Red-Sauce Comfort With an Italian Wine Backbone
Albany · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 18, 2026 · How we review
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.
Loudonville · Albany · New American Steakhouse
A steakhouse wine page with a long glass list and a Coravin group for bigger names, but no prices online, so judge it by phone or at the table. For a steak, try the Jordan Cabernet or the Caymus from the Sommelier Selections; for something different, the Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling. Confirm what is pouring and the prices before you order, since the page is undated and says selections may vary. This unrated guide covers the posted wine page, not service, storage or markups.
West End · Albany · British Pub
A short pub wine list where every one of the 15 wines has both a glass and a bottle price. Order the $27 Gionelli Pinot Grigio, or the $45 Tarani Malbec for a red; both are also poured by the glass, at $9 and $13. Confirm current availability and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Delmar · Albany · American
Normanside's posted drink menu is short and glass-friendly, with 23 wines carrying a glass price from $9 to $15. Order The Wine for Pizza with the $16 pepperoni Detroit-style pie, or take the $12 Pessimist by Daou for a darker red. Confirm current availability and prices before you go; this unrated guide covers the posted drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Albany · Seafood
Jack's is an oyster house first, and its wine lists back that up with French whites by the glass and the bottle. Start with a half dozen oysters and a glass of the Antoine de la Farge Menetou-Salon at 18, or go for the bottle of Reverdy Ducroux Sancerre at 84; for red, the $14 Catena Malbec is the lowest-priced glass. Confirm current lists and prices when you book; this unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown Albany · Albany · Italian
Cafe Capriccio's glass list is short and Italian-led. Try the Scaia Corvina or the Castello di Bossi Chianti before the usual Pinot Grigio, and put the Barolo with the Pork Osso Buco. The posted list shows no prices, so ask what each glass costs and confirm what is open. This unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
Western Ave · Albany · Mediterranean
Barcelona's bar menu posts more Spanish and Italian range than you might expect, from Rioja Crianza to a $125 Brunello. Try the Albariño at $9 $35 with seafood, or the Juan Gil red blend at $11 $40 if you want something fuller. Most wines show two prices with no unit labels and the page is undated, so confirm which is glass and which is bottle, and today's availability, when you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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