Red Sauce Comfort, Wine List Not So Much
North End · Bridgeport · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Capri reads like the shelf at a mid-tier grocery store — you know every name, and not in a good way. This is a neighborhood Italian-American spot that clearly put its energy into the kitchen, and the wine program reflects exactly that level of priority. Nothing here surprises you, and nothing here is trying to.
The list runs 20–35 bottles covering Italian, California, New Zealand, and Washington — a reasonable geographic spread that somehow still manages to feel thin. The producers skew heavily toward high-volume commercial labels: Kim Crawford, Oyster Bay, Simi, Chateau Ste. Michelle. These aren't bad wines, but they're the kind of bottles you can find at any supermarket, which makes the restaurant markup harder to stomach. There's no real Italian depth here — no Barolo, no Brunello, not even a solid Chianti Classico to anchor the menu's home turf.
You're looking at roughly 6–10 pours by the glass, and the lineup doesn't deviate from the bottle list's commercial comfort zone. Expect the usual suspects — a Sauvignon Blanc or two, probably a Chardonnay, a safe red or three. There's no rotation to speak of; what's on the list today was likely on the list last year.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $9
If you're picking anything off this list, this is your move. Ste. Michelle makes a genuinely good off-dry Riesling at a reasonable retail price, and it's one of the few bottles here that can hold its own against a heavy tomato-based sauce without getting lost.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Nobody orders Riesling at an Italian-American joint, and that's exactly why you should. It's the most food-flexible white on this list and consistently underordered in favor of the Chardonnay reflex.
Simi Chardonnay
A $15 retail bottle that'll likely run you $40+ at the table. Simi makes a perfectly competent Chardonnay, but you're paying a steep premium for the privilege of drinking something you could grab at Stop & Shop on the way over.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Penne alla Vodka
The slight sweetness and bright acidity in the Riesling cuts through the cream and balances the spice in the vodka sauce better than any Chardonnay on this list would. It's a genuinely smart combination that most tables will accidentally overlook.
❌ The Bottom Line
Capri is doing the right things in the kitchen, but the wine list is coasting on name recognition and comfortable margins. Come for the Chicken Parm, order the Riesling, and keep your expectations in check.
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
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Seasonal Rotation
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Crowd Pleasers
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