Italian Wine Done Right on Fountain Square
Downtown · Cincinnati · Modern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 5, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Via Vite’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Via Vite arrives like the room itself — polished, confident, and unapologetically Italian. Sitting on Fountain Square with a view of the city, this is not a place that hedges its bets with a token Napa Cab. Italy is the whole conversation here, and they mean it.
The list runs 80-150 bottles deep and stays almost entirely in Italy's lane — Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto, and Sicily all get serious representation. Heavy hitters like Antinori's Tignanello and Gaja's Barbaresco anchor the prestige end, while Planeta's Etna Bianco and Jermann's Vintage Tunina signal that someone with real taste is curating this. The Marchesi di Barolo Barolo gives traditionalists something to get excited about. The gap here is breadth outside Italy — if you want a French or American option, you may be left wanting.
With 12-20 options by the glass, you're not stuck choosing between the house white and the house red. The program skews toward approachable Italian varietals that complement the food menu, and the rotation appears to reflect the broader list's Italian identity. Don't expect a lot of surprises in the glass pours, but you won't be embarrassed ordering any of them.
Planeta Etna Bianco — $40
Etna Bianco from a producer like Planeta punches well above its price point — volcanic minerality, serious texture, and enough personality to hold up against the kitchen's richer pasta preparations without the Barolo price tag.
Jermann Vintage Tunina
Most tables walk right past this and reach for a Pinot Grigio. That's a mistake. Vintage Tunina is one of Friuli's most compelling white blends — complex, age-worthy, and completely unlike anything else on the list. Order it before your tablemates figure out what it is.
Gaja Barbaresco
Gaja is world-class wine — no argument there — but at a restaurant with steep markups in a $31-$50 price range, a bottle of Gaja Barbaresco is going to hit your card hard. You're paying for the name as much as the wine. Save the Gaja for somewhere with a cellar program built around it.
Marchesi di Barolo Barolo + Housemade Bolognese
Classic Barolo with classic ragù is one of those combinations that exists for a reason. The wine's tannins and acidity cut through the richness of the meat sauce while the earthiness of the Nebbiolo mirrors the slow-cooked depth of the bolognese. This is the play.
The Bottom Line
Via Vite is the best Italian wine list in Cincinnati, full stop — deep in the right regions, staffed by people who can actually talk about what they're pouring. The markups will sting a little, but the experience earns it.
· Cincinnati · Contemporary American Steakhouse
Eddie Merlot's is a reliable performer in a genre that doesn't reward risk-taking — you'll eat well, drink acceptably, and pay steakhouse prices for both. If you're after a wine list that surprises or challenges you, this isn't your room. But if you need somewhere that delivers a respectable bottle alongside a serious filet, this gets the job done without embarrassing you at the table.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montgomery · Cincinnati · American
A winery-restaurant list where nearly every wine is posted with a glass and a bottle price, from $9.50 to $25.00 a glass. Start with the Cooper's Hawk Lux Cabernet Sauvignon, which the menu lists beside the red wine braised short ribs, or the Cooper's Hawk Red at $10.75 a glass, and try the CHMX from Baja, Mexico on a weekday at the $8 Wine O'Clock price. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, so confirm availability.
Covington · Cincinnati · Farm-to-Table Bistro
A bistro wine list with a compact glass tab and a regional bottle tab that runs from 42 to 310. Start with the Conquilla cava or the Voliero sangiovese by the glass, or the Thymiopoulos xinomavro at $50 if you want a bottle, and confirm prices because the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Cincinnati · Wood-Fired American
A French-led bottle list with a glass page that starts at $17 and a Coravin page for smaller pours. Order the Domaine Brun-Avril Côtes-du-Rhône at $20 a glass, or try the Château de Plaisance Anjou Blanc by the pour, and confirm vintages since the book says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
Newport · Cincinnati · Farm-to-table (Italian, French, American)
A tasting-menu room with a wine book that runs from Burgundy to Tuscany and a short, specific beverage sheet. Start with the $15 Delalle sparkling Chenin Blanc, or look at the $48 Rocca del Principe Fiano if you want a bottle, and confirm what is available since neither list is dated. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks lists, not service, storage or markups.
Lytle Park · Cincinnati · Italian
A broad Italian-and-Napa list, with every glass pour labeled by size. Start with the Santa Cristina Cabernet Sauvignon (6oz 12) or the Ohio-made Carlotta red blend (43), and confirm what is pouring, since the list carries no date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Modern Italian
This is an Italian-heavy list with a clear glass page, and the glass page is the easiest place to start. Begin with the Villa Trasqua Chianti Classico at 14|50, then go to the Piedmont and Super Tuscan pages if the table wants a bottle: Tignanello 2022 is listed at $325. Confirm prices and units, because the list doesn't label them. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Gold Coast · Chicago · Modern Italian
Start with the $14 Lunardi Pinot Grigio, or step into red with the Castello di Verduno Nebbiolo, posted at $18 - $72. Where a line shows a bare price pair, ask which number is the glass. This unrated guide covers the posted Sommelier's Highlights wines, not service, storage or retail markups, so confirm current availability and prices.
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Modern Italian
Colletta's wine list punches well above its suburban strip-mall expectations — an all-Italian program with genuine depth in whites and a sparkling section worth lingering over. The markup is honest, the by-the-glass count is generous, and the producers skew toward the interesting rather than the obvious. If you're eating here, skip the red and let the white Italian side of the list do the work.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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