South Florida's Italian wine list done right
Aventura · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Casa D'Angelo’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Casa D'Angelo arrives like a serious statement — 350 to 500 bottles deep, anchored in Tuscany and Piedmont, with names that make Italian wine nerds sit up straight. This is not a list assembled by someone who called a distributor and said 'just send the usual.' Someone here actually cares.
The Italian spine is the real story: Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello anchor the Super Tuscan section, while Biondi-Santi Brunello and Giacomo Conterno Barolo bring serious old-world credibility to the Piedmont and Montalcino corners. Dal Forno Romano's Amarone is one of the most uncompromising bottles in all of Valpolicella, and the fact that it's here tells you this list isn't just chasing brand recognition. California gets a seat at the table too — Caymus Cab and Far Niente Chardonnay cater to the South Florida crowd who want something familiar — but Italy is clearly where the heart is. The gaps, if any, are likely in natural wine and non-Italian European depth, but that's not really the point of this room.
With 20 to 35 options by the glass and prices running $14 to $30, the pour program is genuinely broad for an upscale Italian dining room. That range suggests real rotation rather than a token four-bottle tray. Sommelier Enrique Mendoza running the floor means the glass selections are likely curated with intention, not just whatever needs to move.
Tignanello (Antinori) — $60+
Tignanello is one of the founding Super Tuscans and still one of the most accessible entry points into serious Italian red at this level — if the by-the-glass or lower-tier bottle pricing hits the floor of the range, it's the smartest pour in the room.
Amarone della Valpolicella (Dal Forno Romano)
Dal Forno's Amarone is brutally intense, age-worthy, and wildly underordered at most restaurants because guests default to the Tuscans. That's a mistake. This is one of Italy's most singular bottles and it deserves the spotlight.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a perfectly fine Napa Cab, but at a restaurant with this Italian depth, ordering it is like going to Tokyo for sushi and ordering a California roll. You're also paying a significant markup on a wine available everywhere — save that budget for the Brunello.
Barolo (Giacomo Conterno) + Osso buco
Conterno's Barolo brings that classic tar-and-roses structure with enough acid and tannin to cut through the richness of braised veal shank. It's a textbook match and one of the great regional pairings in all of Italian cuisine.
The Bottom Line
Casa D'Angelo is the kind of Italian wine list that actually earns its white tablecloths — deep in the regions that matter, staffed by someone who knows what they're talking about, and serious enough to land a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. The markups will sting, but if you're going to splurge on an Italian bottle in South Florida, this is where you do it.
· West Palm Beach · Italian
Sant Ambroeus Palm Beach is a reliable, if unambitious, wine experience — Italy and France, done cleanly, priced for Royal Poinciana Way. If you're here for the scene, the truffle pizza, and a glass of something Italian and uncomplicated, it delivers. Just don't come looking for value or discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Newark · Italian
Five Corners has stocked four respectable Italian reds and essentially stopped there. Without pricing, pour options, or a list that can accommodate the full table, it's hard to call this a wine program — it's more like a wine shelf. Come for the Italian cooking; manage your expectations on the wine side.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Italian
Sotto Sotto is a genuinely Italian wine list in a city that usually settles for Italian-American approximations — the Timorasso, the Lambrusco di Sorbara, the Franciacorta all signal real intent. The glass program is accessible, markups are reasonable, and the bubbles section alone justifies a visit. If you want depth across all of Italy, you'll hit the edges fast at 68 labels, but what's here is well-chosen. Send a friend who likes to drink something they've never heard of.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
