Casa Mono
Spain's Greatest Hits, No Filler
Gramercy · New York · Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Casa Mono reads like someone actually loves Spain — not just Rioja and Albariño, but the weird, the old, and the genuinely great. This isn't a list built to move safe bottles; it's built to make you rethink what Spanish wine can do. The depth here would embarrass restaurants twice the size.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 150-250 bottles deep and stays almost entirely within the Iberian Peninsula, which sounds limiting until you realize how much ground that covers. Rioja is well-stocked with producers like CVNE Imperial and Vega Sicilia anchoring the top tier, while Priorat gets serious representation via Alvaro Palacios' L'Ermita. Ribera del Duero checks in with Dominio de Pingus — not easy to find on a restaurant list anywhere. What really separates this from other Spanish lists is the attention to the edges: Envinate's Tenerife selections from the Canary Islands and Telmo Rodriguez's work across multiple Spanish regions add genuine range for anyone willing to explore past the obvious.
By the Glass
With 12-20 options by the glass, Casa Mono gives you enough to build a full progression through dinner without committing to a bottle. Expect Sherry to anchor the opening pours — smart given the tapas format — alongside Galician whites and a rotating cast of reds from Rioja and Ribera. The glass program feels curated, not just leftovers from what they can't sell by the bottle.
CVNE Imperial Rioja Reserva — $85
Imperial Reserva consistently punches above its price class — structured, age-worthy Rioja from one of the appellation's most reliable producers. In a room where bottles climb fast, this is your anchor.
Envinate Tenerife
Most people skip past Canary Islands wine without a second thought, which is exactly why you shouldn't. Envinate is making some of the most exciting, high-altitude volcanic wine in Spain right now — textural, savory, and completely unlike anything else on the list.
Vega Sicilia Unico
Yes, it's iconic. Yes, it's one of Spain's greatest wines. But restaurant markup on trophy bottles like Unico is punishing — you're paying a significant premium for the story as much as the wine. If that's your move, great. If you're here to drink well and smartly, the money goes further elsewhere on this list.
Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Priorat + Confit Goat
L'Ermita is rich, concentrated, and built around old-vine Garnacha with serious mineral backbone from the llicorella slate soils of Priorat. Confit goat brings that same depth of fat and savory intensity — the wine's structure cuts through without overwhelming the dish. It's a big swing, but this is the right room for it.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Casa Mono is the rare restaurant where the wine list is as much a reason to go as the food. The markups sting on the high end, but the depth, the curation, and the staff who actually know this stuff make it one of the best Spanish wine experiences in New York.
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