. Start with the Kalokaíri rosé (16 / 64) or the Chateau Musar "Jeune Rouge" (19 / 76), and confirm current vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
River North · Chicago · American
A short 14-wine list, with most price pairs between $13 and $15 and four single-price wines at $72 to $80. Order the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling at $13 | 50, or the Provence rosé if you want the one French wine, and ask which number is the glass price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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