Italy and Napa walk into a steakhouse
North Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian, American, Steakhouse, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 16, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list at Encore reads like a greatest-hits album from someone who really loves Italy and Napa and made exactly zero apologies about it. It's polished, organized, and clearly designed to impress a table of business-dinner regulars without making anyone feel lost. The range is broader than most Raleigh steakhouses, which sets expectations appropriately high.
Tuscany and Napa carry the most weight here — you've got Antinori's Il Bruciato, the Montepeloso Gabbro Super Tuscan, a Fratelli Revello Barolo from La Morra, and a Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino anchoring the Italian side. California shows up hard too, with The Prisoner, Paradigm Oakville Cab, and Belle Glos Pinot Noir doing most of the crowd-pleasing heavy lifting. France gets a nod with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine de Grand Tinel and Louis Jadot White Burgundy, but the Old World feels like a supporting cast rather than a headliner. The list doesn't take many risks — you won't find grower Champagne or esoteric varietals — but it's competently assembled for the room it's playing to.
With 12-20 pours, the by-the-glass program is one of the stronger aspects of the list — enough variety to actually make a decision rather than just defaulting to the house red. Expect the usual suspects: Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio from Castellano, and probably a Cab or two from California. It rotates predictably rather than creatively, but there's enough to keep a two-glass dinner interesting.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de Grand Tinel, Rhône, France — null
Domaine de Grand Tinel is a legitimate, well-regarded CdP producer — this is the kind of wine that earns its price tag at a place like this. At an upscale steakhouse, finding a proper Southern Rhône from a serious estate is a win, and it's going to outperform most of the California bottles at the same tier.
Amarone Classico, Bussola, Valpolicella, Italy
Bussola is a small, quality-focused producer in Valpolicella that most tables here will walk right past on the way to The Prisoner. That's a mistake. This is a serious Amarone — dense, layered, built to go with red meat — from a name that earns genuine respect in Italy. Most guests ordering a big red for a steak won't even glance at it.
Cabernet Sauvignon, The Prisoner, Napa Valley, California
The Prisoner is a solid wine that has been so thoroughly discovered it's now a steakhouse cliché. At upscale restaurant prices you're paying a significant premium for a label people recognize from the grocery store. The money goes further almost anywhere else on this list.
Super Tuscan, Montepeloso Gabbro, Tuscany, Italy + Lasagna Bolognese
Montepeloso Gabbro is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Super Tuscan with the kind of dark fruit and structure that can stand up to a rich, meaty Bolognese without steamrolling it. This is a proper Italian pairing that doesn't require any explaining — it just works.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Encore is a reliable upscale dinner destination with a wine list that's better than average for North Raleigh — just don't expect any surprises, and budget accordingly because the markup is real. Send a friend here for a Barolo and a steak, not a wine adventure.
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