La Fontanella Ristorante
Old-World Soul, Wednesday Nights Earn Their Keep
Fort Myers · Fort Myers · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk in and the list feels exactly like the room — warm, Italian, and proudly traditional. The Italian anchor is real: Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, and Sicily all get their due, and that focus keeps things cohesive rather than scattered. The issue is the non-Italian bottles lurking on the edges, where the pricing gets uncomfortable fast.
Selection Deep Dive
The Italian spine is the genuine strength here — Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva, Banfi Brunello di Montalcino, Masi Amarone della Valpolicella, and Planeta Nero d'Avola give you a proper tour of the peninsula without feeling like a wine class syllabus. The range from a food-friendly Sicilian Nero d'Avola all the way up to a Brunello shows real intent. Where it stumbles is the crowd-pleaser imports: Josh Cellars, Meiomi, and Kim Crawford are fine wines, but at 130–160% over retail, they're doing a lot of heavy lifting for the restaurant's bottom line. Stick to the Italian section and you're in a much better place.
By the Glass
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is a respectable spread for a neighborhood Italian spot, and if the Italian producers make it onto the pour list, there's legitimate value here. Wednesday changes everything — half-price bottles means the math on even the steeper markups starts to feel reasonable, and that's the night to explore rather than default to a glass pour.
Planeta Nero d'Avola — $52
Sicily's workhorse grape done right by one of the island's best producers — plummy, earthy, and built for a menu like this one. On a Wednesday, this becomes a genuinely great deal.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at an Italian-American spot like this gravitate toward Chianti or Pinot Noir and never look up. Amarone is a different conversation entirely — concentrated, dried-fruit intensity that demands attention. Most diners skip it without realizing what they're walking past.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
A $14 retail bottle sitting at $36 on the menu is a 157% markup on wine you could grab at any Publix on the drive over. There is no version of this that makes sense when the Italian producers on the same list are far better values.
Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva + Osso Buco
Chianti Classico Riserva and braised veal shank is one of the most classically Italian combinations on the planet — the wine's Sangiovese-driven acidity and earthy tannins cut through the richness of the marrow and gremolata without bullying the dish. This is the order.
Wednesday — Half-price on all bottles of wine every Wednesday night
✔️ The Bottom Line
La Fontanella earns its stripes on the Italian side of the list, where the producers are legit and the food-wine alignment is genuinely good — but veer into the import section and you're paying tourist rates for grocery store bottles. Come on a Wednesday, stay in your lane, and this place delivers.
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