Gothic vibes, anarchist cellar, zero apologies
East Village · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 25, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Foul Witch reads like it was curated by someone who spent a decade haunting European cellar doors and refuses to compromise. Eighty-plus labels, essentially zero household names, and a list that spans Xinomavro from Macedonia to skin-contact obscurities from Vermont — this is not a safe list. It's a declaration of intent.
The depth here is genuinely impressive: Frank Cornelissen and Vino di Anna holding down Sicily, Paolo Bea and Foradori anchoring Italy's natural contingent, and a French section that pulls from Loire stalwarts like Gérard Boulay and Ferme de la Sansonnière alongside grower Champagne from Benoit Lahaye. Austria and Germany get real representation — Claus Preisinger, Gut Oggau, Rebholz, Weiser-Künstler — not just token bottles. The gaps are minimal; this list skews almost entirely natural and low-intervention, which is a feature, not a bug, at Foul Witch. If you need a mass-market Cab, you are in the wrong restaurant.
By-the-glass specifics aren't published, but based on the list's structure and the restaurant's ethos, expect a rotating short pour selection drawn from the broader 80+ bottle program — likely 8 to 12 options that change with the seasons. What we do know is that bottles like the Laura Lardy 'Gourde À Gamay' and Mas Mellet 'Lily Rose' feel purpose-built for glass pours: approachable, lively, easy to sell by the pour without overwhelming a first-timer.
Laura Lardy 'Gourde À Gamay', Beaujolais 2023 — $
Beaujolais Gamay from a small-production natural producer — this style typically overdelivers at the price point and fits every single thing on the Foul Witch food menu. Drink it slightly cool and don't share.
Domaine Tatsis 'Xiropotamos' Xinomavro, Macedonia 2020
Xinomavro is one of Greece's most serious red grapes — tart, tannic, and built like a Barolo that grew up in the Aegean. Most people scroll past Greek wine on any list. That's your advantage. Order this.
Matthias Warnung 'Benzinn' Grüner Veltliner/Zweigelt/Portugieser NV
Non-vintage field blends from lesser-known Austrian producers sound adventurous until you're three bites into veal tortellini and wondering what you're drinking. The NV designation means no vintage anchor, and blending three grapes in this style can read muddy. Plenty of better bets on this list.
Ramon Jané 'Tinc Set' Xarel·lo blend, Catalonia, Spain + Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with fiore sardo and nasturtium
Xarel·lo at its best has this savory, almost oxidative quality with bright acidity — it cuts through the fat of wagyu carpaccio while echoing the nuttiness of fiore sardo. It's a genuinely smart match and the kind of thing you'd never order without the nudge.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Foul Witch is exactly the kind of wine list New York should have more of — adventurous, committed, and clearly built by people who drink this stuff at home. Send your most open-minded friend here and tell them to order whatever the staff recommends.
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
· New York · Restaurant
Corima's wine list is proof that ten well-chosen bottles beat a hundred thoughtless ones every time. If you care about what's in your glass, this place is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Village · New York · American
Cecchi's is first and foremost a bar, but the wine list is more serious than the neon and noise suggest. Steep markups are the main ding — but if you know what to order, there's real pleasure here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
SoHo · New York · Steak House, Small Plates
The Corner Store is a reliable, well-credentialed wine list doing exactly what a good SoHo steakhouse should — France and California, done with intention, in a room that makes you want to order another bottle. Just watch the markup on the big Bordeaux names and let the Rhône or Burgundy side show you a better time.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Tribeca · New York · American
Farra is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood wine bar, and the Wine Spectator nod is earned — just know that the serious bottles come with serious prices, and the no-sommelier setup means you're doing some of the navigating yourself. Worth it for anyone who knows what they want; potentially overwhelming for those who don't.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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