il Carciofo

The wine list at il Carciofo lands like a letter from a friend who moved to northern Italy and never came back. This isn't a greatest hits of Barolo and Brunello — it's a 111-bottle deep dive into the stuff serious Italian wine nerds argue about on forums at 1am. If you've never heard of half these producers, that's exactly the point.

The list leans hard into obscure Italian regions and indigenous varieties, and it's better for it. You've got Emilio Bulfon's Ucelùt from Friuli — one of the rarest grapes in Italy — sitting alongside a Frecciarossa Pinot Nero from Oltrepò Pavese and L'Avventura 'Amor' from Paso Robles, which is the one curveball that actually earns its spot. The sparkling section alone is doing serious work, with Monogram Franciacorta 'Saten' and the criminally underrated Cleto Chiarli Brut de Noir Rosé. There's even a dedicated non-alcoholic section with two proper German Rieslings — the Leitz 'Ein Zwei Zero' and Dr. Fischer 'Steinbock' — which is a thoughtful touch you almost never see executed this well.

Twenty-three by-the-glass options is a real commitment and il Carciofo follows through. Standouts include the Cantina Settecani Lambrusco Grasparossa at $14 — fizzy, dark-fruited, and built for a table of food — and the Tommaso Bussola Recioto at $18, which is a serious dessert wine at a price that doesn't make you wince. The glass list rotates enough variety across sparkling, white, red, and dessert that you could drink your way through the evening without ever touching a bottle.