Sicily On The Label, Grocery Store In The Glass
Grand Center · St. Louis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Vito's reads like someone pulled it together in an afternoon with a grocery store circular and a soft spot for recognizable labels. For a Sicilian-focused restaurant, there's a real missed opportunity here — the island produces some genuinely exciting stuff, and none of it seems to have made the cut. What you get instead is a tight roster of mass-market names that will be familiar to anyone who's ever stood in a Target wine aisle.
The list skews Italian in name, but the producers tell a different story — Ruffino, Banfi, Santa Margherita, Stella Rosa. These are brands built for chain restaurants and supermarket endcaps, not for a pizzeria that takes the word 'Sicilian' seriously enough to put it in its name. There's no Nero d'Avola, no Etna Rosso, no Grillo or Catarratto — nothing that would actually transport you to the island the restaurant is trading on. The Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't even pretend to be Italian. It's a 20-40 bottle list that plays it extraordinarily safe, and the cuisine deserves better than this.
By-the-glass options sit in the 6-10 range, which is a reasonable count for this format — but the quality ceiling is low when your anchor pours are Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio and Stella Rosa Rosso. There's no rotation happening here, and no evidence of anyone curating these picks with the food in mind. You're essentially choosing between shades of familiar.
Banfi Chianti Superiore 2020 — $32
Still a 113% markup on a $15 retail bottle, so 'value' is relative, but at least you're getting a Sangiovese-based wine that has some business being on an Italian restaurant table. It's the most food-friendly bottle on the list and the least offensive ask on your wallet relative to what's around it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2022
Yes, it's a brand that peaked in the '90s and yes, $48 stings. But Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is actually a legitimate, mineral-driven wine when it comes from this producer — a far cry from the flabby versions from Delle Venezie. If you're going white, this is the one bottle on the list that actually comes from somewhere specific and interesting.
Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Trentino 2022
At $26 for a bottle that retails for $10, you're paying a 160% markup for one of the most anonymous Pinot Grigios in Italy's portfolio. This is a supermarket pour dressed up in restaurant pricing. Order water and move on.
Banfi Chianti Superiore 2020 + Sicilian-style pizza
Sangiovese's natural acidity cuts through the richness of the olive oil and cheese, and its tomato-friendly character doesn't fight the sauce. It's not a perfect pairing in any poetic sense, but it's the most honest match on a list that doesn't give you many options.
❌ The Bottom Line
Vito's earns its Sicilian stripes in the kitchen, but the wine list is an afterthought — overpriced grocery brands with zero connection to the cuisine they're supposed to accompany. Order a beer or a soft drink, save the wine for a place that cares.
Clayton · St. Louis · Upscale American pub fare with English and French influences
801 Local has put in real work on this list — more work than most suburban pubs bother with — but the markup on recognizable bottles undercuts the goodwill. Come for the Vietti and the Frank Family; leave The Prisoner for someone else's table.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Town and Country · St. Louis · Italian
Napoli 2 is a reliable, if pricey, wine experience for fans of Italian classics and California comfort pours — just know you're paying a Town and Country premium for the privilege. Send your friends here for the Barolo and the bubbles, and steer them away from the Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian
Café Napoli is a dependable destination for Italian wine in Clayton — just go in with eyes open on the pricing and steer hard toward the Italian side of the list. The California section is a trap and the markups on crowd-pleasers are rough, but the underlying Italian bones are solid enough to make this worth your time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Clayton · St. Louis · American, European
Herbie's isn't going to blow any wine nerd's mind, but it delivers a well-curated, fairly priced list that genuinely supports a great meal. If you're in Clayton and ordering the Beef Wellington, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian
Casa Don Alfonso is the rare Italian restaurant that backs up its Amalfi aesthetic with a wine list serious enough to match. If Italy is your thing — or you want it to become your thing — this is worth the trip to Clayton.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Clayton · St. Louis · American
Truffles has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2004, and the list earns that credential every year — this is one of the most serious wine programs in St. Louis, full stop. Markups are real, but if you know where to look on this list, you'll drink very well.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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