Florence Called. It Wants Its Wine List Back.
West Village · New York · Tuscan Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed I Sodi’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at I Sodi reads like a love letter to Tuscany — and a pretty unapologetic one at that. There's no hedging with a token California Cab or New Zealand Sauv Blanc; this is Italy, full stop. If you came here for anything else, you came to the wrong restaurant.
The list leans hard into Tuscany's greatest hits, and the hits are genuinely great — Montevertine Le Pergole Torte and Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve are two of the region's benchmark Super Tuscans, and their presence signals a kitchen and front-of-house that actually care. Isole e Olena's Chianti Classico rounds things out as the everyday anchor, giving you a classic-label entry point before the prices climb. The range tops out around $500, which means there's cellar ambition here, but the mid-tier selection between the entry wines and the marquee bottles is where we'd want more data. What we can say is that the Italian-only focus is a feature, not a bug — just don't show up hoping to explore Burgundy.
By-the-glass specifics weren't available during our visit, but given the bottle list's commitment to quality Italian producers, we'd expect the pours to skew Tuscan and fairly serious. That said, if the BTG program doesn't rotate or offer at least a few options that reflect the bottle list's depth, it's a missed opportunity in a neighborhood full of wine-savvy diners. Worth asking your server what's open before committing.
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico — $50–$70 (est.)
If you're not ordering the Flaccianello or Le Pergole Torte, this is where the list earns its keep. Isole e Olena is one of Chianti Classico's most consistent producers — elegant, food-friendly Sangiovese that punches well above its price tier. At the low end of this list's range, it's the move.
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico
Most people at a table like this will chase the Super Tuscans, and fair enough — but Isole e Olena's Chianti Classico is the bottle that actually lives up to the room. It's restrained, terroir-driven, and made for food. Don't sleep on it because it doesn't have a famous nickname.
Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve
This is a legitimately great wine — no question. But at a West Village restaurant with its markups, you're paying a premium on top of an already premium bottle. Unless someone else is buying, you can drink extremely well here for half the price and save Flaccianello for a night when you can really focus on it.
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte + Lasagna
Le Pergole Torte is 100% Sangiovese — high acid, fine tannin, built for the table. Against I Sodi's lasagna, which leans rich and deeply savory in the Florentine tradition, that acidity cuts through the fat and the wine's earthy complexity mirrors the beef. It's the kind of pairing that makes the whole meal feel intentional.
The Bottom Line
I Sodi isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's trying to be Florence, and the wine list serves that mission well. If you're a Tuscany obsessive, this is your place; if you want range or value, temper your expectations before you sit down.
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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