1,200 bottles deep and earning every star
Midtown · New York · Coastal Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated July 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Marea’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Marea lands like a serious statement — 1,200 selections, anchored in Piemonte and Burgundy, with enough depth to keep a collector busy for months. This is not a list assembled by a marketing team; someone who actually cares about wine built this thing. You'll want to clear your schedule before you start reading it.
Piemonte is the undisputed heart of this list: Giacomo Conterno Monfortino, Bruno Giacosa Falletto, Giuseppe Rinaldi Brunate, Burlotto Monvigliero — it reads like a greatest-hits of Barolo with actual vintage depth going back to 2000 and beyond. Burgundy holds its own with Rousseau Clos St. Jacques, Comtes Lafon Meursault, Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles, and Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne — not filler Burgundy, the real stuff. The Italian beyond Piemonte gets a look too, with gems like Podere Le Boncie Le Trame and a Soldera Brunello Riserva that will make your hands shake a little. The only gap is that if you want something outside Italy and France, you're mostly on your own.
The by-the-glass program here is legitimately one of the best in New York City — a high bar in a city drowning in good wine lists. Expect well-chosen options that rotate with intention, including serious producers that most restaurants wouldn't dare pour by the glass. The 2022 Roland Lavantureux Chablis Vieilles Vignes showing up in a pours program is the kind of detail that tells you exactly who is running this list.
2022 Roland Lavantureux Chablis Vieilles Vignes — N/A — by the glass
Lavantureux is one of Chablis' most reliable growers and this Vieilles Vignes bottling punches well above its price tier. Finding it available by the glass at a midtown Manhattan restaurant that's charging $65 for pasta is a genuine win — order a glass before you look at anything else.
2022 Podere Le Boncie Le Trame
At $225 on a list where Barolo bottles can run into four figures, Le Boncie's Le Trame is easy to overlook — but this Sangiovese-based blend from Chianti Classico is a genuinely soulful wine from one of the appellation's most thoughtful producers. It's the bottle for someone who wants to drink beautifully without announcing it to the whole table.
BAROLO RISERVA MONFORTINO GIACOMO CONTERNO 2004 ($3,300)
It's a great wine. It is also $3,300. Unless someone else is paying or you are actively celebrating something that changed your life, the opportunity cost here is enormous — you could drink most of the Italian section for that price. Save Monfortino for the cellar.
2016 Comm G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero + Fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow
Burlotto's Monvigliero is all iron, roses, and structure — it has the backbone to cut through the richness of bone marrow and enough bright acidity to keep up with braised octopus without bulldozing it. This is the kind of pairing that makes you put your fork down and just think for a second.
The Bottom Line
Marea is the real thing — a destination wine list that rewards the curious, punishes no one for asking questions, and makes a strong case that Italian and Burgundian wines belong in the same conversation. The markups are what they are at this level in New York, but the quality of what's in the cellar and in the glass earns it.
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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