Italy's Greatest Hits, No Filler
Hudson Yards · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ci Siamo’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Ci Siamo lands like a well-edited Italian reference book — not trying to cover the whole world, just trying to cover Italy better than almost anyone else. Five hundred to seven hundred selections deep, anchored hard in Piedmont and Tuscany, this is a list with a point of view. Danny Meyer's team didn't phone this in.
Barolo alone could keep you busy for an entire dinner — Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Bartolo Mascarello represent the old-guard canon, and the Monfortino showing from Conterno signals serious cellar ambition. Tuscany holds its own with Biondi-Santi and Poggio di Sotto Brunellos, plus the Super Tuscan heavy-hitters: Sassicaia and Tignanello for the crowd, Fontodi and Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for the more discerning table. Dal Forno Romano's Amarone is a flex move for those who want something massive from the Veneto. The gaps? If you're hunting outside Italy, you're in the wrong restaurant — and honestly, that's a feature, not a bug.
Roughly 20 to 30 pours on any given visit, spanning a solid enough range to make most tables happy without breaking out a bottle. At $15 to $30 a glass, you're paying Hudson Yards prices, but the quality tier is there to back it up. No aggressive rotation program evident, but with a list this deep and a five-sommelier team, the pour conversations alone are worth the price of admission.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione — Isole e Olena — $60+
Isole e Olena consistently punches above its price class, and on a list stacked with trophy bottles, this is the move for anyone who wants serious Tuscan Sangiovese without flinching at the check.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione — Fontodi
Fontodi's Flaccianello is the famous bottle everyone orders, which means the Gran Selezione gets overlooked. It shouldn't — it's precise, structured, and one of the better values hiding in the Tuscan section of this list.
Tignanello — Antinori
Tignanello is a great wine, but it's also the most recognizable name on the list, which means the markup reflects that fame. You're paying for the label recognition here. The Isole e Olena or Fontodi options in the same section give you more wine per dollar.
Barolo — Bartolo Mascarello + Rigatoni Alla Gricia
Gricia is pork fat and pecorino, savory and rich without the acidity of tomato. Mascarello's Barolo brings the tannin structure and rose-petal aromatics to cut through that fat and make everything taste bigger — it's a classic Roman dish meeting a classic Piedmontese bottle, and the contrast is the whole point.
The Bottom Line
Ci Siamo is about as serious as Italian wine programs get in New York without crossing into full intimidation territory — the somm team keeps it approachable and the cellar backs up every conversation. If Italian wine is your thing, this is a destination, not just a dinner.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
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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