Il Mulino New York – Caesars Atlantic City

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.