Sicily On The Label, Grocery Store In The Glass
Grand Center · St. Louis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Vito's reads like someone pulled it together in an afternoon with a grocery store circular and a soft spot for recognizable labels. For a Sicilian-focused restaurant, there's a real missed opportunity here — the island produces some genuinely exciting stuff, and none of it seems to have made the cut. What you get instead is a tight roster of mass-market names that will be familiar to anyone who's ever stood in a Target wine aisle.
The list skews Italian in name, but the producers tell a different story — Ruffino, Banfi, Santa Margherita, Stella Rosa. These are brands built for chain restaurants and supermarket endcaps, not for a pizzeria that takes the word 'Sicilian' seriously enough to put it in its name. There's no Nero d'Avola, no Etna Rosso, no Grillo or Catarratto — nothing that would actually transport you to the island the restaurant is trading on. The Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't even pretend to be Italian. It's a 20-40 bottle list that plays it extraordinarily safe, and the cuisine deserves better than this.
By-the-glass options sit in the 6-10 range, which is a reasonable count for this format — but the quality ceiling is low when your anchor pours are Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio and Stella Rosa Rosso. There's no rotation happening here, and no evidence of anyone curating these picks with the food in mind. You're essentially choosing between shades of familiar.
Banfi Chianti Superiore 2020 — $32
Still a 113% markup on a $15 retail bottle, so 'value' is relative, but at least you're getting a Sangiovese-based wine that has some business being on an Italian restaurant table. It's the most food-friendly bottle on the list and the least offensive ask on your wallet relative to what's around it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2022
Yes, it's a brand that peaked in the '90s and yes, $48 stings. But Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is actually a legitimate, mineral-driven wine when it comes from this producer — a far cry from the flabby versions from Delle Venezie. If you're going white, this is the one bottle on the list that actually comes from somewhere specific and interesting.
Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Trentino 2022
At $26 for a bottle that retails for $10, you're paying a 160% markup for one of the most anonymous Pinot Grigios in Italy's portfolio. This is a supermarket pour dressed up in restaurant pricing. Order water and move on.
Banfi Chianti Superiore 2020 + Sicilian-style pizza
Sangiovese's natural acidity cuts through the richness of the olive oil and cheese, and its tomato-friendly character doesn't fight the sauce. It's not a perfect pairing in any poetic sense, but it's the most honest match on a list that doesn't give you many options.
❌ The Bottom Line
Vito's earns its Sicilian stripes in the kitchen, but the wine list is an afterthought — overpriced grocery brands with zero connection to the cuisine they're supposed to accompany. Order a beer or a soft drink, save the wine for a place that cares.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.