Boardwalk Italian With Serious Wine Credentials
Atlantic City Boardwalk · Atlantic City · Italian
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Capriccio’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Capriccio and the wine list feels like the room — white tablecloths, ocean views, a sense that someone here actually tried. The 200-plus bottle list leans hard into California and Italy, which tracks for a classic Italian steakhouse on the Jersey Shore. This isn't a risk-taker's list, but it's not an embarrassment either.
The California-Italy axis is well-executed: you've got Sassicaia and Tignanello on the Super Tuscan side, Brunello and Barolo representing the traditional Italian heavyweights, and a solid California contingent anchored by Caymus, Silver Oak, Opus One, and Far Niente. The list has held a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2017, and you can feel that institutional care — there's actual thought behind the producer choices, even if the overall selection doesn't push into adventurous territory. Don't come looking for Jura or Georgian amber wines; this list is built for people who know what they like and want to find it done well. Gaps exist in the Southern Hemisphere and anywhere off the beaten path, but within its lane, Capriccio delivers.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a respectable spread for a restaurant of this size, and options like the Cakebread Chardonnay and Duckhorn Chardonnay give the white wine side some real credibility. We'd like to see more rotation and a few curveballs — a Barolo or a Tignanello by the glass would turn this section from good to great.
Antinori Tignanello Toscana 2020 — $45
Tignanello retails north of $80 in most markets, so $45 a glass (or a competitive bottle price) at a boardwalk restaurant with ocean views is genuinely solid. This is the wine that earns Capriccio its Wine Spectator cred.
Gaja Barbaresco 2021
Most tables here are ordering Caymus and Silver Oak on autopilot, which means the Gaja Barbaresco sits quietly on the list waiting for someone paying attention. One of the most compelling producers in all of Piedmont, and at $38 a glass it's the smartest pour on the menu.
Opus One Napa Valley 2020
At $95 a glass, Opus One is always a flex purchase more than a value decision — you're paying for the name as much as the wine. The Tignanello or Sassicaia will give you a more interesting experience for less money.
Sassicaia Bolgheri 2021 + Veal Chop Parmesan
Sassicaia's Cabernet-forward structure and savory dried herb character cut right through the richness of a veal chop without steamrolling the meat. It's the kind of pairing that makes the food taste better and the wine taste better — that's the whole point.
Tuesday — Half-price wine night on Tuesdays — a legitimate reason to plan your AC trip around the mid-week calendar.
The Bottom Line
Capriccio isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's a genuinely solid list for what it is — an upscale Italian on the Atlantic City Boardwalk with real producers, fair prices, and a Tuesday half-price night that's worth planning around. If you're already there for the osso buco, you're in good hands.
· Atlantic City · Cocktail Lounge
Nola's is a genuinely fun place to spend a late night on the Atlantic City Boardwalk — the atmosphere earns its stripes. But if wine is why you're sitting down, you're in the wrong seat. Order a cocktail, enjoy the music, and save your serious wine budget for somewhere that's thought harder about the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlantic City · New American / Wine Bar
The Iron Room is the kind of wine-forward bar Atlantic City doesn't know it needs — cozy, staffed by people who care, and refreshingly serious about what's in the glass. If you're in AC and want something other than $14 Pinot Grigio at a casino bar, this is your move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
Golden Nugget Casino · Atlantic City · Steakhouse
Vic & Anthony's is a competent casino steakhouse wine list — it won't embarrass you and it won't thrill you. If you're already there for the steak, grab the Siduri by the glass and don't look too hard at the markups.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Margate City · Atlantic City · Seafood / New American
Steve & Cookie's isn't a wine destination, but it's a solid spot to drink reasonably well alongside excellent seafood and a live jazz soundtrack. If you're going Monday through Thursday, get there early and hit the bar before your table.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Atlantic City · Atlantic City · Mediterranean / Italian
Sofia isn't a wine destination, but it's a better-than-expected list for the Shore — especially if you lean into the Greek selections that nobody else around here is bothering with. The markups on the California staples will sting, so go Greek and drink smarter.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlantic City · Italian
Café 2825 is a celebration restaurant with a wine list to match — trophy Champagnes, premium California whites, and a few smart Italian picks that reward anyone who looks past the obvious. Prices likely reflect the occasion more than the liquid, but if you're in Atlantic City for a big night, there are worse places to pop a bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kahala · Honolulu · Italian
Arancino at The Kahala is doing something genuinely unusual for a hotel-adjacent Italian restaurant in Hawaii — it's built a list around obscure Northern Italian producers that most diners won't recognize, and that's exactly the point. Markups are on the steeper side and we can't vouch for glassware or staff knowledge from the available data, but the wine selection itself earns respect. If you know your Nebbiolo from your Barbera, this list rewards attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Overland Park · Italian
Brio Overland Park's wine list is a functional, crowd-pleasing program that won't offend anyone and won't excite anyone either. If you're here for a work dinner or a low-stakes birthday, you'll find something drinkable — just go in with measured expectations and maybe steer toward the Italian bottles before defaulting to the California heavyweights.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · Italian
Villa Lulu is a genuinely appealing Italian restaurant with food worth showing up for — Branzino Puttanesca and Squid Ink Linguini are the kind of dishes that deserve a decent Sicilian white alongside them. The wine program has the right regional bones, but until they put a real list online, we're recommending the restaurant with a side of cautious optimism on the wine. Ask your server what's on by the glass, and keep an eye out for that half-price wine promotion if it's still running — unconfirmed, but worth asking about.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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