Neighborhood Pasta Joint With a Real Wine Soul
Point Loma / Loma Portal · San Diego · Italian Trattoria · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Cesarina’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into what looks like a cheerful neighborhood pasta spot on Voltaire Street and then you actually read the wine list — and something doesn't add up in the best possible way. A private-label Tuscan Chianti sitting next to a Damijan Podversic Ribolla Gialla is not what most Point Loma trattorias are doing. Someone here genuinely cares.
The list runs 80 to 120 bottles deep and stays laser-focused on Italy, which is exactly the right call for a pasta-driven kitchen. Tuscany anchors the list, but there's real range: Lombardy shows up via a serious Sforzato from Valtellina, and Friuli gets a seat at the table with one of the more interesting natural-leaning producers in Italy today. Boutique, ethically sourced producers are a stated priority, and the selections back that up — this isn't a list built around Italian brand names you'd find at a chain Italian restaurant. The gaps are real — you won't find much outside Italy, and depth in southern Italian regions could be stronger — but the intentionality more than compensates.
Twelve to twenty options by the glass at $12–$24 is a solid spread for this neighborhood and price point. The range tracks the bottle list well, meaning you're not stuck with generic house pours while the interesting stuff sits out of reach. No formal rotation or active BTG program was evident, which is the one missed opportunity on an otherwise thoughtful list.
Bellissimo Chianti (Cesarina Private Label) — $12
A house-label Chianti sourced directly from Tuscany is a rare move for a neighborhood trattoria — it signals the owners went out of their way to control quality at the entry point. At the low end of the BTG price range, this is the no-brainer pour for a weeknight pasta dinner.
Alfio Mozzi Sforzato 2013
Sforzato di Valtellina is one of Italy's most underappreciated wine styles — it's made from partially dried Nebbiolo grapes grown on steep Alpine terraces in Lombardy, and it's nothing like a standard Nebbiolo. The 2013 vintage has had a decade to settle into something genuinely compelling. Most tables here will walk right past it. Don't be most tables.
Damijan Podversic Ribolla Gialla 2017
Damijan is a legitimately great producer and the Ribolla Gialla is a serious orange wine — but at this price point and in this context, it's a wine that rewards people who already know what they're getting into. If you're ordering it expecting a crisp white to go with your cacio e pepe, you're going to be confused. It's not a skip for everyone, but it's an easy way to spend money on something you won't enjoy if you don't know the reference.
Bellissimo Chianti (Cesarina Private Label) + Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe is rich and peppery with an almost aggressive savoriness, and a medium-bodied Chianti with its natural acidity cuts right through the fat without overpowering the dish. It's a classic Roman-Tuscan handshake and it works every time.
The Bottom Line
Cesarina is punching well above its weight class as a neighborhood trattoria — a sommelier on staff, a private-label Tuscan Chianti, and a Damijan Podversic on the list are not things you expect to find next to a build-your-own pasta menu in Point Loma. Send your friends here, order the pasta, and let the staff point you somewhere interesting on the list.
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