Italy's Greatest Hits, Beautifully Curated
Flatiron · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
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.
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.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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