Martini's Downtown

The wine list at Martini's Downtown reads like a greatest hits of Pacific Northwest grocery-store staples — familiar names, no curveballs. At $7–$11 a glass, you're not getting gouged, and for a casual Italian spot in downtown Spokane, that's actually a reasonable starting point. It's the kind of list that won't embarrass you, but it won't impress your wine-curious date either.

The bottle list runs 40–70 deep, almost entirely planted in Washington and Columbia Valley with a California section that leans heavily on household names. Chateau Ste. Michelle anchors the Washington side — a safe anchor, honestly — and Columbia Crest and Hogue round out the middle tier. There's no real reach into Oregon Pinot or anything from the Walla Walla AVA's smaller producers, which is a missed opportunity for a restaurant this close to some genuinely exciting Washington wine country. Woodbridge and 15 Hands showing up suggests the list isn't being curated so much as replenished.

Ten to sixteen by-the-glass options is a decent spread for this format, and the $7–$11 price window is refreshingly honest for a sit-down Italian restaurant. Don't expect a rotating program or anything poured from a half-opened bottle of something interesting — this is a set-it-and-forget-it situation. Grab a Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling by the glass and call it a night.