Old-World Italian Done Honestly Right
West Albany · Albany · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list reads like a love letter to the Italian boot — Barolo, Brunello, Amarone, Chianti Classico Riserva all present and accounted for. It's not trying to impress you with obscure orange wines or a Georgian qvevri situation; it's just doing Italian, properly. For a neighborhood spot on Central Ave, that's actually refreshing.
Piedmont and Tuscany anchor the list with real conviction — Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino give serious drinkers something to dig into, while Chianti Classico Riserva handles the middle ground with grace. Veneto shows up via Amarone, which earns its place here, and Sicily adds some southern warmth to round things out. The 80-120 bottle range is respectable for a casual Italian joint, though you won't find much outside the Italian canon — no French detour, no Spanish sidebar. That focus is a feature, not a bug, as long as you came for Italian.
Ten to sixteen pours by the glass is a solid spread for a restaurant at this price point, and the presence of Pinot Grigio delle Venezie alongside heavier hitters suggests they're covering the full table — from the aperitivo crowd to the Barolo loyalists. We'd like to see more rotation and a few curveballs in the glass lineup, but what's here is functional and honest.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45
Riserva-level Chianti at a neighborhood Italian is often where the real value hides — you're getting serious Sangiovese with actual aging behind it, typically at a fraction of what a comparable bottle costs at a white-tablecloth spot. At Grappa '72's price point, this is the move.
Brunello di Montalcino
Most tables at a casual Italian spot will default to the Barolo or whatever the server suggests first. The Brunello is sitting there quietly, and it's almost always the more complex, age-worthy pour on a list like this — worth asking about if the vintage is right.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie
It's fine — it's exactly what it says it is — but at a restaurant with Barolo and Brunello on the same list, ordering a basic Pinot Grigio delle Venezie feels like showing up to a steakhouse and ordering a Caesar salad. There's no shame in it, but you can do better here.
Amarone della Valpolicella + Veal Medallions
Amarone's dense, dried-fruit richness and firm structure are built for exactly this kind of braised or pan-seared veal — the wine's weight matches the dish without steamrolling it, and the savory finish on a good Amarone makes the meat taste even more like itself.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Grappa '72 isn't trying to reinvent anything — it's a reliable, Italian-focused list with fair prices and the right bottles for the food they're serving. Send a friend here if they want a solid Barolo with dinner and don't want to pay Manhattan prices for it.
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
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse / Lounge
677 Prime Lounge is the wine list equivalent of a perfectly cooked strip steak — nothing surprising, nothing wrong, everything exactly where you expect it to be. If you're in Albany and someone else is buying, order the Silver Oak and enjoy the room; if you're watching your tab, lean on Jordan and don't let them upsell you to Caymus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Traditional Greek and Mediterranean
Athos isn't trying to build the most ambitious wine program in New York State — it's trying to give you an honest Greek wine experience to go with honest Greek food, and it largely delivers. If you're eating moussaka and lamb in Albany, this is where your glass should be.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Modern American fine dining with Indonesian accents
Yono's is the best wine program in Albany and it's not particularly close — a thousand-label cellar, a sommelier who knows it, and a room built for the occasion. The markups are real and the by-the-glass list plays it safer than the cellar deserves, but if you're willing to lean on the staff and spend a little, this is one of the more serious wine experiences in upstate New York.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
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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