Arethusa al tavolo

Walking into Arethusa al tavolo, you half-expect a wine list that coasts on the restaurant's farm-to-table charm — but the list has actual ambition. France and California anchor things firmly, and with 150-plus bottles and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023, this is not a list someone phoned in. It's a focused, serious program that fits the room.

The list leans hard into French Burgundy and California heavyweights — Louis Jadot anchors the accessible end of France, while the presence of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti signals that whoever built this list wasn't playing it safe. California gets the full star treatment: Kistler Chardonnay, Ridge Monte Bello, Joseph Phelps Insignia, and Caymus Cabernet give you a greatest-hits tour of the state's best producers. It's not the deepest list in New England — you won't find obscure Jura or Georgian orange wines here — but within its lane it's well-curated. The gap is everywhere outside France and California; if you're hoping for Rioja or Barossa, look elsewhere.

With 10-16 pours available, the by-the-glass program is respectable for a restaurant of this size in rural Connecticut. Expect the usual suspects in a good way — something from Burgundy, a California Chardonnay or Cab, maybe a crowd-friendly Rosé. Don't expect the list to rotate aggressively or surprise you week to week; this feels like a set-and-forget program rather than one with a team obsessing over new additions.