Italy Done Right, From Piedmont to Sicily
East Larchmont Village · Los Angeles · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Antico Nuovo lands with the same intention as the room itself — considered, rooted, and not trying too hard. You flip through 200-plus bottles and immediately clock that someone who actually knows Italian wine built this list. It's not a Greatest Hits of Pinot Grigio and Chianti; it's a love letter to the regions that matter.
Piedmont and Sicily anchor the list with serious depth — we're talking Barolo and Barbaresco from Giacomo Conterno and Gaja sitting alongside Etna Rosso and Nero d'Avola from Arianna Occhipinti and Cos. That's not an accident; that's a sommelier with a point of view. Brunello di Montalcino adds Tuscan gravity, while France shows up through Burgundy and the Rhône to round things out without overreaching. The gaps are few: if you're hunting New World or anything outside the Italian-French axis, you're at the wrong restaurant — and honestly, that's fine.
Twenty to thirty by-the-glass options is generous for a restaurant of this size, and the price range of $14–$22 is reasonable for Los Angeles. With Haley James running the wine program, the glass pours reflect the same regional intelligence as the bottle list — expect Sicilian and Piedmontese options that you won't find at your average neighborhood Italian spot.
Arianna Occhipinti Nero d'Avola (Sicily) — $14-$22 by the glass
Occhipinti's natural-leaning Sicilian reds punch well above their price point — earthy, structured, and genuinely interesting. Getting this by the glass at Antico Nuovo's price range is a win.
Cos (Sicily)
Cos is one of Sicily's benchmark producers — amphora-aged, low-intervention, historically significant — and most tables will walk right past it to grab the Barolo. Don't. It's the kind of bottle that changes how you think about the island.
Gaja Barbaresco
Gaja makes extraordinary wine. It also carries extraordinary restaurant markup. At the top of the bottle price range here, you can drink exceptionally well elsewhere on this list without paying the Gaja premium. Save the Gaja for a special occasion — or buy it retail.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Wood-fired meats from the hand-cranked rotisserie
Conterno Barolo is built for exactly this: smoke, char, and serious protein. The wine's structure and tar-and-roses character cuts through rich rotisserie meat in a way that makes both the food and the wine taste like they were waiting for each other.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Antico Nuovo's wine list earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — this is one of the better Italian-focused programs in Los Angeles, run by someone who clearly cares. Send a friend here for wine without hesitation.
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French-inspired, New American
Perch is a place people go for the view, the scene, and the Instagram moment — the wine list knows this and doesn't try very hard. Order something simple, enjoy the skyline, and save your serious wine drinking for a restaurant that wants to earn it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Upscale Italian, Seafood
Marino is a reliable, well-curated Italian wine list that earns its stripes on selection and staff knowledge, even if the pricing makes you wince on the everyday bottles. Send a friend here for the Guidalberto and the Franciacorta — just steer them away from anything under $60.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Neapolitan Italian, Pizza
Da Michele's wine list is narrow by design and better for it — a focused, fairly priced tour through Southern Italy that most pizza spots in LA wouldn't dare attempt. If you're even mildly curious about Campanian wine, this is one of the better excuses in the city to start learning.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Seafood
Water Grill is a reliable choice for serious wine with serious seafood — the list is deep enough to reward exploration, and the sommelier presence means you can actually ask for help. The markups sting, but this is Downtown LA and you knew that walking in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Bel-Air · Los Angeles · Modern Californian with European/Mediterranean influences
This is a serious wine list dressed in a garden party — the depth is real, the sommelier is engaged, and if you're willing to pay the Bel-Air premium, the experience delivers. Just go in knowing the bill will reflect the hedge-lined address.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Beverly Grove / West Hollywood · Los Angeles · Greek / Mediterranean
Kassi Club is a party restaurant with a wine list that punches above its vibe — if you ignore the markup and order Greek, you're going to drink well. Send a friend here specifically to work through the indigenous varietals; just tell them to skip the Chablis.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Provo · Provo · Italian
La Dolce Vita earns its stripes as a dependable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that actually respects the cuisine it's serving. It's not a destination wine program, but in Provo, it's one of the better options on the table — and that house pour at $4 a glass is almost disarmingly honest.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Odessa Retail Corridor · Odessa · Italian
The wine list at Olive Garden Odessa does exactly what Olive Garden's wine list is supposed to do — it's inoffensive, familiar, and gets out of the way of the breadsticks. If you're here for a serious glass of wine, you're in the wrong zip code.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lakeland · Lakeland · Italian
Carrabba's isn't where you go to discover wine, but it's where you go to drink something decent without getting ripped off. Send a friend here if they want a familiar Italian night with a glass that makes sense — just steer them toward the Italian side of the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.