Lancaster's Italian anchor finally earns its vino stripes
Lancaster · Lancaster · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives looking purposeful — this isn't a generic Italian-American spot where Pinot Grigio and Chianti share equal billing with the bread basket. The Italy-only focus signals that someone here made a deliberate call, and Wine Spectator's 2024 Award of Excellence backs it up. It's not flashy, but it's honest.
The list runs 150-plus bottles and stays almost entirely in Italy, which is either a strength or a constraint depending on your mood — we'd call it a strength. Piedmont and Tuscany anchor the card with proper heavyweights: Gaja and Barolo producers from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino selections for the big-spenders, and Antinori and Banfi holding down the Tuscan middle ground. Masi Amarone brings Veneto representation that gives the list some geographic range without losing focus. The gaps show up in Southern Italy and the islands — no Nerello Mascalese, no Aglianico to speak of — but for a restaurant of this scale in Lancaster, the depth here is genuinely impressive.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, which is a solid count for a mid-size restaurant program. The price range of $10–$18 a glass is fair for what you're getting — Ruffino and Banfi likely anchor the approachable end, with better Italian producers available if you're willing to push into the $15–$18 tier. No obvious rotation or themed flight program, which is a missed opportunity given the strength of the bottle list.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino — $75–$90
Banfi's Brunello punches well above its price in this context — a full-throttle Sangiovese from one of Montalcino's most consistent producers, and priced at the lower end of what you'd pay elsewhere in a white-tablecloth setting. Order it with the osso buco and don't look back.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at an Italian spot like this reach for Barolo or Brunello by default, but the Masi Amarone is the sleeper. It's rich, it's structured, and it has the kind of dried-fruit intensity that makes it an event in a glass. Most diners walk right past it — their loss.
Ruffino entry-level Chianti
Ruffino makes fine wine at the top of their range, but the basic Chianti is a grocery store staple that shows up at a restaurant markup without adding any excitement to your evening. Save your money or step up to something from the Brunello or Barolo section.
Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo + Veal Piccata
Gaja's Langhe Nebbiolo brings enough structure and acidity to stand up to the bright lemon-caper sauce in the piccata without overwhelming the delicate veal. It's a more approachable entry point into the Gaja universe than their single-vineyard Barolos, and it makes the dish taste like it was designed around the wine.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Lombardo's is doing something real with wine in a city where most Italian spots phone it in — the Italy-only list has genuine depth, the pricing is fair, and the 2024 Wine Spectator nod is deserved. If you care about drinking well at dinner and you're anywhere near Lancaster, this is your spot.
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