Piedmont Royalty Hiding on Amsterdam Avenue
Upper West Side · New York · Italian, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Lucciola Italian Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Lucciola hits you like a Barolo negroni — rich, serious, and completely intentional. This is not an Upper West Side afterthought list padded with Meiomi and Whispering Angel; this is a 300-500 bottle deep dive into the soul of Italian winemaking. Sommelier Alexandra Lascu has clearly spent time in Piedmont in spirit if not in person.
The Italian backbone here is exceptional. Piedmont anchors everything — Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja represent the full spectrum from traditional to modern Barolo, and Produttori del Barbaresco gives you a more accessible entry point into Nebbiolo greatness. Tuscany shows up strong with Biondi-Santi and Poggio di Sotto Brunello alongside the Super Tuscan hits — Sassicaia and Tignanello — for the crowd that needs a familiar name on the label. The Veneto goes deep with Dal Forno Romano and Quintarelli Amarone, both of which are serious collector-grade pours that you rarely see on a restaurant list outside of a major wine destination. France gets a seat at the table too, rounding out the list without overshadowing the Italian core.
With 15-25 pours available by the glass, Lucciola gives you genuine options rather than the usual four-whites-four-reds shuffle. We'd expect the glass program to feature approachable expressions from the same serious producers on the bottle list — think Borgogno Barolo or Pieropan Soave Classico as entry points. The glass selection alone is worth building a dinner around if you want to taste across regions without committing to a full bottle.
Pieropan Soave Classico — $50-$70
Soave gets slept on constantly, and Pieropan is the benchmark producer — precise, mineral-driven white wine that drinks well above its price point on a list where bottles climb into the hundreds. Order it with the branzino and stop second-guessing yourself.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
Most tables at Lucciola are chasing Gaja or Conterno, which means Produttori del Barbaresco sits quietly on the list like a secret. This cooperative produces some of the most honest, terroir-transparent Nebbiolo in all of Piedmont — and it won't make you do mental math about your rent.
Tignanello (Antinori)
Tignanello is a great wine — nobody's arguing that. But it's also one of the most widely distributed bottles in the world, available at retail everywhere, which means the restaurant markup stings harder here than on something you actually can't find. If you want a Super Tuscan, fine. But there are more interesting choices on this list.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Bistecca alla Fiorentina
A traditional Barolo from Conterno — structured, tannic, built for decades — meets the char and fat of a proper Florentine T-bone and suddenly everything makes sense. This is the pairing that justifies the splurge and the reservation.
The Bottom Line
Lucciola is the real deal — a Best of Award of Excellence list that actually earns it, anchored by one of the strongest Italian selections you'll find in a neighborhood restaurant anywhere in the city. The markups aren't gentle, but when the producers are Conterno, Giacosa, and Quintarelli, you're paying for access as much as anything else.
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.
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian, Mediterranean
A short, Italian-leaning wine list with a note that the full list is available on request. Start with the Planeta Grillo at 12/40 or the Noussan Petit Arvine at 23/80, ask which number is the glass price, and confirm everything, since the files are linked with 2024 dates in their names. This unrated guide covers the posted wine PDF, not service, storage or markups.
River Oaks · Houston · Italian, Mediterranean
Zanti's list is large and Italy-heavy, and the glass pages are the easiest way into it. Order the $16 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva, or splurge on the $35 Caparzo Brunello with the braised lamb ossobuco. Confirm vintages and availability, since the list is marked October 2026. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Decatur · Decatur · Italian, Mediterranean
Café Lily is your dependable Decatur neighborhood restaurant that happens to take its wine seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator nod — nothing flashy, but never a disappointment. Go on a Tuesday, order the lamb, and let the half-price wine night do the rest.
Plays It Safe
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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