Wine Wednesday Makes the Whole Thing Click
Old Mill District · Bend · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Pastini Old Mill reads exactly like what you'd expect from a casual Italian chain — Pacific Northwest staples, a few Italian imports, nothing that's going to raise your pulse. But then Wednesday rolls around, and suddenly that $45 Erath Pinot Noir becomes a $22.50 bottle, and the whole conversation changes.
The list leans into Oregon and Washington with predictable picks — Erath, King Estate Acrobat, Chateau Ste. Michelle — alongside Italian-leaning crowd-pleasers like Barone Fini, Mezzacorona, and Cavit. There's a nod to the local identity with Elk Cove Pinot Noir and Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris, which is genuinely appreciated, even if the rest of the list doesn't quite live up to that ambition. Gaps are obvious: no Rosso di anything from Italy, no real depth beyond the grocery store shelf-talker tier. What you see is what you get, and what you get is safe.
We don't have a confirmed glass pour list or count, which at a casual Italian chain is usually not a great sign — it likely mirrors the bottle list with a handful of predictable pours. If they're rotating anything beyond the usual suspects, it isn't being communicated loudly enough to show up anywhere.
Erath Pinot Noir (Oregon) — $22.50 on Wine Wednesday (normally $45)
At half price on Wednesday, this drops to a totally fair ask for an everyday Oregon Pinot. Retail is $18, so you're paying a modest premium at the half-price rate — far better than the standard 150% markup. Come on a Wednesday, order pasta, drink this.
Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Cooper Mountain is a biodynamic producer that most people at a casual Italian chain won't recognize or reach for — they'll go straight for the Cavit. That's their loss. This is a step up in both farming philosophy and flavor, and it's the most interesting bottle on the list by a decent margin.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling (Columbia Valley)
At $30 on a $9 retail bottle, you're paying a 233% markup for something you can grab at any grocery store on the way home. Nothing wrong with the wine itself, but the value math here is embarrassing.
Elk Cove Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon) + Made-from-scratch pasta with a tomato-based sauce
Elk Cove's Willamette Pinot has enough acidity and red fruit to cut through a rich tomato sauce without stepping on the pasta itself. It's the most regionally appropriate bottle on the list and one of the few that actually feels intentional.
Wednesday — Pastini runs a chain-wide Wine Wednesday promotion: 50% off any bottle on the list, every Wednesday. Most bottles land under $20 at half price, which transforms an otherwise steep list into one of the better midweek wine deals in Bend.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Pastini is a Lazy List on a normal night, but Wine Wednesday flips the math enough to make it worth a visit if you know what you're doing — show up on Wednesday, order the Elk Cove or Cooper Mountain, skip the Ste. Michelle, and enjoy your pasta. Any other night, manage your expectations accordingly.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.