Italy's Greatest Hits, Beautifully Curated
Flatiron · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Isabelle's Osteria’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Isabelle's Osteria arrives like a well-dressed Italian guest — confident, purposeful, and not here to waste your time. At 300-500 bottles deep with a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, this is a list that's been curated with real intent. The Italy-first focus is immediately obvious, and immediately right.
Piedmont and Tuscany do most of the heavy lifting here, and they do it well — we're talking Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa Barolo, Biondi-Santi Brunello, and a Super Tuscan lineup that includes Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Masseto in the same breath. The northeastern Italy section earns bonus points for including Friulian whites from Livio Felluga and Jermann, which most Italian spots in New York completely ignore. France shows up with purpose — Burgundy from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Faiveley keeps the old-world obsessives happy — and California gets a respectable nod via Opus One and Ridge. The gaps are minor: if you're hunting for natural wine or anything outside the classic canon, this probably isn't your list.
With 20-35 pours by the glass, Isabelle's is genuinely generous here — enough options to drink well across an entire meal without committing to a bottle. We'd expect the glass program to skew toward approachable Italian reds and whites that complement the handmade pasta menu. Having sommelier Arman Miridzhanyan on staff means someone is actually minding the program, which shows.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco — $60
Produttori is a co-op that consistently punches way above its price point — it's serious Barbaresco made by people who've been doing this for generations, sitting on the same list as Gaja at a fraction of the cost. If the entry-level bottle clocks in near the bottom of their range, it's the smartest buy on the table.
Livio Felluga Friulian White
Everyone comes to Isabelle's for the Barolo and Brunello, which means the Friulian whites from Livio Felluga get overlooked constantly. That's a mistake. These are textured, serious whites from northeastern Italy that hold their own against the best of Burgundy — and they're exactly what you want with delicate handmade pasta.
Opus One
Opus One is a trophy wine that gets ordered for the name, not the glass. At New York restaurant prices on a list this prestigious, you're paying a significant premium for a Napa Cabernet that simply can't compete with the Italian depth around it. Save those dollars for another pour of Gaja.
Faiveley Burgundy + Handmade Pasta
A well-structured Burgundy from Faiveley has the acidity and earthiness to play beautifully off egg-based fresh pasta without bulldozing it the way a big Barolo might — it's the move when you want finesse over power.
The Bottom Line
Isabelle's Osteria is the real deal — a proper Italian wine program with serious depth, a sommelier who knows the cellar, and enough range to reward both the curious and the committed. Yes, you'll spend money, but you're in New York eating Italian food with Quintarelli on the list, so lean in.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Buckhead · Atlanta · Italian
Cucina Baci earns its place as a reliable neighborhood Italian — the kind of spot where the wine list won't blow your mind but it won't embarrass you either. If you're going for the pizza, the pasta, and the warm room energy, order something Italian and red and let the evening do the work. We'd want a full look at the list before calling it anything more than that.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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