Casino Italian Done With Actual Effort
Boardwalk (Caesars) · Atlantic City · Upscale Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Il Mulino New York – Caesars Atlantic City’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list arrives and it's clear Il Mulino isn't phoning it in the way most casino restaurants do. At 130 labels, it has real weight — there's Gaja, there's Brunello, there's a Champagne section that goes all the way to a 5L Taittinger Blanc de Blancs from 1998. The question isn't whether there's something to drink. It's whether you'll survive the markups.
The Italian spine is solid — Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2018, Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi 2020, Gaja Barolo Sperss 2019, and Tenuta San Guido's Le Difese as an accessible Super Tuscan entry point. The French section is mostly prestige Champagne: Cristal, Dom Pérignon, Belle Époque — crowd-pleasing trophies rather than any real depth. California shows up with the usual suspects: Caymus, Silver Oak, Duckhorn, Opus One. It's a list that knows its audience — high-rollers and anniversary dinners — and plays to them without apology. Adventurous drinkers will find the Querciabella Batar and Gaja Alteni di Brassica Sauvignon Blanc genuinely interesting, but they're outliers in an otherwise safe room.
Eight options by the glass with prices ranging $14–$22 hits the right casino-restaurant note — not cheap, but not offensive for the setting. The Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio from Friuli at $22 is the standout: it's a real producer making a serious wine, not the airport-lounge Grigio that shows up everywhere else. The Antinori 'Bramito' Chardonnay from Umbria at $19 is a reliable pour, though the inclusion of both a Mezzacorona and a Kim Crawford feels like two slots wasted on autopilot selections.
Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Super Tuscan 2022 — Not listed by bottle — order it
Le Difese is the 'little brother' to Sassicaia — Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese from the same estate in Bolgheri. It drinks well above its station and gives you a genuine taste of the Tenuta San Guido terroir without the $600 Sassicaia price tag sitting three lines below it on the menu.
Gaja Alteni di Brassica Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Most people at Il Mulino are here for the big reds, and almost nobody is ordering this. Gaja's Langhe Sauvignon Blanc is one of Italy's most interesting white wines — structured, herbal, completely unlike anything from the Loire or New Zealand. It's a genuinely uncommon bottle in a restaurant context and worth every cent compared to the obvious Chardonnays on the same list.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2022
At $225 a bottle, you're paying a steep casino premium on a wine that retails around $80–$90 and has been on every steakhouse list in America for the past decade. The markup is punishing and the wine is fine — but just fine. Spend that money on the Le Difese or put it toward a half-bottle of the Duckhorn Merlot at $65.
Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino 2018 + Veal Parmigiana
Brunello's signature grip and earthy cherry fruit cuts right through the richness of the veal and the weight of the tomato sauce — it's a classic Tuscan match done with a producer that actually belongs in conversation with the greats. The 2018 vintage is drinking beautifully right now.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Il Mulino earns its place at the table — the list has real producers, genuine depth in the Italian section, and by-the-glass pours that don't embarrass the room. Just go in knowing that casino pricing is the cost of admission, and steer toward Italy where the list actually knows what it's doing.
Tennessee Avenue · Atlantic City · American / Beer Hall
Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall is exactly what it sounds like — come for the beer, and come for the atmosphere. If your crew insists on wine, the Bezel Pinot is a worthy pour, but don't come here expecting a wine program that keeps up with the rest of the experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Boardwalk/Park Place · Atlantic City · Steakhouse, Seafood, Contemporary American
Park Place Prime is exactly what a casino steakhouse wine list should be — familiar, functional, and tilted toward the crowd writing checks. It won't thrill anyone looking for discovery, but if you want a solid Cab with your dry-aged steak and don't mind paying casino prices for the privilege, it gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Ocean Casino Resort · Atlantic City · Italian-American
Superfrico is a reliable wine program in a setting designed to get you to spend money — and it mostly delivers without being a total shakedown. Send a friend here for a fun night, not a wine education.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Chelsea · Atlantic City · Italian
Boca Coal Fired Bistro is a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list to match — nothing you haven't seen before, but nothing to embarrass yourself with either. Stick to the Chianti Classico, enjoy the pizza, and don't come here expecting to be wowed by what's in the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
The Walk/Tanger Outlets · Atlantic City · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Atlantic City is a reliable, well-executed steakhouse wine program that does exactly what it says on the label — deep California Cab selection, competent staff, proper storage, steep prices. Send a friend here if they want a sure thing, not if they're looking to be surprised.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Boardwalk (Claridge area) · Atlantic City · Steakhouse and Seafood / Raw Bar
Dougherty's won't convert anyone to wine obsession, but it charges fair prices, pours everything by the glass, and hides a decent Pouilly-Fuissé and a good Provence rosé in a list most people will scroll past without looking. For a Boardwalk steakhouse, that's enough to earn a recommendation.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · Atlantic City · Upscale Italian
Cafe 2825 is not a wine destination in the traditional sense, but it has no business having a list this good for Atlantic City — and that's exactly the point. If you're already coming for the tableside pasta experience, spend a little extra on a Super Tuscan and lean into it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Franklin Street · Chapel Hill · Upscale Italian
Il Palio is the best Italian wine list in the Triangle — it's not particularly close, and it's genuinely competitive on a national scale. The markups are real, but so is the curation; if you're going to spend, spend here.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Seneca Casino · Niagara Falls · Upscale Italian
La Cascata is the rare casino restaurant where the wine list doesn't feel like an afterthought — there's real Italian depth here if you look past the headline names. Just know you're paying casino prices for the privilege, and no one's coming to check on your glass knowledge.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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