Barolo and Burgundy done dead serious
West Chelsea · New York · American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Crane Club’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Crane Club lands like a quiet flex — 400-plus selections in a moody West Chelsea dining room that clearly takes itself seriously. The Piedmont and Burgundy sections alone could keep you occupied for an entire dinner. This is not a list assembled by committee or a beverage director phoning it in.
The spine of this list is Italian and French, and both are built with real conviction. Piedmont is the headliner: Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, and Bruno Giacosa represent Barolo at its most traditional and uncompromising, while Gaja and Bruno Rocca anchor a Barbaresco section that doesn't skip legs. Burgundy runs just as deep, with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leroy, and Rousseau doing exactly what you'd expect them to do on a list that earned a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in its first year of eligibility. There's even a Barolo Chinato section for digestifs, which tells you everything about how seriously the team thinks about the full arc of a wine-driven dinner.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a generous program for a room this calibrated, and the $15–$30 range reflects genuine quality rather than filler. We'd expect the Nebbiolo-based Langhe selections to do heavy lifting here — approachable entry points into the same regional DNA that defines the bottle list. Rotation frequency isn't confirmed, but a staff this deep in sommeliers suggests the glass program isn't just set and forgotten.
Langhe Nebbiolo — $15-$20
As a by-the-glass pour, a well-chosen Langhe Nebbiolo gives you the Barolo experience — same grape, same terroir philosophy — without the sticker shock of the prestige bottles. It's the smartest drink in the room if you're watching your tab.
Barolo Chinato
Most tables walk past the digestif section entirely. Barolo Chinato is a bittersweet, fortified, aromatized wine made from Nebbiolo — it's the kind of thing serious Italian wine lovers seek out and most American diners have never encountered. Order it after dinner and thank us later.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
It's on the list, it's the real thing, and the markup on DRC in a New York fine-dining room will make your eyes water. Unless someone else is paying, there are extraordinary bottles here at a fraction of the price that will make you just as happy.
Bartolo Mascarello Barolo + Wood-fired meat
Mascarello's traditionally made Barolo — firm tannins, tar, roses, the whole classic package — finds its foil in the char and fat of a wood-fired preparation. The smoke softens the wine's edges and the wine cuts right through the richness. This is the pairing that justifies the whole evening.
The Bottom Line
Crane Club is a serious wine destination wearing a stylish restaurant's clothes — the Piedmont and Burgundy depth alone earns its Rager badge. Prices climb fast once you go deep, but the staff and the list give you every tool to spend wisely.
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
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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