Cincinnati's Italian wine anchor, quietly overdelivering
Hyde Park · Cincinnati · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Al-Posto, the wine list lands with the kind of quiet confidence that doesn't need to shout. It's an Italian-forward card built around real producers — not the usual suspects you find laminated at every other red-sauce joint in town. For Hyde Park, Cincinnati, this is genuinely surprising.
The 150-plus bottle list leans hard into Italy and doesn't apologize for it — Barolo from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone, and a Super Tuscan section that includes Sassicaia and Tignanello, which are names that belong on a list twice this size. California Cabernet gets a respectable nod for the Napa crowd, and lighter whites like Pinot Grigio and Soave keep things accessible on the lower end. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2024 is well-earned — this is a focused, coherent list rather than a sprawling one, and focus usually wins. The only real gap is depth outside Italy and California; don't come looking for Burgundy or Rhône.
Somewhere in the 12-to-20 glass range, the by-the-glass program covers enough ground to make ordering a bottle optional rather than mandatory. Whitney Holtgrefe runs the floor wine program and her influence shows — the glass pours aren't just house-wine filler. We'd like to see more rotation, but what's there holds its own.
Soave — $35
At the entry point of the bottle list, a well-made Soave from the Veneto drinks way above its price tag alongside lighter pasta courses — and it's the kind of wine most tables skip in favor of something heavier. Their loss.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Everyone zeroes in on the Barolo and Super Tuscans, but the Amarone is the move. Big, dried-grape intensity that works beautifully against the richer dishes on the menu — and it tends to fly under the radar at a table full of Tignanello fans.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
You're at an Italian restaurant with a sommelier who clearly knows her Piedmont from her Tuscany. Ordering California Cab here is like going to a ramen shop and ordering the sandwich — they'll make it, but you're missing the point and probably overpaying for the privilege.
Barolo (Ceretto or Gaja, Piedmont) + Osso buco
Barolo and braised veal shank is one of those combinations that exists for a reason. The wine's firm tannins and earthy depth cut through the richness of the marrow and slow-cooked meat without stepping on it. Order this. Don't overthink it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Al-Posto is the kind of neighborhood Italian restaurant Cincinnati doesn't know it deserves — a genuinely thoughtful wine program anchored in real Italian producers, fairly priced, and guided by a sommelier who actually knows the list. Yes, send your friends here for wine.
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