The Italian Deli That Discovered Natural Wine
· Stamford · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Ernie's Italian Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're walking into what bills itself as an Italian deli, and then the wine list lands on the table with orange wines, a Vouvray, and a Finger Lakes Riesling. Nobody warned you this was happening. The list is short at 25 labels, but every slot feels deliberate — whoever built this actually cares.
The focus is almost entirely on whites, bubbles, rosés, and orange wines, which makes this list unusual by any measure and genuinely weird for a Connecticut Italian joint. The whites alone span Loire Valley (Domaine de Vodanis Vouvray, Maison de Madeleine Sancerre), New Zealand (Te Pa Sauvignon Blanc), Campania (Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina), Oregon (Eyrie Estate Pinot Gris), and the Finger Lakes (Hillick & Hobbs Estate Dry Riesling) — that's a lot of intellectual territory for 25 bottles. The orange wine section with Stolpman Love You Bunches and Common Thread is a genuine flex for a neighborhood spot. What's noticeably missing is any red wine section, which either means there's a second page we haven't seen or someone made a very bold editorial choice.
Eighteen by-the-glass options on a 25-bottle list is a remarkable ratio — almost the entire program is available by the pour, which is exactly how a list like this should work. Prices run $7–$11 a glass, which is honest money for Stamford. That means you can actually explore the orange wines and bubbles without committing to a bottle.
Lago Cerqueira Vinho Verde — $40
The cheapest bottle on the list and it earns its spot — Vinho Verde at this price point is refreshing, low-alcohol, and genuinely fun with food. At $40 it's barely marked up from retail and drinks way above its price tag.
Hillick & Hobbs Estate Dry Riesling
Finger Lakes Riesling from one of the region's best producers, and most people will scroll right past it hunting for something French. That's a mistake. Hillick & Hobbs makes serious wine, and $56 for an estate Riesling this good is a quiet steal.
Corte alla Flora Pinot Grigio
At $83, this is the most expensive white on the list by a wide margin and Pinot Grigio is rarely worth that kind of money. When the Eyrie Estate Pinot Gris — a genuinely exciting Oregon bottling — sits at $88, paying $83 for a Pinot Grigio from a producer with no particular cult following is a tough sell.
Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina + Fresh mozzarella or antipasto
Falanghina from Campania is Italian wine at its most food-friendly — bright acidity, stone fruit, a little saline edge. It was basically born to sit next to a plate of mozzarella and cured meats, and at $48 it's not going to wreck anyone's evening.
The Bottom Line
Ernie's has no business being this interesting about wine, and that's exactly why you should go. It's a tight, weird, well-priced list in a format nobody expects — and that's the whole point of a Wild Card.
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Fiesta on Main puts real effort into its Peruvian kitchen, which makes the wine list feel like an afterthought someone assembled in fifteen minutes using a Sysco catalog. Stick to pisco sours — the wine program isn't the reason to come here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Stamford · American / Grill
Zody's is a great spot for a cold beer after nine holes and a plate of comfort food — but if wine is your thing, order a cocktail instead. The list isn't broken, it just doesn't try.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Wine Bar / New American
Uncorked Stamford is a reliable landing pad after work — not a destination for serious wine drinking, but a competent, comfortable room with a list that does its job. Send a friend here for drinks before dinner, not for the bottle list itself.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Greek
Kouzina is doing the right things with Greek wine in a city that doesn't ask for it, and that's worth something. Pricing runs a little hot, but if you stick to the Greek producers and let the Assyrtiko do its thing, you'll eat and drink well.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Southwestern / Mexican
Geronimo is a tequila bar first and a wine destination never — but for what it is, the wine list punches above its weight class. If you're the one at the table who doesn't want a margarita, you're not stranded here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Classic American Burgers and Malt Shop Fare
Lucky's isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't try to be — but the prices are fair, everything's available by the glass, and a Malbec with a cheeseburger is genuinely a good idea. Come for the malt, stay for the Malbec.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Baltimore · Italian
Facci's wine list is a quiet overachiever: all-Italian, regionally adventurous, and priced without greed. If you want to drink something you've never heard of and pay a fair price for it, this is your spot.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · Italian
il Carciofo is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine list that treats Italian regional variety as the main event, not the footnote. If you're tired of the same Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico circuit, this is exactly where you should be eating dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bridgeport · Italian
This is a sleeper hit of a wine list — a neighborhood Italian spot that clearly cares about where its bottles come from and keeps the prices honest. If you have even a passing curiosity about southern Italian reds, 'A Vucchella is worth the trip.
Surprising Depth
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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