Rocco's
Pacific Northwest Italian Done Honestly
Downtown · Spokane · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 23, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Rocco's doesn't try to be clever — it just tries to be useful, and mostly succeeds. You get a focused mix of Italian imports and Washington State bottles that actually makes sense alongside a menu built around wood-fired pizza and house pasta. Nothing flashy, nothing embarrassing.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 50-100 bottles and splits its attention between Italian varietals and Pacific Northwest pours, with California filling in the gaps. A Washington State Sangiovese is a smart regional nod — this grape doesn't get nearly enough play outside Tuscany, and seeing it show up here signals someone put some thought into the build. The California side leans on approachable crowd-pleasers like Cannonball Cabernet, which is fine for what it is. Don't come here hunting for a deep Barolo cellar, but the Italian-Washington axis holds together well for a neighborhood trattoria.
By the Glass
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass is a respectable spread for a casual Italian spot, and the pricing is genuinely hard to argue with — the markup on several pours sits at or below retail, which you almost never see. The Valle Reale Rosé by the glass is practically a gift at $13 when it retails for $15. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect the list to surprise you on a second visit.
Valle Reale Rosé Italy — $13
This bottle retails for $15 and they're pouring it for $13 — that's not a markup, that's a subsidy. Valle Reale makes clean, expressive Italian rosé and Rocco's is essentially charging you less than you'd pay at a wine shop. Order it without thinking.
Washington State Sangiovese
Most people at an Italian restaurant reach for whatever Chianti is on the list and call it a day. The Washington State Sangiovese here is worth a detour — Pacific Northwest Sangiovese has a brighter, fruit-forward character than its Tuscan cousins, and it's the kind of local-regional curiosity that makes a wine list feel like it actually has a point of view.
Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon
Cannonball is fine — fine being the operative word. It's a $14 retail bottle that's become a restaurant-list staple precisely because it's inoffensive and familiar. At a place with genuinely interesting regional options, ordering the Cannonball Cab is the wine equivalent of ordering plain spaghetti marinara. You can do better here.
Washington State Sangiovese + Wood-fired pizza
Sangiovese and tomato-based anything is a classic pairing for a reason — the grape's natural acidity cuts right through the sauce and char. The Washington State version brings enough fruit to stand up to toppings without overwhelming the wood-fired crust. This is the move.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Rocco's isn't going to make any best-of wine lists, but the markup fairness alone puts it ahead of restaurants charging twice as much for half the effort. If you're eating in downtown Spokane and want honest Italian food with a glass of wine that won't cost you a therapy session afterward, this is your spot.
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