Italy-forward list with a few curveballs
Market Street · Portsmouth · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Dolce Vita Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Sixty-three labels at a cozy Market Street bistro is more than you expect walking in. The list reads like someone genuinely cares about Italian wine — Barolo, Brunello, Amarone all make appearances — though a handful of crowd-pleasing California bottles suggest they're also covering their bases with the Caymus crowd.
The Italian spine is the real draw here: Fontanafredda Silver Label Barolo, Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino, and Luigi Righetti Amarone give the list some legitimate depth for a restaurant this size. France shows up respectably with Domaine Cherrier Sancerre and Veuve Clicquot. California leans heavily on the greatest hits — Cakebread, Caymus, Faust, Whitehall Lane — which is fine, but it's not exactly adventurous territory. What's notably absent is anything from southern Italy or a natural wine to break up the conventional lineup.
Thirty-four by-the-glass options on a 63-bottle list is a genuinely impressive ratio — nearly half the cellar is accessible without committing to a bottle. Pours run $10–$16, which is reasonable for Portsmouth. We'd love to see more rotation; the program feels like it was set and left alone.
Domaine Cherrier Sancerre, Loire Valley — $16/glass
Top of the glass price range, but Sancerre at $16 a pour is hard to argue with — crisp, mineral, and exactly what you want alongside anything light on the menu. Bottles of this typically retail around $30–$35, so the markup isn't punishing you here the way the Cali reds are.
Luigi Righetti Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG
Most tables at a place like this default to a Cab or Barolo and call it a night. The Righetti Amarone is the sleeper — big, dried-fruit intensity, serious structure, and a producer that punches well above its price point. Most diners scroll right past it.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
At $175 a bottle, Caymus is doing what Caymus always does — riding its reputation into your wallet. Retail sits around $80–$85. That's roughly a 2x markup on a wine that's been coasting on its name for years. There are better bottles on this list for less money.
Fontanafredda Silver Label Barolo DOCG + Pasta Bolognese
Barolo and a slow-cooked meat ragu is as close to a locked-in call as wine gets. The Fontanafredda has the tannin structure and acidity to cut through the richness of the Bolognese without overpowering it — classic Piedmontese logic applied to a dish that earns it.
The Bottom Line
Dolce Vita is a reliable neighborhood wine bar with enough Italian depth to satisfy anyone who came to drink well with their dinner. The markups on the California heavy-hitters are a soft deterrent, but lean Italian and you'll leave happy.
· Portsmouth · Upscale New American
Salt Kitchen & Bar has the bones of a resort wine list built to move recognizable bottles at comfortable margins — not to educate, excite, or reward the curious drinker. If you're staying at Wentworth by the Sea and want a glass of wine with dinner, you'll find something drinkable here, but we wouldn't plan a night around the list. Order the Red Newt Riesling, tip your server well, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's actually trying.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Portsmouth · Seafood & American
The Oar House wine list is a workmanlike effort — short, safe, and priced fairly for what it is. If you're coming for the seafood and want a glass of Albariño or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to go with it, you'll be well served. Just don't come here expecting to be wowed by the wine program.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portsmouth · New American / Tapas-Style
Moxy earns its Wild Card badge not because we can confirm every pour, but because the bones of the wine program — an intentional regional focus, a menu built for wine-friendly snacking, and a room that draws people back — suggest genuine effort. If you're in Portsmouth and want something more interesting than a safe Napa Cab next to your tapas, this is worth the reservation. Come in curious, ask the staff what they're excited about, and let the list surprise you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Portsmouth · Japanese / Sushi
Nichinan's wine list is short but earns its keep — the presence of Pieropan, Grüner Veltliner, and Henri Bourgeois Sancerre tells you someone on staff understands that sushi and Chardonnay is not the only answer. Markups are fair across the board, and the by-the-glass selection is wide enough to keep the table happy without forcing a bottle. If you're in Portsmouth and want something better than the default wine-at-a-sushi-restaurant experience, this delivers.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Portsmouth · Italian-American
The Rosa isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to serve its room well, and largely succeeds. Twenty-five by-the-glass options with Italian producers mixed alongside California staples makes this one of the more thoughtful pours in Portsmouth. If you're after wine-bar ambition, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable glass with your gnocchi without any drama, The Rosa delivers.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Portsmouth · Steakhouse
The Library Restaurant is a Wine Spectator award holder that plays it very, very safe — heavy California Chardonnay, a prestige Champagne tower, and markups that favor the house. If you're here for a special occasion and want to pop a Pol Roger at $125 or a Veuve at $155, it's a fine room for that. But if you're hoping to find something unexpected or feel like the wine program is working hard for you, this list isn't going to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Wauwatosa · Wauwatosa · Italian
Bartolotta is doing something genuinely unusual for the Midwest — a focused, Italy-only wine list that favors regional specificity over safe crowd-pleasers. The pricing is fair relative to what's on offer, and standouts like the Vie Di Romans Ciampagnis and Ca del Bosco Franciacorta punch well above the restaurant's zip code. If Italian wine is your thing and you're anywhere near Wauwatosa, this list is worth a dedicated evening.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Il Giallo runs one of the more thoughtful Italian wine programs in Atlanta — 35 by-the-glass options with genuine regional range is rare, and the pricing stays fair across most of the list. If you're willing to skip the comfort picks and lean into the Sardinian whites or the Abruzzo reds, you'll drink very well here. Send a friend who actually likes Italian wine; tell the one who always orders Rombauer to sit down.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Round Rock · Italian
Sortino's punches above its weight class for a suburban Italian chain — fair markup, a genuine Italian backbone, and seventeen by-the-glass options give you room to drink well without a fight. It's not a destination wine list, but if you're already there for the pasta, you won't be stuck ordering soda.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
