Uptown address, seriously downtown wine ambition
Upper East Side · New York · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Amali’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a quiet East 60th Street dining room expecting the kind of safe, overpriced wine list that plagues the neighborhood — and then the list lands on your table. Four hundred to five hundred selections, with a Greek column that actually has something to say. This is not your average uptown pasta spot.
Amali has held a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2015, and the list earns it on the strength of three regions done right: Greece, Italy, and France. The Greek section is the real differentiator — Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Argyros Estate, Hatzidakis Winery, and Gaia Wines Thalassitis all in one place is genuinely rare outside of a dedicated wine bar. Italy brings the heavyweights: Bartolo Mascarello Barolo and Antinori Tignanello anchor a list that doesn't flinch from serious bottles. California gets its due with Ridge Monte Bello and Kosta Browne, and France shows up credibly with Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet. The gaps are minor — this is a list built by someone with a point of view.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass at $12–$25 is a solid program for the Upper East Side, and the range appears to track the list's strengths in Greek whites and Italian reds. Rotation details are hard to confirm, but a list this size usually means the glass pours get some attention. Grab whatever Assyrtiko is open — it belongs with the food here.
Argyros Estate Assyrtiko — $60–$80 (est. bottle)
One of the great white wines of the Mediterranean at a price point that still makes sense. Argyros is a benchmark Santorini producer and it shows up here in a context — next to branzino or grilled octopus — where it completely earns its place.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Most people at Amali are reaching for Italian reds or Greek whites, and that's fair. But Drouhin Oregon is one of the most consistently elegant American Pinots made, with a French pedigree that makes it feel right at home on a list this Old World-leaning. Easy to overlook, hard to regret.
Kosta Browne Pinot Noir
Great wine, wrong room. Kosta Browne is allocated, celebrated, and priced accordingly — you're paying for the name recognition at full retail plus restaurant markup. The Drouhin Oregon next to it gives you more for less, and it fits the vibe of this list better.
Hatzidakis Winery Santorini Assyrtiko + Grilled Octopus
This is almost too obvious, and we're doing it anyway. Volcanic minerality, bright acid, and saline lift from a Santorini Assyrtiko against charred octopus and whatever lemon-herb situation Amali is running with it — this is the pairing the list was built around.
The Bottom Line
Amali is the rare Upper East Side restaurant that treats wine as a reason to show up, not an afterthought to the pasta. The Greek program alone makes it worth the reservation — and the broader list confirms this is a kitchen and cellar working in the same direction.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian, Mediterranean
A short, Italian-leaning wine list with a note that the full list is available on request. Start with the Planeta Grillo at 12/40 or the Noussan Petit Arvine at 23/80, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm everything, since the files are linked with 2024 dates in their names. This unrated guide covers the posted wine PDF, not service, storage or markups.
River Oaks · Houston · Italian, Mediterranean
Zanti's list is large and Italy-heavy, and the glass pages are the easiest way into it. Order the $16 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva, or splurge on the $35 Caparzo Brunello with the braised lamb ossobuco. Confirm vintages and availability, since the list is marked October 2026. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Decatur · Decatur · Italian, Mediterranean
Café Lily is your dependable Decatur neighborhood restaurant that happens to take its wine seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator nod — nothing flashy, but never a disappointment. Go on a Tuesday, order the lamb, and let the half-price wine night do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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