285 Bottles Deep and Unapologetically Italian
Midtown · New York · Southern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Il Gattopardo’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Il Gattopardo arrives like a small novel — 285 labels, mostly Italian, with the kind of depth that makes you want to cancel your plans and stay for a second bottle. This is a list built by someone who actually cares about the country they're cooking from, not just the optics of a thick binder. Midtown Manhattan restaurants don't usually earn this kind of attention, but here we are.
Piedmont is the clear obsession here, and we're not complaining. Barolo and Barbaresco anchor the list with serious producers like Luciano Sandrone (Le Vigne) and Bruno Giacosa (Asili Riserva) — these aren't filler names, they're the real deal. The Veneto gets its due with Tommasi's Amarone Classico holding court, and Sicily shows up with enough range to remind you the island makes more than just Nero d'Avola quaffed poolside. France isn't forgotten either — Champagne and Burgundy fill supporting roles without overpowering the Italian identity of the list.
Sixteen by-the-glass options is a solid number for a restaurant of this caliber, and the pours reflect the same Italian-first philosophy as the full list. Don't expect a parade of California Cabs here — this is the place to finally try a proper glass of something from Campania or a Sicilian white you can't pronounce yet. We'd love to see more rotation, but what's on offer is well above average for the neighborhood.
Amarone Classico, Tommasi — $50 (estimated entry bottle range)
Tommasi's Amarone is a workhorse producer making genuinely complex wine without the vanity pricing of the collector names on the same list. If it's near the floor price, it's the move — you're drinking serious Veneto for what a mediocre Cabernet costs elsewhere on this block.
Barbaresco Asili Riserva, B. Giacosa
Most tables order Barolo without looking further, which means the Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva gets overlooked. Asili is one of the great single vineyards in all of Piedmont, and Giacosa is one of the handful of producers who can be mentioned without qualification. This is the kind of wine people travel to Italy to drink.
Dom Pérignon P2
At a restaurant with a $16,850 ceiling on bottles, the prestige Champagne markups are predictably punishing. Dom Pérignon P2 is a fine wine, but you're paying Manhattan luxury tax on top of an already-inflated retail price. The same money stretches dramatically further staying on the Italian side of the list.
Barolo Le Vigne, L. Sandrone + Veal Chop Milanese
Sandrone's Le Vigne Barolo blends fruit from four distinct Langhe sites into something layered and structured without being brutal — exactly what you want against a big veal chop. The wine's acidity cuts the richness of the breading and fat, and the fruit keeps things lively through the whole plate.
The Bottom Line
Il Gattopardo is the rare Midtown restaurant where the wine list actually earns the price of admission — if you're serious about Italian wine, this is a pilgrimage worth making. Pricing is steep, as expected at this address, but the depth and curation are the real thing.
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.
Downtown Napa · Napa · Southern Italian
Oenotri is the rare Napa restaurant where the wine list is actually trying to say something — and what it's saying is 'go to Sicily.' Markups keep it from being a slam dunk, but the list's conviction and the quality of producers make it worth the trip if Italian natural wine is your thing.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Bellevue · Bellevue · Southern Italian
Carmine's is a dependable wine experience in a room that earns it — the Italian backbone is solid, the Marc Hébrart alone proves someone cared when building this list, and 13 by-the-glass options gives you real choices. Just mind the markups and steer away from the California name-drops.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Federal Hill · Providence · Southern Italian
Enoteca Umberto is a tiny room with a focused, honest wine list that punches well above its square footage. If you want to drink Southern Italian wine with Southern Italian food the way it's meant to be drunk, Federal Hill has your table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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