Italian Classics Done Right, Steps From The Beach
Siesta Key · Sarasota · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Café Gabbiano’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Café Gabbiano, the wine list feels like it was curated by someone who genuinely loves Italy — and California enough to give it a proper seat at the table. It's not the longest list in Florida, but it reads with intention: Antinori, Gaja, Sassicaia, and a handful of Napa heavyweights all showing up like they were invited specifically. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 tracks here — this isn't a restaurant that phoned in the wine program.
The Italian backbone is the real story: Super Tuscans dominate the prestige tier with Tignanello, Solaia, and Sassicaia all present, while Brunello di Montalcino gets serious representation through Banfi and Biondi-Santi. Gaja's Barbaresco and Barolo bring the Piedmont contingent, which is exactly what you want when the pasta hits the table. California holds its own with Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, and Stag's Leap — crowd favorites, sure, but well-chosen crowd favorites. The list runs 150-250 bottles, which is enough range to reward explorers without overwhelming anyone just looking for a good glass of Sangiovese.
The by-the-glass program offers 12-20 options, which is a respectable count for a restaurant this size. We'd expect the pours to lean into the Italian focus, though the specific glass selections aren't fully enumerated — sommelier Kris Pierce is on hand to steer you right if the list leaves you guessing. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect weekly surprises.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $60
Jordan reliably punches above its retail price in restaurant settings, and at the lower end of this list's range it offers genuine Napa structure without the Caymus premium. A smart order when you want California without wincing at the check.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Most tables at a beachside Italian spot in Florida are reaching for the Caymus or Tignanello — the Banfi Brunello quietly sits there offering serious Sangiovese Grosso complexity at a fraction of the Biondi-Santi price. It's the sleeper pick on this list.
Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, and restaurant markups on it are almost universally painful. You're paying for the name recognition more than anything else, and this list gives you better California options for the money.
Antinori Tignanello + Truffle Ravioli
Tignanello's Sangiovese-Cabernet blend has enough earthy depth and firm acidity to stand up to the richness of truffle without burying it — it's essentially made for this moment. Don't overthink it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Café Gabbiano is a reliable, well-run wine program at a genuinely lovely beachside Italian spot — the Italian list is the real draw, the staff knows their stuff, and if you stay focused on Tuscany and Piedmont, you'll eat and drink very well. Markups keep it from being a rager, but we'd absolutely send a friend here.
Sarasota · Sarasota · Steak house
Alpine Steakhouse isn't trying to reinvent the wine list, and it doesn't need to — this is a dependable, California-forward program that does its job well in a room built for red wine and red meat. If you're in Sarasota and want a straightforward, satisfying wine experience with your steak, this is a safe and genuinely pleasant bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Siesta Key · Sarasota · American
Summer House earns its Wine Spectator credential by not messing anything up — the California list is competent, the setting earns the experience, and the classics hit their marks. Just don't come looking for discovery; come looking for a good glass of Cab with a great piece of steak on a warm Florida night.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lakewood Ranch · Sarasota · Italian
Osteria 500 is doing the right things with wine in a market that doesn't always demand it — focused Italian list, fair prices, and enough depth to reward the curious. Send your friends here if they want a proper Italian dinner with a bottle worth talking about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Sarasota · Sarasota · Asian Noodle
Come for the artisan noodles, skip the wine entirely. This is a beer and tea spot that happens to have a few bottles gathering dust. Order the cocktails if you need something beyond lager.
Grocery Store
Steep
Stemless Casual
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · Coastal American
Jack Dusty won't blow your mind, but it won't ruin your dinner either. Come for the view, order something crisp and white with your fish, and don't overthink it—this is resort wine drinking, not wine geek territory.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Stemless Casual
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · Contemporary American
Patio Sarasota isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be. Come for the atmosphere, order something cold and white, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Stemless Casual
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mountain Road · Stowe · Italian
Trattoria La Festa is not a destination for the wine list — it's a destination for the atmosphere, the pasta, and crucially, Wednesday night, when every bottle under $100 goes half-price and suddenly a $50 Antinori feels like a very smart midweek decision. Go on a Wednesday, order the Bramito, and stop overthinking it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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