Red-Sauce Comfort With an Italian Wine Backbone
Albany · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grappa '72’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Grappa '72 reads like a well-intentioned Italian-American restaurant that actually did its homework — Italian regions are front and center, and the prices don't make you wince. It's not trying to be a wine destination, but it's not phoning it in either. For a corporate-park Italian spot in Albany, this is a better starting point than most.
About 30–35 bottles span Italy pretty capably — Tuscany shows up with Nozzole Chianti Riserva and Luiano Sangiovese, Umbria gets a nod via Rubesco and Bigi Orvieto, and there's even a Sella Mosca Cannonau from Sardinia that most suburban Italian lists wouldn't bother with. The non-Italian side leans on familiar California names like Hahn Estate, Hess Collection, and J. Lohr, plus a Graff Riesling Kabinett for anyone feeling adventurous. There are some real standouts hiding in here — the Tramin Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige and Borgo Conventi Pinot Grigio Collio are a cut above the usual Italian-American wine list filler. The gaps are real — no Barolo, no Brunello, no Amarone — but for the restaurant's price point and audience, the Italian coverage is more thoughtful than it needs to be.
Eighteen pours by the glass is a genuinely strong number for a neighborhood Italian spot, and the $8–$13 range keeps things accessible. The glass program pulls from both sides of the list — you can pour a Dei Feudi Falanghina or a Rubesco Sangiovese by the glass, which is a small but real win. Rotation appears minimal based on the static website menu, so don't expect seasonal surprises.
Hahn Estate Chardonnay — $10
Retails around $18, so you're getting a decent California Chardonnay at barely above grocery store pricing. Not a complex wine, but for a glass of Chard with chicken parmigiana, it absolutely delivers the goods.
Tramin Pinot Bianco Alto Adige
Most people at this table are ordering Pinot Grigio on autopilot, but Tramin's Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige is a quietly serious producer making a crisper, more textured white than anything else on this list. It's the kind of wine that makes you stop mid-bite and ask what you just ordered.
Beringer White Zinfandel
At $8 a glass it's technically fairly priced, but this is a pink sugar water placeholder that has no business being on a list that's otherwise trying to celebrate Italian wine culture. Order anything else.
Nozzole Chianti Riserva + Chicken Parmigiana
Sangiovese's natural acidity cuts through the tomato sauce and the richness of the melted cheese without fighting the dish — it's doing what Chianti was born to do. The Riserva weight means it doesn't get lost next to the fried cutlet.
The Bottom Line
Grappa '72 punches above its corporate-park weight class with fair markups, a genuinely Italian-leaning list, and enough by-the-glass variety to reward the curious. It won't wow a wine obsessive, but it'll take good care of everyone else at the table.
· Albany · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood
Choose by budget, check bottle size, and confirm the current menu. We haven't independently assessed service, glassware or storage.
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse
Order by the glass and explore: the posted menu gives you Riesling, Chablis, Cahors and Rioja without a bottle commitment. Pentimento at $16 is our price-conscious red starting point. Check the current list before ordering; the complete cellar, service and storage haven't been independently verified.
West Albany · Albany · Italian
Grappa ’72 gives you several ways into Italian wine without committing to a prestige bottle. Our move is Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva at $47/bottle for the table, or Bigi Orvietto at $9/glass if you want your own white. Confirm the current vintage and price when ordering.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Clinton Square · Albany · Modern Mexican / Latin-inspired
Ama Cocina isn't a destination wine bar, but it's a Wild Card worth respecting — a food-forward Latin spot that actually thought about its wine list instead of phoning it in. Come for the tacos, order the Albariño, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Warehouse District/Riverfront · Albany · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
The Shaker & Vine is Albany's best argument for the self-pour wine bar format — the markup is shockingly fair, the riverside setting earns its keep, and the list is approachable without being embarrassing. Don't come hunting for rare producers, but do come for a relaxed pour with a view.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Colonie · Albany · Classic Italian-American
Lombardo's wine list is the culinary equivalent of a comfortable booth — nothing revelatory, but nothing offensive, and it gets the job done alongside a plate of baked ziti. Send a friend here for the food and tell them to order the Barolo if they want to feel like they tried.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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