Old World Royalty on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
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.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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