Italy's Greatest Hits, Done With Conviction
Newport · Providence · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Viola’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Viola reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, Campania, all present and accounted for. It's focused, confident, and makes no apologies for staying in its lane. If you walked in hoping for a Grüner or a Willamette Pinot, this isn't your night.
Eighty to 150 bottles deep and almost entirely Italian, Viola's list covers the major regions without straying far from the well-worn tourist trail. Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco anchor the Tuscany and Piedmont sections with real prestige, while Mastroberardino's Taurasi gives Campania a legitimate foothold. Planeta's Nero d'Avola rounds out Sicily, and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie covers the Veneto crowd. The gaps are real — there's no serious natural wine presence, no orange wine moment, no under-the-radar producers to get excited about — but what's here is reliable and well-sourced.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass at $14–$22 is a reasonable spread for a neighborhood Italian, though the range skews predictable. You're not going to find anything revelatory in the pour selection, but you're also not stuck drinking something anonymous. The pricing ceiling of $22 a glass pushes into territory where you'd rather just commit to a bottle.
Planeta Nero d'Avola — $14
If it's landing at the lower end of the by-the-glass range, Planeta's Nero d'Avola is the move — warm, fruit-forward, and approachable without being boring. Sicily punches above its weight here.
Mastroberardino Taurasi
Most tables at an Italian restaurant are going to reach for the Brunello or the Tignanello and ignore Campania entirely. That's a mistake. Mastroberardino's Taurasi — made from Aglianico — is a serious, structured red that most people have never tried, and it's almost always more interesting than whatever Tuscan heavyweight is sitting next to it on the list.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Banfi makes perfectly competent wine at scale, but Brunello at a restaurant markup is a rough value proposition under the best circumstances — and Banfi is the entry-level name in that category. You're paying Brunello prices for a wine that won't deliver a Brunello experience. The Taurasi will outperform it dollar for dollar.
Antinori Tignanello + Osso Buco
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has enough structure and dark fruit to stand up to the richness of braised veal shank without bulldozing the dish. The acidity cuts through the gremolata and keeps everything from feeling heavy. It's the obvious call on this list, and it's obvious for a reason.
The Bottom Line
Viola's wine list won't surprise you, and the markups aren't doing anyone any favors — but the Italian focus is genuine and the top-shelf bottles are legitimate. Order the Taurasi, avoid the Banfi, and you'll drink well enough.
· Providence · Restaurant
Mare Rooftop is a great place to watch the sunset with a cold glass of Whispering Angel — and that's about the ceiling of its wine ambition. If you're here for the view and the vibe, lean into it; if you showed up hoping for a thoughtful wine experience, you're in the wrong place.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Providence · Italian (modern trattoria)
Sarto's wine list is a credible, Italy-focused program that earns its place in a serious Italian kitchen — just go in knowing the markups lean steep and the list doesn't reward wandering outside the boot. Order the Vermentino, eat the pasta, and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Federal Hill · Providence · Italian-American
Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen is a Providence legend for its food and its history, not its wine list — which reads like something assembled in 1994 and never reconsidered. Come for the veal cutlet and the nostalgia, but don't let the wine list talk you into spending $48 on a Kendall-Jackson.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Side · Providence · American Brasserie (French-Influenced)
Red Stripe isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either. Fair prices on recognizable bottles in a lively room that actually makes you want to stay for another glass — that's a respectable thing to get right.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Providence · Providence · Upscale American Steakhouse with Seafood
The Capital Grille Providence is a well-oiled machine with a wine program that earns more respect than most chains deserve — the depth is real, the staff knows the list, and the Generous Pour event is a legit reason to show up. The markups are steep and the soul is corporate, but if someone else is expensing dinner, you could do a lot worse.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown Providence · Providence · Seafood
Hemenway's is the rare seafood institution that earns its reputation on the wine side too — the sommelier presence is real, the French whites are well-chosen, and the list is built with actual intention. The markups are real and the BTG program could use more energy, but if you're eating raw bar in Providence, you could do a lot worse than starting with a glass of Fèvre Chablis here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
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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