Upper East Side's Italian Wine Fortress
Upper East Side · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bella Blu hits like a greatest-hits album of Italian and California wine — Gaja, Biondi-Santi, Sassicaia, Kistler all in one place, and it's not even trying to show off. This is a list built by someone who actually cares, not a hotel beverage manager padding margins. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, and walking through these pages, you understand why.
Three to four hundred bottles anchored in the two regions that matter most here: Italy and California. On the Italian side, the Barolo section alone is worth the visit — Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja sitting side by side, plus Brunello representation from Biondi-Santi and Poggio di Sotto for when you want to spend the evening in Montalcino without leaving Lexington Avenue. Super Tuscans get their own real estate too: Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello are all present, which is the Italian trifecta most lists only partially pull off. California holds its own with Ridge, Stag's Leap, and Kistler rounding out a program that clearly has a point of view.
Twenty to thirty options by the glass puts Bella Blu well above average for the Upper East Side, where most Italian spots phone it in with six Pinot Grigios and a house Chianti. Prices run $12–$25 a glass, which is honest for this zip code. We'd love to see more rotation to keep regulars guessing, but the core selection is genuinely good.
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon — $45–$65 (bottle estimate)
Ridge consistently punches above its price tier in California Cab, and in a list that leans toward Sassicaia-level spending, it's your anchor to sanity — serious wine without the serious damage.
Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino
Most tables here reach for the Biondi-Santi name recognition, which means Poggio di Sotto — one of Montalcino's most precise, age-worthy producers — often gets overlooked. Don't be that table.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also on every list in every city at a price point that reflects its marketing budget more than its terroir. With Dal Forno Romano and Giacomo Conterno on the same list, this is the safe choice for people who aren't really looking.
Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella + Caesar Salad followed by Pizza
Hear us out — Amarone's dried-fruit intensity and earthy depth play surprisingly well against a table that starts with the richness of a proper Caesar and moves into the char and salt of their pizza. It's a big wine for a meal that earns it.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Bella Blu is one of the better Italian wine lists in a city with no shortage of competition — sommelier Giuseppe Di Benedetto has assembled something that rewards serious exploration. Markups aren't shy, but the depth and the care behind this program make it worth opening your wallet a little wider than usual.
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Village · New York · American
Cecchi's is first and foremost a bar, but the wine list is more serious than the neon and noise suggest. Steep markups are the main ding — but if you know what to order, there's real pleasure here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Steak House, Small Plates
The Corner Store is a reliable, well-credentialed wine list doing exactly what a good SoHo steakhouse should — France and California, done with intention, in a room that makes you want to order another bottle. Just watch the markup on the big Bordeaux names and let the Rhône or Burgundy side show you a better time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Tribeca · New York · American
Farra is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood wine bar, and the Wine Spectator nod is earned — just know that the serious bottles come with serious prices, and the no-sommelier setup means you're doing some of the navigating yourself. Worth it for anyone who knows what they want; potentially overwhelming for those who don't.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
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.