Old World Royalty on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Caravaggio Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Caravaggio lands like a greatest-hits album for Italian wine nerds — Giacomo Conterno Barolo, Biondi-Santi Brunello, Gaja Barbaresco, all in one place, all under one roof on East 74th Street. This is a serious list built by people who take Italy seriously. Wine Spectator has handed them a Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2010, and one look at the cellar tells you why.
Tuscany and Piedmont are the twin engines here, and they run hot. You've got the full Super Tuscan murderers' row — Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia, Tignanello — alongside Brunello heavyweights from Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri. The Piedmont contingent is just as formidable, with Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa Barolo sitting alongside Gaja Barbaresco. Beyond Italy, they've rounded out the list with Champagne (Krug, Cristal), Bordeaux (Château Margaux), Burgundy (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), and California (Opus One, Caymus Special Selection) — smart additions that make this a full-service cellar without losing its Italian identity. The 400-600 bottle depth means there's real discovery to be had, not just the same ten trophy bottles every UES Italian trot out.
With 15-25 pours available, the by-the-glass program is genuinely generous for a room this formal. You're not getting DRC by the glass, but the Italian selections rotate through quality producers that let you taste the list without committing to a full bottle at trophy-wine prices. Ask Giuseppe Bruno or Manny Parades what's open — these two know their stuff and won't steer you wrong.
Amarone della Valpolicella, Allegrini — $130
Allegrini's Amarone is a legitimate powerhouse — rich, structured, age-worthy — and in a list full of four-figure bottles, it's the one that lets you drink at the level of the room without the credit card guilt. Order it with anything braised on the menu.
Brunello di Montalcino, Casanova di Neri
Everyone reaching for Biondi-Santi is paying for the legend. Casanova di Neri is making some of the most consistent, layered Brunello in Montalcino right now — it's in the same conversation and frequently overlooked next to the famous names on this list.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus Special Selection is a fine wine, but it's also one of the most marked-up bottles in the country at restaurants like this. You're at a serious Italian cellar — drink Italian. There are a dozen bottles on this list that will outperform Caymus at this price point and actually fit the room.
Barolo, Bruno Giacosa + Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Giacosa's Barolo brings tar, roses, and serious tannic structure that cuts right through the guanciale fat and tomato richness in the Amatriciana. It's a classicist move that works every time — old-school Italian wine meeting old-school Italian pasta.
The Bottom Line
Caravaggio is the real deal — a genuinely deep Italian cellar staffed by people who give a damn, in a setting that earns its formal reputation. Markups are what you'd expect for the Upper East Side, so come with a plan and lean hard into the Italian selections where the list truly shines.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
Buckhead · Atlanta · Italian
Cucina Baci earns its place as a reliable neighborhood Italian — the kind of spot where the wine list won't blow your mind but it won't embarrass you either. If you're going for the pizza, the pasta, and the warm room energy, order something Italian and red and let the evening do the work. We'd want a full look at the list before calling it anything more than that.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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