Jersey's Italian Wine Shrine Nobody Saw Coming
Summit · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Felina’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Felina, the fireplace and 60-seat marble bar set expectations high — and the wine list mostly keeps the promise. Italy front to back, no apologies, and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on the wall to back it up.
This is a serious Italian list packed into a room that feels more like a neighborhood grand café than a wine destination. Barolo heavyweights like Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa anchor the Piedmont section, while Brunello gets its due with Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri showing up alongside the prestige Super Tuscans — Sassicaia, Tignanello — that every Italian list needs but many can't actually source. The list doesn't wander much beyond Italy's borders, and it doesn't need to. Whites are functional rather than inspired — Pinot Grigio and Soave cover the bases — but if you're here drinking white, you might be in the wrong room.
A solid 12-20 glass pours keep things accessible without feeling like an afterthought. We'd expect the program to cycle through regional Italian options across the spectrum, though the by-the-glass rotation doesn't appear to change aggressively. It's enough to make a satisfying night without committing to a bottle.
Braida Barbera d'Asti — $40
Barbera rarely gets the respect it deserves, and Braida is the producer that makes the strongest case for it. At the entry end of this list's price range, it's a smart, food-friendly pour that punches well above its bracket next to the big Barolo names sitting nearby.
Castello di Ama Chianti Classico
Most people scan past Chianti Classico when Brunello and Barolo are on the same page, which is exactly the mistake. Castello di Ama is a benchmark producer and this is the kind of wine that makes the whole table look smart without destroying the bill.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a legitimate great wine — no argument there — but on a restaurant list it almost always carries the kind of markup that makes you feel the price tag more than the wine. You can drink better per dollar three times over on this same list.
Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella + Lasagna
Dal Forno's Amarone is dense, concentrated, and built for exactly the kind of rich, slow-cooked meat and cheese situation that Felina's lasagna delivers. This is a full-commitment pairing — the kind you remember.
The Bottom Line
Felina is a genuine Italian wine list in a state where that's rarer than it should be — if you go in knowing to skip the trophy bottles and hunt the mid-list, you'll eat and drink very well. Send your friends who think New Jersey doesn't do wine.
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Locust Point · Baltimore · Italian
An Italian list that leads with Campania, then works region by region through the rest of Italy. Start with the La Passera Greco di Tufo at 50 for white or the Terredora Aglianico at 48 for red, and if you want Chianti, the Banfi Riserva is 45. Prices come from the wine list linked as "Wine List 24" and post no unit, so confirm what is available. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Naperville · Italian
Piccolo Buco is a Cooper's Hawk restaurant wearing Italian clothes, and the wine list makes no attempt to hide that. If you're already a Cooper's Hawk member and enjoy their wines, this is a comfortable, predictable experience with fair glass pricing and decent variety within the brand. If you came hoping for a Sicilian white or a Piedmontese red to go with your pasta, you're in the wrong place — order a cocktail.
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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