Casino Red Sauce With a Wine List to Match
Boardwalk (Bally's) · Atlantic City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Jerry Longo's Meatballs & Martinis’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Jerry Longo's arrives looking like it was assembled in about fifteen minutes by someone who googled 'popular Italian wines.' You get the hits — Ruffino, Santa Margherita, Meiomi — and not much else. It's a martini bar that tolerates wine, and the list makes that very clear.
Fifteen to twenty-five labels covering Italy and California, which sounds reasonable until you realize the Italian section leans almost entirely on recognizable supermarket names and the California side is Meiomi territory. There's no exploration of southern Italy, no Abruzzo, no Sicilian reds, nothing that would hint at anyone caring deeply about the program. The list does the job for a casino crowd looking for something familiar with their rigatoni, but if you came in hoping to discover anything, you'll leave disappointed. The gaps here — no Barolo, no Brunello, barely a gesture toward anything structured enough to stand up to red sauce — are telling.
Six to ten options by the glass priced between $10 and $18, which at a casino-hotel in 2024 is about what you'd expect. The pour selection mirrors the bottle list: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio for the white wine crowd, Meiomi Pinot Noir for the reds, Ruffino Chianti if you're feeling adventurous. There's no rotation to speak of and no sense that anyone is refreshing this program with intention.
Ruffino Chianti — $12
It's not exciting, but Chianti with a plate of meatballs in red sauce is at least honest. Of the glass options here, it's the one that actually makes sense with the food and won't make you feel like you got fleeced relative to the others.
Ruffino Chianti
In a list this thin, the Chianti is the closest thing to a smart order — it has enough acidity to cut through the richness of the red sauce dishes and it's the most regionally appropriate wine on the menu. Most people at a martini bar are going to reach for the Meiomi or the Pinot Grigio; don't.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is one of the most marked-up wines in the American restaurant industry, full stop. You're paying for the brand recognition, not what's in the glass. At casino-hotel prices, this is a bad deal twice over.
Ruffino Chianti + Meatballs
Chianti was essentially invented to drink with red sauce and meat. The acidity cuts through the fat in the meatballs, the fruit plays off the tomato, and it's the one moment on this list where the wine and the food actually make sense together.
The Bottom Line
Jerry Longo's is a fun enough spot for a casino dinner, but the wine list is an afterthought — familiar labels, steep markups, and zero ambition. Lean into the martinis. The name is telling you something.
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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