Italy-first list that earns its pasta
North Loop · Minneapolis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bar La Grassa reads like someone who actually likes Italian wine built it — not a consultant checking boxes. There's a clear point of view here: lean into the boot, pepper in a few crowd-pleasing New World options, and keep prices honest. It's not trying to impress you, which is exactly why it does.
Italy anchors everything, and the regional spread is genuinely solid — Piedmont shows up twice with Barbera and Nebbiolo, Sicily contributes both a white (Cottanera's Etna Bianco) and a rosé (Frappato from Caruso e Minini), and there's a Ripasso from Valpolicella sitting next to a Chianti Classico. The Abruzzo Pecorino from Lunaria is a nice touch that signals someone went looking beyond the obvious. Outside Italy, Oregon's Foris Pinot Noir and a Hubert Clavelin Crémant du Jura round things out without diluting the Italian thesis. Gaps exist — no Barolo, no Brunello, nothing aged with any real cellar time — but for a pasta-forward neighborhood restaurant, this list punches where it needs to.
Seventeen by-the-glass options is a strong count for a casual Italian spot, ranging from $10 to $21 a glass. The BTG list mirrors the bottle program well — you can get the Etna Bianco, the Lambrusco, the Moscato d'Asti, and the Crémant du Jura all by the glass, which tells you someone thought about this beyond just pouring the cheapest thing. Rotation appears limited, but the starting lineup is good enough that you won't feel stuck.
Angelo Negro 'Angelin' Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy 2022 — $15/glass (est.)
Nebbiolo by the glass at a non-wine-bar price is genuinely rare. Angelo Negro makes approachable, honest Langhe Nebbiolo — Barolo DNA without the Barolo invoice. Order a bowl of pasta and don't overthink it.
Cottanera Etna Bianco DOC Carricante, Sicily, Italy 2023
Carricante from the slopes of Etna is one of Italy's most interesting white grapes, and most people at this table will order Pinot Grigio instead. Their loss. This is volcanic, saline, and genuinely distinctive — the kind of wine that makes you look up the producer when you get home.
Whitehall Lane 'Tre Leoni', Napa Valley, California 2023
It's a fine wine, but it's also exactly what you'd find on every hotel restaurant list in the country. You're at an Italian restaurant in Minneapolis with Etna Bianco on the menu — Napa Cab is a waste of the opportunity.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio Valpolicella Ripasso, Italy 2020 + Dry pasta with a rich meat ragù
Ripasso's dried cherry depth and grippy structure are basically engineered for slow-cooked meat sauces. It's the kind of pairing that feels obvious in retrospect and makes you wish you'd ordered a second glass.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Bar La Grassa is the Italian restaurant wine list Minneapolis deserves more of — Italy-focused, fairly priced, and with enough interesting picks that the wine enhances the meal instead of just accompanying it. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Pinot Grigio.
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