The West Village's Quirkiest Italian Wine Rabbit Hole
West Village · New York · Italian Enoteca
Reviewed March 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Gottino’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Gottino reads like a love letter to the parts of Italy most wine lists completely ignore — we're talking Nosiola from Trentino, Grillo from Sicily, obscure Nebbiolo bottlings that aren't Barolo. It's dense, it's Italian-only, and if you came in expecting a Pinot Grigio or a safe Chianti, you're going to have to recalibrate.
With somewhere between 80 and 120 bottles, Gottino punches well above its weight for a small West Village enoteca. The focus is relentlessly Italian — and not the greatest-hits version. Pinot Bianco, Nosiola, Grillo, and regional Nebbiolo all show up, which tells you someone put serious thought into sourcing wines that don't show up on every other Italian list in Manhattan. There are gaps — you won't find a lot of depth in Tuscany or Piedmont's blockbuster appellations — but that's almost the point. This is a list built for exploration, not recognition.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely impressive for a room this size, and the selections lean into the same esoteric Italian ethos as the bottle list. The glass program is where Gottino really earns its keep — you can work your way through a Nosiola and a Sangiovese Rosato in one sitting without committing to a bottle, which is exactly how a wine bar should work.
Pecorino Terre — $11
A glass pour priced below retail — yes, below retail. That almost never happens. It's a crisp, textured white from central Italy that most guests will walk right past, which means more for the people paying attention.
Nosiola
Nosiola is one of the most obscure indigenous white grapes in Trentino, and most people have never heard of it. Gottino stocks it, which is reason enough to order it. It's leaner and more mineral than you'd expect — think Alpine freshness — and it's the kind of wine you'll talk about on the way home.
Sauvignon Blanc
At $48 a bottle against a $10 retail price, this is a 380% markup — and it's the one place on this list where the kitchen is clearly just cashing a check. If you want white wine, the Pinot Bianco or Nosiola will be more interesting and far better value.
Nebbiolo + Braised meats
Nebbiolo's naturally high acidity and firm tannins are built for fatty, slow-cooked meat. Gottino's braised preparations give the wine something to grip onto, and the whole thing lands exactly where rustic Italian wine and food should — like it was always supposed to work this way.
The Bottom Line
Gottino is the rare wine bar that actually commits to a point of view — all Italy, all the time, and not the obvious stuff. If you're willing to let the list take you somewhere unfamiliar, it almost always delivers.
Midtown · New York · French Brasserie
La Grande Boucherie earns its place as a reliable stop for wine in Midtown, especially if you're leaning French. The glass list is genuinely wide and has some smart picks buried in it — the Fleurie and the Wiemer Riesling both punch above their price points. Markups trend steep as you climb the bottle list, so your money works hardest in the by-the-glass section. If you're here for the brasserie experience, the wine program holds up its end of the deal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Steakhouse
BLT Prime's wine program is glass-only, which limits your options if you came for a big bottle moment, but the pricing is honest and the selection is more thoughtful than most steakhouses bother with. If you're keeping it casual and ordering by the glass, you can drink well here without feeling taken advantage of — and that's not nothing in this city.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
The Palm Midtown is not where you'd expect to find Puzelat and Ruth Lewandowski sitting next to each other on a wine list — which is exactly what makes it worth a second look. Six bottles is a short menu, but all six are defensible picks at prices that don't insult you. If you're in the mood to trust the list and not overthink it, this works.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murray Hill · New York · Classic American Steakhouse
Wolfgang's is a reliable steakhouse wine experience in the sense that you know exactly what you're getting: a list built around the bottle you already know, priced for the room you're sitting in. If you're here to close a deal over a Porterhouse for Two, the wine list will do its job without embarrassing anyone — but it's not going to surprise you, and it's almost certainly going to cost more than it should. Go in with eyes open and a strong second-choice red in mind.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Mediterranean
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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