Atlantic City's Italian anchor delivers on the bottle
Lower Chelsea · Atlantic City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Girasole Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Girasole lands exactly how you'd expect from an upscale Italian spot in Atlantic City — heavy on the Italian classics, with a California section clearly included because somebody at the table always wants Napa. It's not trying to be adventurous, but it's not embarrassing either. The room is warm and the list matches: familiar, confident, and priced accordingly.
The Italian backbone is legitimately good — Brunello from both Argiano and the Casalino bottling, Amarone from Masi Costa Sera, a Barbaresco from Corsini, and Antinori showing up twice with the Peppoli and Marchese Chianti Classico Riserva. That's a Tuscany and Piedmont lineup that earns respect. The California contingent skews predictable — Silver Oak, Frog's Leap, Inglenook, Sequoia Grove — all solid names but nothing you haven't seen on a hundred other Italian-American wine lists. Oregon gets a brief cameo via Lange, and Champagne is covered with Taittinger and Moët, which is the right call for a room that does anniversaries and celebration dinners. Gaps show up in Southern Italy, natural wine, and anything below $45 that actually excites.
Estimated at 10–16 pours, the glass program leans on approachable crowd-pleasers — Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is almost certainly anchoring the white side, which tells you something about the ambition level here. Prices likely run $12–$22 per glass, which is reasonable for Atlantic City's upscale dining tier. Don't expect the Amarone or Brunellos to show up by the glass — those are bottle-only plays.
Chianti Classico Peppoli (Antinori) — $55
Antinori's Peppoli is one of the most reliable Chiantis on the market and typically retails around $20–$25. Even at a restaurant markup, it's the most honest QPR on the Italian side of this list — real Sangiovese with structure and food-friendliness built in.
Lange (Oregon)
Oregon Pinot Noir gets buried on Italian restaurant lists, and most tables go straight for the Tuscany section. Lange is a serious producer out of the Willamette Valley making restrained, earthy Pinot that drinks closer to Burgundy than most California bottles on this list. If you want something lighter and more interesting than another Chianti, this is your move.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is the most marked-up Pinot Grigio in the history of Italian restaurants. Widely available at retail for around $20, it will show up here at $55–$70 on the bottle. It's a perfectly drinkable wine — it's just one of the worst value propositions on any wine list anywhere. Order literally anything else.
Amarone Masi Costa Sera + House-made tagliolini with braised short rib or wild boar ragù
Amarone was practically designed for this — the dried-grape concentration and grippy tannin structure stand up to rich, slow-cooked meat without overwhelming fresh pasta. Masi Costa Sera is one of the more elegant Amarone producers, so it brings the muscle without turning the whole experience into a competition.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Girasole is the kind of Italian wine list that won't thrill a serious collector but won't let down a table of four splitting a nice Brunello on a Saturday night. If you're eating here anyway, the Italian selections are genuinely worth your time — just steer clear of the Santa Margherita and don't expect any surprises.
Tennessee Avenue · Atlantic City · American / Beer Hall
Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall is exactly what it sounds like — come for the beer, and come for the atmosphere. If your crew insists on wine, the Bezel Pinot is a worthy pour, but don't come here expecting a wine program that keeps up with the rest of the experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Boardwalk/Park Place · Atlantic City · Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary American
Park Place Prime is exactly what a casino steakhouse wine list should be — familiar, functional, and tilted toward the crowd writing checks. It won't thrill anyone looking for discovery, but if you want a solid Cab with your dry-aged steak and don't mind paying casino prices for the privilege, it gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Ocean Casino Resort · Atlantic City · Italian-American
Superfrico is a reliable wine program in a setting designed to get you to spend money — and it mostly delivers without being a total shakedown. Send a friend here for a fun night, not a wine education.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Chelsea · Atlantic City · Italian
Boca Coal Fired Bistro is a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list to match — nothing you haven't seen before, but nothing to embarrass yourself with either. Stick to the Chianti Classico, enjoy the pizza, and don't come here expecting to be wowed by what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Walk/Tanger Outlets · Atlantic City · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Atlantic City is a reliable, well-executed steakhouse wine program that does exactly what it says on the label — deep California Cab selection, competent staff, proper storage, steep prices. Send a friend here if they want a sure thing, not if they're looking to be surprised.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Boardwalk (Claridge area) · Atlantic City · Steakhouse and Seafood / Raw Bar
Dougherty's won't convert anyone to wine obsession, but it charges fair prices, pours everything by the glass, and hides a decent Pouilly-Fuissé and a good Provence rosé in a list most people will scroll past without looking. For a Boardwalk steakhouse, that's enough to earn a recommendation.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Boardwalk (Bally's) · Atlantic City · Italian
Jerry Longo's is a fun enough spot for a casino dinner, but the wine list is an afterthought — familiar labels, steep markups, and zero ambition. Lean into the martinis. The name is telling you something.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Arcadian Shores / Restaurant Row · Myrtle Beach · Italian
Crave punches above its Myrtle Beach zip code on the Italian side of the list, but the markups are beach-town steep and the by-the-glass program needs more ambition. If you're here, dig into the Italian bottles and leave the California brand parade alone.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
North Myrtle Beach · Myrtle Beach · Italian
Gio's is a dependable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the bases without taking many risks — and marks up the familiar names accordingly. If you steer toward the Italian bottles and away from the reflex Caymus order, there's a solid dinner to be had here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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