Sacramento's Italian Wine Obsession, Fully Justified
Sacramento · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Allora’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Allora hits like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — and it means it. With 250-400 selections anchored in Italy and Greece, this isn't a list assembled by a corporate beverage director ticking boxes; it reads like someone actually cares. The Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator (held since 2020) isn't just wall décor here — you feel it the moment you open the book.
Italy is the obvious star: Barolo from Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa, Brunello from Biondi-Santi and Poggio di Sotto, Amarone from Dal Forno Romano — these are not filler names. The southern Italian story is equally strong, with Feudi di San Gregorio's Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino alongside Sicilian stalwarts Planeta and Donnafugata. The Greek chapter — Assyrtiko from Domaine Sigalas and Gaia Wines — is the kind of curated detour that separates a real list from a restaurant that just Googled 'Italian wine.' Super Tuscans like Sassicaia and Tignanello show up if you want to flex, but the depth in the cellar classics is where Allora earns its reputation.
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is a serious program — most Sacramento restaurants half-heartedly pour six. Prices run $12–$25 a glass, which is fair for the caliber of producers on the list. We'd love to see more rotation and a clearer signal about what's pouring on any given night, but the range is there if you're willing to ask.
Donnafugata (Sicilian selection) — $45–$55 per bottle (est.)
Donnafugata reliably overdelivers at its price point — rich, expressive Sicilian character without the Brunello tax. At a list that skews toward prestige bottles, this is where the everyday drinker wins.
Greco di Tufo, Feudi di San Gregorio
Most tables at an Italian restaurant reflexively order Pinot Grigio. Don't. This Campanian white has the kind of mineral snap and texture that makes you rethink everything you assumed about Italian whites — and almost nobody orders it.
Sassicaia
Iconic? Yes. Worth what you'll pay at restaurant markup on a bottle that's already priced as a trophy wine at retail? Rarely. Unless it's a special occasion and you're committed to the splurge, your money works harder almost anywhere else on this list.
Assyrtiko, Domaine Sigalas + Branzino
Sigalas Assyrtiko from Santorini brings volcanic minerality and citrus edge that cuts right through the richness of roasted branzino without overwhelming it. It's the kind of pairing that feels obvious in retrospect and brilliant in the moment.
The Bottom Line
Allora is quietly doing some of the most serious Italian and Greek wine work in Sacramento, backed by a knowledgeable team and a cellar that punches well above the city's weight class. If you care about what's in your glass, this is the room to be in.
· Sacramento · Natural Wine Bar
Ro Sham Beaux is punching well above its weight class for a 13-bottle list — the selection is genuinely surprising, the prices are fair, and it fills a real gap in the Sacramento natural wine scene. Send your adventurous friends; warn the Chardonnay-only crowd.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sacramento · Tapas / Wine Bar
At $9 a glass across the board, the pricing is about the only thing we can confidently praise here. Until Karma Brew tells us what's actually in the bottle, this is a coin flip dressed up as a wine program.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sacramento · Wine bar
Nine Spanish wines, fair prices, and zero apologies — The Nook is a wild card worth taking. If you want a broad international list, look elsewhere; if you want a focused, confident program that actually knows what it's doing, pull up a stool.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sacramento · Italian
Aiona's wine list is doing more than most Italian restaurants would dare — global picks, fair glass prices, and a genuine point of view that rewards curious drinkers. Send a friend here and tell them to ignore the obvious choices.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Sacramento · French cafe / wine bar
Franquette is what happens when someone who actually cares about wine opens a small café and refuses to phone in the list. Ten bottles, nine by the glass, all French (almost), fairly priced — send your friends here and tell them to order the Crémant first.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Sacramento · Cocktail Bar / Irish-Influenced Bar with Snacks
The Snug is a cocktail bar first and a wine destination never — but for what it is, the wine list is shockingly well-curated and worth exploring if you're the one at the table who doesn't want a Negroni. Don't come here for a deep wine night; do come here knowing the glass of Gamay you order between cocktails will be better than it has any right to be.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · Italian
Sant Ambroeus Palm Beach is a reliable, if unambitious, wine experience — Italy and France, done cleanly, priced for Royal Poinciana Way. If you're here for the scene, the truffle pizza, and a glass of something Italian and uncomplicated, it delivers. Just don't come looking for value or discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Italian
Five Corners has stocked four respectable Italian reds and essentially stopped there. Without pricing, pour options, or a list that can accommodate the full table, it's hard to call this a wine program — it's more like a wine shelf. Come for the Italian cooking; manage your expectations on the wine side.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Italian
Sotto Sotto is a genuinely Italian wine list in a city that usually settles for Italian-American approximations — the Timorasso, the Lambrusco di Sorbara, the Franciacorta all signal real intent. The glass program is accessible, markups are reasonable, and the bubbles section alone justifies a visit. If you want depth across all of Italy, you'll hit the edges fast at 68 labels, but what's here is well-chosen. Send a friend who likes to drink something they've never heard of.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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