Piedmont Royalty Hiding in Midtown's Shadow
Chelsea · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
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.
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
· 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
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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