Old-school swagger with a serious cellar
Greenwich Village · New York · American, Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Carbone’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Carbone arrives like the room itself — confident, a little intimidating, and dressed to impress. Five hundred to seven hundred selections, anchored in Italy and California, with enough serious bottles to make a collector lean forward in their red leather booth. This is not a list assembled by committee; someone here genuinely cares.
Tuscany and Piedmont are the clear obsessions, and the depth is real: Biondi-Santi Brunello, Giacomo Conterno and Bartolo Mascarello Baroli, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Tignanello, Quintarelli Amarone, and Gaja Barbaresco all share the same pages. California gets its due with Ridge Monte Bello, Opus One, and Caymus, and France shows up with DRC anchoring the prestige tier. The gaps are minor — adventurous drinkers looking for natural wine or off-the-beaten-path regions will find slim pickings — but that's not the point of this list. The point is Italian excellence executed at full volume.
Around twenty to thirty options by the glass, which is generous for a program this focused on bottle-driven collecting. The pours skew toward accessible Italian and Californian crowd-pleasers rather than the heavy hitters, which is smart — it keeps the experience inclusive without diluting the list's serious reputation. We'd love to see a few more adventurous selections rotated through.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2020 — $320
At a room where bottles regularly crest $500-$1000, Vietti's Castiglione is the entry point into serious Barolo without committing to a mortgage payment. It's a structured, classic Nebbiolo from one of the Langhe's most reliable producers — and it makes the spicy rigatoni vodka situation considerably more interesting.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Ama
Everyone's eyes go straight to the Barolo and Brunello sections, but Castello di Ama's Riserva is the quiet overachiever on this list. It's Sangiovese at its most polished — earthy, precise, built for the table — and it won't require a conversation with your accountant before ordering.
Opus One 2018
At $550, you're paying a significant premium for a bottle you can find anywhere, attached to a name that sells itself. Opus One is a fine wine, but it's also one of the most reliably marked-up labels on any restaurant list in America. The money moves further here — spend it on the Barolo side of the menu.
Sassicaia 2019 + Veal Parmesan
Yes, it's a flex — but Sassicaia's Cabernet-Sangiovese backbone, with its dark fruit and firm structure, cuts through the richness of the breaded veal and tomato sauce in a way that feels almost designed for this room. If you're going to do Carbone properly, this is the combination.
The Bottom Line
Carbone's wine program is the real deal — a Best of Award of Excellence since 2018 that actually earns the credential rather than coasting on it. Markups are steep and unapologetically so, but the depth, the staff knowledge, and the sheer quality of what's in this cellar make it worth the splurge if Italian wine is your religion.
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
Austin · Austin · American, Italian
Sammie's is a genuinely fun room with a wine list that's earned its Wine Spectator hardware — the Italian depth is real, the sommelier knows her stuff, and Monday half-price bottles might be the best deal in Austin. Just go in knowing the markups lean steep, and let Jenny point you toward the plays that aren't on the tourist track.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas · American, Italian
Alexxa's is a Strip restaurant doing Strip things — great location, recognizable bottles, pricing that reflects the real estate. If you're here for fountain views and a glass of Cakebread, you'll be genuinely happy; if you're hunting for value or adventure, look elsewhere.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Houston · Houston · American, Italian
Milton's is the kind of neighborhood trattoria that surprises you — the room says casual pasta night, the wine list quietly whispers Biondi-Santi. If you care about Italian wine and you're in Houston, it's worth a reservation just to explore the bottle list.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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