Italy-forward list with a few curveballs
Market Street · Portsmouth · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
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 →
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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.
New Castle · Portsmouth · Hotel Restaurant / New American
Salt Kitchen & Bar is a perfectly adequate place to drink wine if you're already staying at the Wentworth, but we wouldn't recommend driving out to New Castle for the list. Order the local seafood, pick something coastal to drink, and enjoy the view — that's the real value here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Portsmouth · French patisserie, crêperie, and wine bar
La Maison Navarre is a genuine Wild Card — a French patisserie and crêperie in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that actually bothered to build a coherent, France-only wine list to match. It's not deep, it's not adventurous, but it's honest and well-matched to what's on the plate, and that's more than most places manage.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West End · Portsmouth · Global Street Food / Eclectic American
STREET is a genuinely fun, globe-trotting neighborhood spot that deserves a wine list as curious as its food — instead it has six grocery-store staples marked up steep and left on autopilot. Order a cocktail, enjoy the Bibimbap, and don't overthink the wine.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Portsmouth · Modern Mexican
Vida Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for food and cocktails, but the wine list is on autopilot — overpriced California standards with no imagination and no connection to the kitchen. Order a mezcal cocktail, grab the Vinho Verde if you insist on wine, and don't come here expecting anything more.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Portsmouth · Bar / Rooftop
Come for the rooftop, stay for the vibe — but don't come for the wine. The Wednesday half-price bottle deal is the one reason to order a bottle, and even then, temper your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown · Portsmouth · American Grill
Skip the Gas Light on any night but Wednesday — half off all bottles turns a steep list into a genuinely solid deal and makes this a legitimate downtown Portsmouth option. The rest of the week, order a beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · Italian
A16 Napa is a genuine Wild Card in Napa's sea of big-bottle Cab temples — if you want to drink interesting Italian wine with great food and actually get some guidance doing it, this is your spot. Just know that Napa real estate prices show up on the wine list, so budget accordingly.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Franklin · Italian
Pelato Franklin isn't going to make wine pilgrims drive down from Nashville, but it's doing more than the Italian-suburban average — an orange wine, some solid regional Italian whites, and a few California names that earn their spot. Come for the food, stay curious about the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Italian
Va Bene is presumably doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is a two-item afterthought that tells you this place doesn't take wine seriously. Order a glass, enjoy your pasta, and don't expect anything more.
Grocery Store
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.
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