Piedmont Royalty Hiding in Midtown's Shadow
Chelsea · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed L'Amico’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands with the quiet confidence of someone who doesn't need to brag. Four hundred-plus bottles anchored in Piedmont and Tuscany, with Ruben Reyes holding things together on the floor — this is the kind of list that makes you want to skip the cocktail menu entirely. It earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence without leaning on it like a crutch.
The Italian backbone here is genuinely serious: Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa Barolos sit alongside Angelo Gaja's Barbaresco in territory that most NYC restaurants gesture at but never fully commit to. Tuscany shows up strong too — Biondi-Santi Brunello, Sassicaia, Tignanello — all the heavy hitters accounted for without feeling like a trophy case. The list smartly rounds out with California depth (Ridge Monte Bello, Caymus) and a nod to New York via Hermann J. Wiemer from the Finger Lakes, which tells you someone on the wine team actually pays attention. Champagne gets proper representation with Krug Grande Cuvée on the list, so the full arc from aperitivo to digestivo is covered.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass at $15–$25 is a legitimately solid program for a room with this ambition, and the range tracks with the broader list rather than defaulting to the usual suspects. That said, we'd love to see a little more rotation to keep regulars on their toes — what's here works, but it can feel like the BTG list is running on cruise control compared to the bottle depth.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco — $60
Produttori is one of the great co-ops in all of Nebbiolo country — serious, age-worthy wine at a price point that's almost unfair given what's sitting next to it on this list. When the neighbors are Gaja, this one quietly outpunches its price tag.
Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling
A Finger Lakes Riesling on a room full of Barolo devotees? Most tables walk right past it. Don't. Wiemer is the standard-bearer for New York Riesling — high acid, precise, and stunning with seafood. It's the sleeper pick on a list that otherwise demands your attention in a different direction.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also everywhere — and at New York restaurant prices, you're paying a significant premium for something you could grab at any wine shop. With Ridge Monte Bello and serious Italian reds available, there's no reason to default to the Napa crowd-pleaser here.
Borgogno Barolo Cannubi + Tagliatelle al Ragù
Cannubi is one of Barolo's most prized crus — perfumed, structured, and built for exactly this kind of slow-cooked meat sauce. The tannins cut through the fat, the acidity lifts the pasta, and both get better together. This is the combination you come to L'Amico for.
The Bottom Line
L'Amico is the real deal for Italian wine in New York — deep on Piedmont, honest on Tuscany, and staffed by someone who actually knows the list. Markups will sting, but a room with Giacomo Conterno Barolo and a Finger Lakes Riesling on the same menu has clearly earned its Best of Award of Excellence badge.
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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