Old-World Italian Done Honestly Right
West Albany · Albany · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grappa '72 Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
The posted glass list runs $8–$13, with more than the usual Pinot Grigio-versus-Chardonnay decision. Try Bigi Orvietto at $9, Dei Feudi Falanghina at $11, or Nozzole Chianti Riserva at $12. Our move: choose by the glass when everyone wants something different; you can explore several Italian regions without committing the table to one bottle. Confirm current selections and prices before ordering.
Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva — $47/bottle
Our named Chianti Riserva pick from the posted bottle list. At $47, you can make the decision with an actual producer and price in hand; ask which vintage is being poured.
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 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.
· 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.
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
Buckhead · Atlanta · Italian
Cucina Baci earns its place as a reliable neighborhood Italian — the kind of spot where the wine list won't blow your mind but it won't embarrass you either. If you're going for the pizza, the pasta, and the warm room energy, order something Italian and red and let the evening do the work. We'd want a full look at the list before calling it anything more than that.
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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