Solo Italiano
Italy's full boot, right in Portland
East End · Portland · Authentic Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Solo Italiano feels like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — narrow in scope but clearly written by someone who's actually been there. No token Pinot Grigio padding here; this is a focused, regional Italian card that takes the cuisine seriously. It's not the deepest list in Portland, but it earns respect fast.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into the classics — Barolo from Piemonte, Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany, Soave Classico from the Veneto — and supplements them with some genuinely interesting picks like Etna Rosso from Sicily and Vermentino di Sardegna. The Liguria and Piemonte focus tracks directly with chef Paolo Laboa's Genovese roots, which gives the whole thing a coherent sense of purpose rather than a scattered grab-bag. You won't find a deep bench of grower Champagne or anything French, but that's the point — this list isn't trying to be everything. The gaps are Sardinia and southern Italy beyond Sicily, and a few more natural-leaning producers would push this into genuinely exciting territory.
By the Glass
With 10 to 16 options by the glass, Solo Italiano offers enough to work through a proper Italian progression across a meal. We'd expect the Vermentino di Sardegna and at least one red from the north to anchor the program. Rotation feels infrequent — this reads more like a set list than a living, breathing glass program — but the quality of what's there is solid.
Vermentino di Sardegna — null
Vermentino di Sardegna is chronically underpriced in the market and this is the right food context for it — herbal, saline, built for seafood. Order it with the branzino al cartoccio and you'll wonder why you ever bothered with Pinot Grigio.
Etna Rosso
Most tables at Solo Italiano are going to gravitate toward the Barolo or the Brunello — understandably — but the Etna Rosso from Sicily is where the real intrigue lives. Nerello Mascalese grown on volcanic slopes drinks like a leaner, more aromatic cousin of Burgundy, and it's almost always the most interesting value on an Italian list. Don't sleep on it.
Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello is a magnificent wine, no argument there — but restaurant markups on prestige Tuscan bottles are almost universally punishing, and Solo Italiano's pricing tier suggests this one isn't cheap. Unless you're celebrating something specific, the money is better spent elsewhere on this list.
Soave Classico + Pesto alla Genovese
Soave Classico's understated nuttiness and gentle almond-and-citrus profile is a near-perfect foil for the grassy richness of a proper Ligurian pesto. It's a Northern Italian handshake — Veneto meets Liguria on the plate — and it works every time.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Solo Italiano isn't building the deepest Italian list in New England, but it's one of the most purposeful — and in a market full of lazy, overpriced wine cards, that counts for a lot. Go for the Etna Rosso, order the branzino, and don't let anyone talk you into the Brunello unless they're buying.
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