Best Wine Lists in Rhode Island

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Dorrance is a reliable night out for wine drinkers who want a well-managed list in a genuinely beautiful room — just come in with your eyes open on the markups. If you work with the sommelier instead of defaulting to the famous labels, you'll drink well.

Cara is doing serious wine work inside a serious restaurant, and the combination of two credentialed sommeliers, a thoughtfully curated California-France list, and that Cliff Walk setting makes this one of the best wine experiences in Rhode Island. Markups lean high — this is a Forbes Five-Star hotel dining room, not a neighborhood trattoria — but if you're sitting down for a tasting menu anyway, you're already in the right headspace to order something memorable.

Nicks on Broadway is a brunch spot that wandered into wine territory and turned out to have genuinely good taste — fair prices, local producers, and a grower Champagne or two hiding in plain sight. Send a friend here and tell them to skip the mimosa.

CAV is a reliable, well-curated stop in Providence's Jewelry District — not a destination wine list, but an honest one that respects your palate and your wallet. Send a friend here and they'll drink well without needing a cheat sheet.

FiveTen is a wild card in the best sense — it's a neighborhood pizza spot that took its wine list seriously enough to stock Janasse and Ridge, and marked them up fairly enough that ordering a real bottle doesn't sting. It's not a destination wine bar, but it's absolutely a destination for dinner if you live nearby.

Angelo's is not a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the list is fairly priced, the pours are honest, and the food more than pulls its weight. Come for the veal parm and red sauce, order the Montepulciano, and enjoy one of Federal Hill's last true old-school institutions.

Cafe Zivoli's wine list feels like an afterthought stapled onto an otherwise Italian-proud Federal Hill address — steep markups on recognizable but uninspiring bottles don't do the neighborhood justice. Order a cocktail or bring your own if corkage is an option.