Italy In Your Backyard, With A Tax
Sellwood-Moreland · Portland · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at a Cena reads like a love letter to Italy — Piedmont, Friuli, Sardegna, Tuscany, all accounted for, nothing wasted on crowd-pleasing filler. It's compact but clearly curated by someone who actually cares, and it fits the room: intimate, candle-lit, the kind of place where you don't want a 12-page wine bible anyway. The only thing that dims the glow a little is what you're paying for that care.
The list stays almost entirely Italian, which is exactly right for a neighborhood trattoria of this caliber. You'll find serious Piedmontese reds — Barbera d'Alba from Ruggeri Corsini and Elio Grasso, plus Produttori del Barbaresco's Langhe Nebbiolo as a more accessible entry into that world — alongside Tuscan heavyweights and a genuinely good showing of northern Italian whites from Friuli and the Veneto. The Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta is a standout bubbles pick that most Portland restaurants wouldn't bother stocking. Gaps are minor: you're not getting much outside Italy, and natural wine explorers will need to look elsewhere.
We estimate 8–14 pours on any given night, rotating with the seasonal menu. The glass program appears to lean toward approachable Italian varietals — expect Barbera, Pinot Grigio, and lighter Tuscan reds to anchor the list. Rotation seems occasional rather than aggressive, so if something intrigues you, order it before it's gone.
Elio Grasso Barbera d'Alba Vigna Martina 2021 — $81
Yes, $81 is real money for a Barbera. But Elio Grasso is one of Piedmont's benchmark producers and this single-vineyard bottling retails around $40 — so the markup is actually the most reasonable on the list at roughly 2x. For the quality and the provenance, it's the bottle we'd order without hesitation.
Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2021
Most tables will walk past this at $59 and order something they recognize. That's a mistake. Produttori del Barbaresco is a legendary cooperative, and their Langhe Nebbiolo is essentially baby Barbaresco — same terroir, earlier drinking, all the tar-and-roses DNA you want. It's the sleeper pick on this list.
Reguta Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2022
A $12 retail bottle on the shelf for $38 is a 217% markup — the worst value play on the list. Reguta is a fine, inoffensive Pinot Grigio, but at this price you're paying for the category name, not the wine. Spend $14 more and get the Livio Felluga Collio instead. It's a different conversation entirely.
G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso 2022 + Osso Buco
G.D. Vajra's Langhe Rosso is a blend built around Nebbiolo with Barbera and Dolcetto softening the edges — earthy, bright-acidic, just enough structure to cut through the braised richness of the osso buco without steamrolling the gremolata. At $48 it's the most approachable red on the list and the one we'd reach for mid-week without overthinking it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
a Cena is the kind of Italian spot that earns your loyalty with its kitchen and your mild frustration with its wine pricing — markups run steep across the board, but the list is honest, focused, and well above what you'd expect from a Sellwood neighborhood spot. Go for the Elio Grasso, skip the Pinot Grigio trap, and enjoy the room.
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