Italy's Greatest Hits, All Under One Roof
Midtown Manhattan · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Masseria dei Vini’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands on the table like a small novel — and not the kind you skim. This is a love letter to Italy, written with real conviction, and it's clear from the first page that whoever built this list actually cares. Midtown Manhattan doesn't always earn that kind of attention.
Four hundred-plus bottles and almost all roads lead to Italy, which is exactly the right call here. Tuscany and Piedmont anchor everything: you've got Sassicaia and Ornellaia sitting alongside Tignanello, Brunello from Biondi-Santi, and Barolos from both Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa — that's not a list, that's a statement. Gaja's Barbaresco makes an appearance, and Castello di Ama's Chianti Classico Riserva gives you something to drink without requiring a second mortgage. The gaps are minor — non-Italian options feel like an afterthought — but when Italy is this well-represented, you don't miss them.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is genuinely impressive, and the quality tracked through the bottle list doesn't drop off when you go half-measure. Rotating options include Super Tuscans and regional Italian varieties that go well beyond the usual Pinot Grigio-and-Chianti defaults. If you're doing a solo dinner or splitting a bottle feels like overkill, you're still in good hands.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Ama — $50–$70
In a list heavy with four-figure bottles, Castello di Ama's Riserva delivers serious Sangiovese credibility without the sticker shock. It's a producer that earns its reputation every vintage, and at the entry point of this list's price range, it's the move for anyone who wants to drink well without doing math.
Amarone, Allegrini
Everyone's eyes go straight to the Barolo and Super Tuscan section, and Allegrini's Amarone gets overlooked as a result. That's a mistake. This is a structured, serious wine with the kind of dark fruit and grip that holds up beautifully against the heavier pasta dishes and braised meats on this menu. It's the sleeper on the list.
Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido
Look, Sassicaia is a genuinely great wine. But it's also one of the most recognizable names in Italian wine, which means restaurants know they can charge whatever they want for it. At a Midtown restaurant with a prestige-forward list, the markup on a bottle this famous will hurt. You can drink incredibly well here without reaching for the trophy bottle.
Barolo, Bruno Giacosa + Pappardelle with Wild Boar
Giacosa's Barolo brings high-toned rose and tar aromatics with serious tannic backbone — exactly what you need to stand up to a rich, gamey wild boar ragu. The acidity cuts through the fat, the tannins play off the braised meat, and the whole thing tastes like someone planned it, even if you stumbled into it.
The Bottom Line
Masseria dei Vini has built one of the most focused, credible Italian wine lists in New York, and the Best of Award of Excellence since 2017 is well-earned. The markups sting, and you won't get a dedicated sommelier walking you through it — but if you know what you want, or you're willing to explore, this list rewards you.
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.