Bellinis Fort Myers
Dressed Up Italian With Decent Wine Sense
Fort Myers · Fort Myers · Italian-inspired fine dining with seafood and global influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The list at Bellinis lands somewhere between ambitious and safe — Italian and French anchors with California and a few global wildcards thrown in. It's the kind of list that suits the room: polished, a little formal, not trying to surprise you. You're here for the Duck Two Ways and the live music, and the wine list knows that.
Selection Deep Dive
Coverage spans Italy, France, California, New Zealand, Germany, and South Africa, which sounds impressive until you realize the actual depth per region is thin. The Italian picks are solid — a Chianti DOCG and a Valpolicella Ripasso anchor the list with real credibility — and the Meursault from Bichot is a genuinely interesting white for Fort Myers. Champagne leans on the big houses (Mumm and Veuve), which is crowd-pleasing but uninspired. The California showing is represented by Textbook's Pey Family Reserve, which is a fine Napa Cab but not exactly a risk taken.
By the Glass
We couldn't confirm specific by-the-glass options from the available data, which is itself a mild yellow flag. A fine dining spot at this price point should be leading with its glass pour program loud and proud. If you're going in, ask the server what's open — hopefully it's more than the Mumm.
Chianti Il Cerevelli DOCG '20 — $38
At $38, this is the easiest call on the list. A Chianti DOCG for under forty bucks at a white-tablecloth spot is a legitimate deal — versatile enough to work with nearly everything on the menu and priced like it belongs at a trattoria, not a fine dining room.
Valpolicella di Ripasso Almadi '21
Ripasso gets skipped by people who don't know it, and ordered once by people who do. It's halfway between a standard Valpolicella and an Amarone — richer, darker, more structured — and at $65, it's the most interesting red on the list that most tables will walk right past.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut
At $120, you're paying a serious premium for a label that retails around $55-60. Veuve is a fine Champagne, but it's also one of the most marked-up bottles in the restaurant industry. The Mumm at $90 isn't much better value-wise, but at least it's cheaper. Order the Chianti and save the Champagne for somewhere that earns it.
Meursault Bichot '18 + Seafood Wellington
A Meursault with a seafood Wellington is exactly why white Burgundy exists. The richness of the pastry and whatever fish is inside needs something with enough weight and texture to keep up — and Bichot's '18 Meursault brings butter, stone fruit, and enough acid to cut through the whole thing cleanly.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Bellinis is a solid choice if you want Italian-leaning fine dining with a wine list that won't embarrass anyone — just don't expect discovery or deal-hunting at the top of the price range. Stick to the Chianti or the Ripasso and you'll leave happy.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.