A Deep Italian List With Crowd-Pleasing Instincts
· Tempe · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Vincitorio's Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
One hundred and fifty-five labels at an Italian restaurant in Tempe — that's not nothing. The list skews heavily toward Italian producers and crowd-friendly styles, which makes sense for the room, but there's more going on here than a typical red-sauce-and-Chianti operation.
The list leads hard with sparkling and sweet options — Lambrusco, multiple Proseccos, Moscato d'Asti — which tells you exactly who this restaurant is cooking for. The rosé section is well-stocked and legitimately Italian-forward, with Tomaresca's Calafuria and Vitiano Rosato both offering real regional character. Whites are dominated by Pinot Grigio, which is predictable but not lazy given the cuisine. There are 155 labels total, so what we're seeing here is just the top of the menu — the depth is there, even if the highlighted selections play it safe.
Sixty by-the-glass options is an absurd number — and we mean that as a compliment. The range runs from a $3 bottom-shelf pour up to $165 a glass, which means this list is genuinely trying to serve everyone. Single-serve bottle options like the Canella Prosecco Brut DOCG at $16 and the Candoni Moscato at $15 are a smart format choice that keeps quality consistent without committing to a full bottle.
Vitiano Rosato — $33
Falesco's Vitiano is an Umbrian blend — Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet — and it punches way above a $33 bottle price at a restaurant. Dry, food-friendly, and more interesting than anything else in this rosé section.
Coppo 'Moncalvina' Moscato d'Asti DOCG
Most people at this table are going to order a Pinot Grigio or a Prosecco and call it a night. Coppo is one of Piedmont's best Moscato d'Asti producers, and the 'Moncalvina' is legitimately elegant — low alcohol, floral, barely sweet. At $41 it's the most interesting bottle in the sparkling section and almost nobody orders it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
At $54 a bottle, you're paying for the label, full stop. Santa Margherita is the wine that convinced American restaurants they could charge serious money for Alto Adige Pinot Grigio. It's fine. It's not $54 fine. The Candoni Pinot Grigio at $34 does the same job for twenty bucks less.
Tomaresca Calafuria Rosato + Seafood pasta
Calafuria is made from Negroamaro in Puglia — it has enough structure and salinity to stand up to anything coming out of the kitchen in a tomato-and-seafood sauce. A southern Italian wine with a southern Italian spirit, and it earns its $44 price tag.
The Bottom Line
Vincitorio's has put in real work on this list — 155 labels and 60 by-the-glass options is a serious commitment. It's not a destination wine program, but it's a genuinely solid one that earns your trust more often than it loses it.
· Tempe · Mediterranean / Wine Bar
Salut Kitchen Bar isn't going to make a wine lover's heart race, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink something approachable with Mediterranean food without getting gouged or lectured. Stick to the Naia Verdejo or Yalumba Rosé and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Elliot Road · Tempe · Sports Bar / American
Vine Tavern is a sports bar first and a wine destination never — the seven-bottle list exists as a checkbox, not a commitment. Order a beer, order a cocktail, or bring your wine expectations somewhere else entirely.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Tempe · Tempe · American / Neighborhood Bistro
The Hudson is a fine place to eat a burger and drink a beer, but the wine list is on autopilot — familiar labels, steep markups outside of Wednesday's deal, and no evidence that anyone on staff is losing sleep over it. Send a friend here for the food, tell them to drink a cocktail.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Novus / ASU Campus District · Tempe · American Burger & Craft Bar
Eureka! Tempe is a craft beer bar first, a burger spot second, and a wine destination never. Order a local draft, enjoy your Truffle Cheese Fries, and save the wine for a place that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Tempe / Tempe Marketplace · Tempe · Modern Mexican
Blanco is a tequila bar that serves wine as a courtesy, and the list reflects exactly that level of commitment. Come for the cocktails and the Short Rib Machaca Enchiladas — if you want wine, order the bottle with the lowest markup and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Buttes / West Tempe · Tempe · Steakhouse-Lean New American
Top of the Rock is a safe, predictable wine list dressed up in a genuinely spectacular setting — you're paying a resort premium for Napa's greatest hits, and the view is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the scenery and the steak, but tell them to pick their bottle carefully.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Italian
Porto by Antonio delivers a credible Italian-forward wine list with genuine high points — Promis, Barbaresco, Brunello — and a by-the-glass program that actually gives people choices. Markups get aggressive at the top, and the Caymus pricing is frankly embarrassing, but if you stick to the Italian core and the smart mid-range picks, you'll drink well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Toledo · Italian
Zia's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's trying harder than most Italian spots in Toledo — fair prices, a mostly by-the-glass program, and enough Italian producers to keep things honest. Go for the Antinori, order the Riesling to impress your date, and leave Castle Rock for the grocery run.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McKinney · Italian
Bravo! is a competent chain wine program — wide by-the-glass selection, a few Italian producers worth noting, and prices that are steep but not insulting. You're not coming here for the wine list, but you won't regret ordering either.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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.
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