Wine List Reviews

il Cigno Italiano is the kind of place that earns its Wine Spectator badge rather than just displaying it — a sommelier on staff and an Italian-focused list in a small coastal Carolina town is genuinely worth a detour. We need a return visit to fill in the specifics, but the bones here are clearly good.

The Anaheim White House earns its keep as a reliable wine stop for the area — more thoughtful than the tourist-trap pricing suggests, especially if you navigate toward the Italian bottles. Just watch the per-glass ceiling and steer clear of the Champagne splits unless someone at the table is celebrating.

Sorrento's is a comfortable, no-pretense neighborhood Italian where the wine list exists to serve the food — not steal the show. The markups are steeper than they need to be for this caliber of selection, but if you're here for the pasta and a glass of Chianti, you won't go home disappointed.

Orso is the most reliable wine experience in downtown Anchorage — damned by faint praise, maybe, but genuinely true. The markups sting and the list won't shock anyone, but the regional logic is solid and the by-the-glass options give you real choices. Send your friends here for wine, just steer them away from the Meiomi.

Maribella is the kind of wine program that Sioux Falls didn't know it needed — a real Italian-focused list backed by actual staff expertise and a Wine Spectator credential earned, not inherited. We'd send a friend here without hesitation, especially if they let one of those five sommeliers steer the table.

Sammie's is a genuinely fun room with a wine list that's earned its Wine Spectator hardware — the Italian depth is real, the sommelier knows her stuff, and Monday half-price bottles might be the best deal in Austin. Just go in knowing the markups lean steep, and let Jenny point you toward the plays that aren't on the tourist track.

Calico isn't building a wine program that belongs in a magazine, but it's doing the right things — honest Italian producers, fair prices, and a list that actually matches what's coming out of the kitchen. Send a friend here and tell them to order the Brunello.

Miazga's wine list is the dining equivalent of a reliable pickup truck — nothing glamorous, but it shows up and does the job. In a town full of overpriced everything, the fair markings and honest pour prices earn it a pass. Come for the pierogi, drink without drama.

Tartuca is the Italian spot on your block that happens to take wine seriously — a cozy Mississippi Ave room, a sommelier who clearly did his homework, and a Sunday half-price bottle program that should have you making reservations right now. Send your friends here.

Orsetto isn't a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful, Italy-focused program that earns its place in a town where the default is mediocre. Skip the Super Tuscans, trust the Barbera, and let the Vernaccia surprise you.

Il Villaggio punches well above what you'd expect from a ski resort dining room — a sommelier-staffed, Italy-obsessed list with real producers and genuine depth. The markups sting, but if you pick wisely (and the Friulano is right there), you leave happy.

Nani's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's trying to be a good Italian restaurant with a wine list that doesn't embarrass itself, and it largely succeeds. If you're eating pasta or braised meat and want something from the right country to drink with it, you'll find it here.

Orsetto has the bones of a genuinely good Italian wine program — real regions, real producers, thoughtful range — but Jackson Hole pricing keeps it from being a destination for wine value. Go for the list's personality, not its wallet-friendliness.

Calico is a great neighborhood restaurant that happens to have a wine list, not a great wine destination that also serves pasta. Come for the pizza, the lawn, and the mountain air — but don't expect the list to keep up with the scenery.

Old Yellowstone Garage isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be one. The list is safe, the prices are steep, but the quality floor is high enough that you won't drink badly — and after a day in the Tetons, that's often enough.

Bar Enoteca has no business being this good at wine for a ski village tucked into the Wyoming mountains, and that's exactly why you should go. Yes, the markup stings, but the list is the real thing — and with a sommelier on the floor, you're not drinking alone in the dark.

Osteria Stella is doing something genuinely uncommon for Knoxville — building an Italian wine list that commands respect on its own merits, not just by local standards. The markups lean steep on the prestige bottles, but the depth of curation and the sommelier presence make this worth a visit for anyone who takes Italian wine seriously.

Modena is the neighborhood Italian that actually earned the wine credentials to back up its ambitions — Jill Pipes is running a thoughtful program in a place that could have easily phoned it in. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Pieropan, and let someone else have the Silver Oak.

Alexxa's is a Strip restaurant doing Strip things — great location, recognizable bottles, pricing that reflects the real estate. If you're here for fountain views and a glass of Cakebread, you'll be genuinely happy; if you're hunting for value or adventure, look elsewhere.

Lago Su Bella is a genuine wine surprise for Wisconsin — an Italian-focused list with real depth, a credentialed sommelier on staff, and pricing that doesn't make you feel robbed. If you're anywhere near Oconomowoc and like Italian wine with your Italian food, this one belongs on your radar.

Lillian is the rare spot where the wine list is more ambitious than the address suggests — a focused, France-and-Italy-forward program with legit producers, a knowledgeable floor lead, and bottle prices that don't feel punitive. Send a friend here, tell them to sit at the counter, order oysters, and ask PJ what's open.

Restaurant O is the kind of place that makes you recalibrate your expectations for small-city dining — a Wine Spectator-recognized list, a real sommelier, and Wednesday half-price wine night in Coos Bay of all places. Yes, send your friends here.

Dornan's Spur Bar isn't a wine destination — it's a view destination with a wine list that does its job without embarrassing itself. Send your friends here for the pizza and the scenery, and tell them the Chianti is the move.

Dornan's isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid, honest pour in one of the most spectacular settings in the American West — and for a counter-service pizza spot inside Grand Teton National Park, that earns real respect. Send a friend here if they want something cold and drinkable with a view; just don't send them expecting to be surprised.

Orsetto is doing something genuinely rare in a resort market: a focused, all-Italian wine list that actually reflects where the food is coming from. The markup is steep across the board — this is Jackson Hole, you knew that — but the selection is thoughtful enough that you'll find something worth drinking, and the Bolgheri and Vietti Barbera are your best bets for getting actual value out of the evening.

Glorietta is the right list in the right restaurant — serious Italian wine for a serious Italian kitchen. Just know that Jackson Hole pricing means you're paying a premium to drink Brunello in the mountains, and there's no half-price lifeline to soften the blow.

Glorietta is doing something genuinely uncommon for a mountain resort town: running a focused, Italy-first wine program that actually earns its Wine Spectator credential. Prices run steep — this is Jackson Hole, after all — but if you're after serious Italian wine with your house-made pasta, this is your spot.

Draper Brothers Chophouse is a dependable, California-forward wine list in a genuinely beautiful room — it won't blow any minds, but it will reliably get out of the way of a good steak. Send your friends here for the beef and the atmosphere; just temper expectations if they're hoping for a wine list that matches the ambition of the building.

Johnny Manhattan's earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and has held it since 2018 for a reason — this is a legitimately well-curated list for a small-town Italian steakhouse that gets California and Italy right. If you're within driving distance, it's worth making the reservation and going deeper than the Caymus.

Johnny's isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to make sure you drink well with your steak, and it succeeds. Send a friend here if they want reliable California pours at fair prices without having to think too hard about it.