Coco Pazzo
Tuscany's Greatest Hits, Done Right
River North · Chicago · Italian, Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Coco Pazzo reads like a love letter to Italy — specifically Tuscany — and doesn't apologize for it. You open the book and the Super Tuscans are front and center: Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia. It's aspirational, confident, and squarely aimed at the business dinner crowd dropping serious money on a Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
Selection Deep Dive
With 200-300 bottles, the list has real weight, but it plays a familiar tune. Tuscany dominates — Brunello from Biondi-Santi, Chianti Classico Riserva from Castello di Ama, and the usual parade of Super Tuscans that every Italian restaurant in America reaches for. There's a nod northward with Gaja's Barolo and Allegrini's Amarone to round things out, but don't come here hunting for anything off the beaten path. What's here is legitimate and well-sourced — it's just not going to surprise you. Wine Spectator has recognized the list since 2005, which speaks to consistency if not adventure.
By the Glass
The by-the-glass program runs 20-30 options at $12-$20 a pour, which is solid for a room at this price point. We'd like to see more rotation and a few curveballs mixed in — right now it mirrors the bottle list's safe-play energy. Still, landing a proper Chianti Classico by the glass for a weeknight pasta is nothing to complain about.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Ama — $12-$20 by the glass
Castello di Ama makes some of the most serious Chianti in the game, and catching it by the glass means you're not committing to a full bottle at steakhouse markup. Grab it with the handmade pasta and call it a win.
Amarone della Valpolicella, Allegrini
Buried behind the Super Tuscan headlines, Allegrini's Amarone is the most underordered wine on this list. Rich, brooding, and built for wood-roasted meat — most tables walk right past it chasing Tignanello.
Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido
Look, Sassicaia is a great wine. But at a steakhouse-adjacent spot with steep markups, you're paying a premium on top of a premium for a name everyone recognizes. The same money buys you something more interesting with less of it going to the prestige tax.
Brunello di Montalcino, Biondi-Santi + Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Biondi-Santi's Brunello has the structure, acidity, and tannic backbone to go toe-to-toe with a massive T-bone without flinching. This is the pairing Coco Pazzo was built for.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Coco Pazzo is a dependable play for Tuscan wines in a setting that earns them — just go in knowing you're paying for curation and atmosphere, not discovery. If you want Italy's classics delivered with confidence, this list delivers.
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