Antica Sicilia
Sicily in Salt Lake, and It Works
Downtown · Salt Lake City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 2, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The list is lean — somewhere in the 30-60 bottle range — but it lands with intention. Every pour traces back to Sicily or Southern Italy, which in Salt Lake City feels like a genuine point of view rather than a marketing gimmick. Most restaurants here hedge toward California and France; Antica Sicilia doesn't flinch.
Selection Deep Dive
The regional focus is tight: Nero d'Avola, Nerello Mascalese, and Etna Rosso anchor the reds, while Grillo holds it down on the white side. That's the volcanic island canon done right, and it's genuinely rare to find this level of Sicilian specificity anywhere in Utah. The list won't impress anyone hunting aged Barolo or obscure Burgundy, but that's not the point — this is a document built to complement the kitchen. Gaps exist beyond Southern Italy, so if your table has a Riesling person, they're ordering cocktails.
By the Glass
Eight to twelve pours by the glass is a solid showing for a room this size, and the emphasis on Sicilian varietals carries through — expect Nero d'Avola and Grillo to be your primary options rather than the usual Cabernet-Pinot-Chardonnay trifecta. We'd like to see more rotation and a few adventurous additions, but what's here is priced fairly and actually fits the food.
Grillo — $12
Grillo is the working white grape of western Sicily — bright acidity, stone fruit, a saline finish — and it's chronically underpriced relative to what it delivers. By the glass here, it punches well above its ask and makes every seafood dish on the menu better.
Nerello Mascalese
Most tables walk right past this one and grab the Nero d'Avola out of name recognition. Don't. Nerello Mascalese from Etna's slopes is lighter, more complex, and has a haunting minerality that reads almost Burgundian at a fraction of the price. It's the sleeper on this list.
Nero d'Avola
Not because it's bad — it isn't — but because it's the obvious default, the bottle everyone defaults to when they see a Sicilian wine list. With Nerello Mascalese and Etna Rosso sitting right next to it, ordering Nero d'Avola here is like going to a great ramen spot and ordering the plain broth.
Etna Rosso + Polipo Don Pino
Octopus wants acidity and earth, not oak and fruit. Etna Rosso — grown on volcanic soil at elevation — brings both, with enough savory grip to stand up to char without trampling the seafood. This is the pairing the kitchen is quietly hoping you'll make.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Antica Sicilia is doing something genuinely unusual for Salt Lake City: a wine list that actually commits to its culinary identity instead of playing it safe with crowd-pleasing imports. If you care about Sicilian varietals even a little, this is worth your time.
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