Italy-first wine list with an ocean view
Atlantic City Boardwalk · Atlantic City · Italian, Seafood
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Linguini by the Sea’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Linguini by the Sea, the Atlantic Ocean does a lot of the heavy lifting before you even open the wine list. But the list itself earns some attention too — it's focused, Italian all the way through, and priced in a range that won't make you choke on your oyster. This is a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence holder since 2021, and the Italian depth shows.
The list runs 150-250 bottles and stays almost exclusively in Italian territory, which is exactly the right call for a restaurant of this stripe. You've got serious producers like Gaja in Barbaresco, Antinori's Tignanello pulling weight in the Super Tuscan corner, and Mastroberardino's Taurasi representing Campania with authority. Southern Italy gets a real seat at the table — Feudi di San Gregorio's Fiano di Avellino and Planeta's Nero d'Avola are both legit inclusions that signal someone actually cares about the peninsula below Rome. The weak spot is everything outside Italy: it's basically not there, which is a fine choice as long as you came here for Italian, and you should have.
Ten to twenty by-the-glass options keeps things manageable without feeling like you're stuck choosing between two bad options. The $10-$18 glass price range is reasonable for a boardwalk fine dining spot in a casino market where operators can and do gouge freely. We'd love to see a little more rotation here — right now it reads more like a static menu than an active glass program.
Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino — $35–$50
Southern Italian whites are chronically underpriced relative to their quality, and Feudi's Fiano is a textbook example — mineral, structured, genuinely interesting — sitting at the low end of a list that goes much higher. Order it before the Blue Point Oysters and don't look back.
Mastroberardino Taurasi
Most tables at a boardwalk Italian spot are reaching for the Tignanello or the Amarone because the names ring a bell. Taurasi from Mastroberardino — the family that essentially preserved Campanian winemaking — is the serious drinker's pick. Aglianico-based, built for long haul, and routinely overlooked by anyone not already hunting for it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is the wine that taught a generation of Americans that Pinot Grigio costs $40, and it's been coasting on that reputation ever since. It's fine — it's always fine — but on a list with Fiano di Avellino on it, spending money here is a missed opportunity dressed in a familiar label.
Planeta Nero d'Avola + Handcrafted Pasta
Nero d'Avola from Planeta is dark-fruited and warm without being heavy, which makes it a natural fit for a rich pasta — think something with a tomato-braised meat component. Sicily and Southern Italian pasta are essentially the same cultural conversation, and this pairing feels earned rather than engineered.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Linguini by the Sea isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's a genuinely solid Italian list in a setting where it could easily be much worse. If you're eating here — and the ocean view alone is reason enough — the wine program will take care of you.
Atlantic City Boardwalk · Atlantic City · Steak House
Ocean Steak is a reliable California Cab showcase that does exactly what a boardwalk steakhouse wine list should — it doesn't embarrass you, it doesn't thrill you, but it keeps the Porterhouse company all night. Send a friend here if they want a proper glass with a great steak; don't send them if they're hunting for discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Atlantic City · Atlantic City · Japanese
Kuro isn't going to change how you think about wine lists, but it will pour you a genuinely good California Cab or Chardonnay at a fair price while you eat excellent sushi in Atlantic City — and on a Wednesday, when the list goes half-price, it becomes one of the better wine deals on the Jersey Shore. Send a friend who likes recognizable names done well.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Atlantic City · Atlantic City · Seafood
Dock's is a reliable institution that earns its Wine Spectator credential without really pushing anyone's limits — the list is solid, California-forward, and overpriced at the top end, but Wednesday half-price wine night makes it genuinely worth a visit. Send your friends here for the oysters; tell them to stick to the mid-list whites.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Atlantic City · Atlantic City · Steak house
Council Oak is a reliable, well-stocked casino steakhouse wine list — California-focused, safely curated, and priced for a night when the slots were good. Don't come hunting for discovery, but if you want a great bottle of Napa Cab with your steak on the boardwalk, you'll leave happy enough.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Atlantic City Boardwalk · Atlantic City · Italian
Capriccio isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's a genuinely solid list for what it is — an upscale Italian on the Atlantic City Boardwalk with real producers, fair prices, and a Tuesday half-price night that's worth planning around. If you're already there for the osso buco, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Atlantic City · Atlantic City · Steak House
B Prime is exactly what you want a casino steakhouse wine list to be: serious enough to satisfy wine drinkers, approachable enough for everyone else, and stocked with names that hold up to the food. The markups sting, but this is Atlantic City — you came here knowing that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Anthem/Seven Hills · Henderson · Italian, Seafood
Ventano is a reliable date-night option when you want a wine that sounds impressive to your table without requiring anyone to think too hard. The list won't challenge you, but it won't embarrass you either — just watch the markups.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lamar · Austin · Italian, Seafood
A neighborhood Italian spot with a better wine list than it has any obligation to have — and Wednesday half-price wine night is one of the better deals in Austin. Come for the pasta, stay for the Barolo.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Italian, Seafood
Battello is a reliable destination for Italian wine done with genuine care — Carmine's Piedmont and Tuscany selections show real knowledge, even if the pricing on the prestige bottles requires deep pockets. Come for the Barbaresco and the view, skip the trophy bottles.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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