Italy's Greatest Hits, Done Right
Downtown Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 20, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Chianti Il Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk in and the wine list reads like a greatest-hits tour of the Italian peninsula — Sassicaia, Tignanello, Brunello, Barolo, all in one place. For Saratoga Springs, that's a legitimately impressive statement. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence they've held since 2016 isn't just a vanity plaque here; the list earns it.
The 150-250 bottle list leans hard into Central and Northern Italy, which is exactly right for a restaurant named after a Tuscan wine region. Super Tuscans anchor the top end — Antinori's Tignanello and Tenuta San Guido's Sassicaia are both present — while Banfi's Brunello di Montalcino and Prunotto's Barolo round out the prestige tier. The everyday-drinking range pulls from reliable producers like Ruffino and Felsina for Chianti Classico Riserva, and Masi or Allegrini for Amarone. What's missing is any meaningful venture outside Italy — if you want something from France or the New World, you're mostly out of luck, but that's a feature, not a bug.
The BTG program runs 12-20 options, which is a solid count for a mid-sized Italian restaurant in upstate New York. Expect the usual Italian suspects — Pinot Grigio from Santa Margherita, a Chianti Classico, probably an Amarone-adjacent red — but don't expect much rotation or surprise. It does the job without breaking any ground.
Chianti Classico Riserva (Felsina) — $55
Felsina's Riserva consistently punches well above its price point — structured Sangiovese with real aging potential that restaurant lists typically mark up into painful territory. At this price range, it's one of the smartest bottles on the list.
Gavi di Gavi (La Scolca)
Most tables at an Italian restaurant default to Pinot Grigio without a second thought. La Scolca's Gavi di Gavi is the smarter white — tighter, more mineral, with actual personality. It flies under the radar here because nobody asks for it by name, but it's the white wine the kitchen's seafood dishes deserve.
Pinot Grigio (Santa Margherita)
Santa Margherita is the Starbucks of Italian white wine — fine, consistent, and wildly overpriced for what it is. Restaurants mark it up aggressively because customers recognize the name. Order the Gavi instead.
Amarone della Valpolicella (Allegrini) + Risotto Amarone
The restaurant literally named a dish after this wine, and they're not wrong. Allegrini's Amarone — dried Corvina grapes, concentrated dark fruit, serious weight — mirrors the richness in the risotto without steamrolling it. It's one of those pairings that makes the dish taste better and the wine taste better simultaneously.
The Bottom Line
Chianti Il Ristorante is the Italian wine list Saratoga Springs deserves — focused, fairly priced, and serious enough about Italy to hold a Wine Spectator credential for nearly a decade. It won't blow your mind with discovery, but it will reliably deliver a great bottle to go with your pasta.
Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Casual Italian
Wheatfields is a reliable neighborhood Italian stop, and the wine list does exactly what it needs to — it covers the room without taking any risks. The Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling and the Louis Jadot Mâcon Village are the two picks worth seeking out; everything else is competent filler at markups that could be friendlier. If you want to drink well here, order by the glass and go off the beaten path.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Saratoga Springs · Winery Bistro
Thirsty Owl Saratoga is a single-producer concept that leans all the way in, and if you're curious about Finger Lakes wines in a comfortable dining setting, it's a genuinely good place to learn the range. The wild card badge fits: you won't find the usual suspects here, but that's exactly the point. Go in knowing what you're signing up for and you'll walk out pleasantly educated.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Saratoga Springs · Italian / Pizzeria
Village Pizzeria's wine list is a pleasant surprise for a Saratoga Springs Italian spot — fair prices, a serious BTG count, and enough Italian-regional picks to reward the curious. It's not a destination wine list, but if you order the Lugana or the Vermentino instead of the default Pinot Grigio, you'll drink well without overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Saratoga Springs · New American / Fine Dining
Morgan & Co. has built a wine list that respects its guests without overcharging them — fair pricing, a meaningful by-the-glass selection, and enough off-the-beaten-path picks to reward the curious. It's not a destination wine list, but if you're in Saratoga Springs and want a reliable bottle alongside a fine dining meal, you're in good hands. Go for the Sancerre, take a flyer on the Falanghina, and let someone else order the Rombauer.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Saratoga Springs · Italian
Noah's Italian made a bold structural call — every wine by the glass, no exceptions — and the Italian-focused selection backs it up with real producers like Ratti, Tornatorre, and Buglioni rather than the usual suspects. We don't know what's on the plate or who's pouring, but on the strength of the wine list alone, this is worth a visit if you're in Saratoga Springs and want to drink Italian wine without committing to a full bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Saratoga Springs · Winery tasting room / light bites
Adirondack Winery isn't trying to be a destination wine list — it's a tasting room that wants you to leave with a bottle of something you didn't know was made in New York. The pricing is genuinely fair across all 36 labels, the Baco Noir and Cab Franc give curious drinkers something worth lingering on, and the Meritage 2019 at $44.99 tops out the range without gouging anyone. If you're passing through the Lake George area and curious about what northeastern New York actually grows, this is worth the stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Virginia-Highland · Decatur · Italian
La Tavola deserves a real wine list — the food and the room both demand one. Right now, five bottles with no reds and no whites is a disservice to a kitchen that's clearly cooking at a higher level than the wine program suggests. Order the Ca' Del Bosco if you're drinking wine, and hope they overhaul this list before your next visit.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Harrisburg · Italian
Mangia Qui is a genuinely appealing spot — the food, the room, and the service cadence all point toward a place that takes the dining experience seriously. The Italian wine focus is the right instinct for this kitchen, and duck confit with a solid Tuscan red is exactly what this kind of room should be delivering. We just don't have enough confirmed wine list detail yet to tell you whether to come for the bottle or stick to the food. Worth a visit — ask your server what's good on the wine list and see what happens.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Eugene · Italian
Excelsior Inn Ristorante has the bones of a solid wine destination — Italian-focused list, upscale setting, food that deserves a proper bottle — but we can't fully vouch for it until the wine program is better documented. If you're heading there for a special occasion, ask your server what's drinking well from the Italian side and what they're pouring locally from Oregon; a restaurant this thoughtful about atmosphere usually has at least one or two right answers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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