Italian Soul, Solid Glass, Fair Price
· New Haven · Modern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Casanova’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Casanova reads like it was built by someone who actually likes Italian food — there's a clear through-line of Italian regional wines anchoring things, with just enough international cameos to keep everyone at the table happy. At 55 labels and 16 by-the-glass options, this is not a throwaway wine program. It's not a rabbit hole either, but it's doing more than most modern Italian spots in Connecticut.
The Italian core is legit: La Spinetta Timarosso from Piedmont, Barba Montepulciano from Abruzzo, Regaleali Nero d'Avola from Sicily, and Argiano Non Confunditur from Montalcino give this list some real geographic range without turning into a textbook. There's also a genuine nod to Italian whites — Velenosi Pecorino and Banfi Vermentino aren't the usual Pinot Grigio crutch plays. The bottle list stretches from a $44 entry point all the way to Cristal at $900, which means the room is covering both the Tuesday pasta crowd and the celebration table. The gaps are mostly in the middle — there's not much between the everyday Italian producers and the Champagne trophy shelf.
Sixteen by-the-glass options is a genuinely strong number, and the range is better than expected — you can go sparkling (Schramsberg at $18), light Italian white (Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio at $12), rosé (Fattoria Sardi at $16), big red (Bloodlines Cab at $19), or finish with Antinori Vin Santo at $18 or Verdines Sauternes at $14. The dessert wine options by the glass are a real differentiator — most restaurants in this category don't bother. Rotation cadence is unclear, but the current lineup is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Regaleali Nero d'Avola — $12/glass
Twelve dollars for a Tasca d'Almerita wine from Sicily is a straight-up win. Nero d'Avola at this price point almost never comes from a producer worth respecting — Regaleali changes that math entirely.
Verdines Sauternes
Most people skip the dessert wine section entirely, and that's a mistake here. Sauternes by the glass at $14 is genuinely rare on a restaurant list — order it with something rich and don't overthink it.
Bloodlines Cabernet Sauvignon
At $19 a glass, Bloodlines Cab is the priciest pour on the list and the most generic. It's a fine wine, but in a room full of Italian producers with actual stories, paying top dollar for a California supermarket brand feels like ordering pasta with jarred sauce.
La Spinetta Timarosso + Pasta with braised meat ragù
Timorasso is a high-acid, structured white from Piedmont that can actually stand up to a slow-cooked meat sauce without getting bulldozed — an unconventional move that works better than any Chianti Classico you'd default to.
The Bottom Line
Casanova's wine list is doing the quiet work well — Italian-forward, fairly priced, and broader than its 55-label count suggests. Send a friend here knowing they won't get gouged and won't be bored.
· New Haven · Italian
Strega is the kind of spot where the wine list is doing real work to serve the food, not just fill a binder — and for a small Italian in New Haven, that earns genuine respect. We'd send a friend here for a date night without hesitation, with the caveat that the bill will climb fast if you're not watching the glass.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Ninth Square / Downtown · New Haven · Chilean-inspired wine bar with Chilean, Mexican and Spanish-style tapas
Viñas is punching well above its weight class for a downtown wine bar, and the Chilean-focused list is genuinely worth your attention. If you care about South American wine at all, this is the most interesting pour in New Haven right now.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · Japanese, Sushi, Asian Fusion
Miso is a sushi restaurant first and a wine destination never — but the Monday half-price bottle program and a well-placed Riesling keep it from falling into Lazy List territory. Come for the food, drink the Riesling, and show up on a Monday if you can.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · Japanese / Sushi
Kamakura Sushi is a solid neighborhood sushi spot and you should absolutely go — just order sake, beer, or a soft drink and leave the wine list alone. The wine program exists in name only, and no amount of goodwill toward the kitchen changes that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
City Point / Waterfront · New Haven · Outdoor Seafood Grill
Shell & Bones is a reliable wine destination by New Haven waterfront standards — solid list, a sommelier on staff, and a happy hour that rewards the early arrivals. The markup stings a bit at full price, but the setting forgives a lot.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown / Yale · New Haven · New American Hotel Restaurant
Heirloom is a hotel restaurant that quietly decided fortified and dessert wines were worth caring about, and that instinct alone makes it worth a detour. Don't come for a deep red wine list — come for the Tawnies, the Ben Rye, and the Madeira, and let the kitchen take care of the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Northside / Downtown edge · Iowa City · Modern Italian
Basta isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't need to be — it's a fun downtown Italian spot with a reliable-enough list and one of the best recurring happy hour deals in Iowa City. Show up between 4 and 6, drink the Soave, eat the pizza, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · Flagstaff · Modern Italian
Teatro is the kind of wine program that punches so far above its weight class for a Northern Arizona mountain town that it borders on absurd. If you care about Italian wine, make the reservation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Central Boca · Boca Raton · Modern Italian
Novello is a genuinely good wine list for Boca Raton — Italian-focused, with real depth at the top end — but the markups and the static glass program hold it back from being truly exciting. Go for the Amarone or the Super Tuscans; skip the Napa cult bottles unless someone else is paying.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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