Big Italian Bottles, Absurdly Low Glass Prices
Uptown · Dallas · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 27, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Avanti hits differently the moment you see the prices — this is a white-tablecloth Italian spot on McKinney Ave where Tignanello runs $32 a glass and Gaja Barbaresco is $26. Either the printer made a typo or Avanti genuinely does not care about squeezing the room, and we are here for it.
The list is unapologetically Italian and makes no apologies about it — which is exactly right for this kitchen. You've got serious Piedmont representation with Vietti Barolo Castiglione, Ceretto's Bricco Rocche, La Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano, and Gaja all showing up, plus Tuscany flexing hard with Brunello from Castello Banfi, the Super Tuscan holy trinity of Tignanello, Sassicaia, and Antinori all accounted for. Wine Spectator has recognized this list since 2018, and the Italy-first focus earns that credential honestly. Breadth outside Italy is unclear, but frankly the Italian depth alone is enough reason to come.
We don't have a confirmed by-the-glass count, but the price points on these pours suggest they're running serious bottles by the glass rather than padding the program with bulk wine. If you can get a pour of La Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano for anywhere near the $22 bottle-equivalent price, that's a genuinely special glass of wine at a genuinely absurd value.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2019 — $24
Vietti is one of the most respected names in Barolo and the Castiglione is their benchmark bottling — structured, age-worthy, and deeply Piemontese. At $24 this is not a restaurant markup, it's a gift. Order it.
La Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano 2020
Most people see Barbaresco on a list and reach for Gaja because the name is familiar. Spinetta's Valeirano single-vineyard is every bit as serious and far less likely to get ordered — which means your server might actually be excited to pour it.
Sassicaia 2019
At $65 this is still a relative value compared to most restaurants, but Sassicaia at retail is widely available and not hard to find. The other bottles on this list offer far more per dollar for what you can't easily replicate at home.
Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2018 + Osso buco
Braised veal shank has the weight and richness to stand up to Brunello's firm tannins and cherry-driven structure — and the Sangiovese acidity cuts right through the marrow butter. This is the kind of pairing that makes you feel like you've figured something out.
Wednesday — Half-price wine on Wednesdays — already-absurd prices cut in half. This is not a drill.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Avanti is pulling off something rare in Dallas: genuinely great Italian bottles at prices that feel like a Wednesday night deal every night of the week. Wednesday half-price wine just makes a great deal mathematically irresponsible — go now.
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