Short Italian List, Markup Does the Heavy Lifting
Guilderland · Albany · Italian/Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed MezzaNote’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at MezzaNote is short, Italian-focused, and built around sparkling options — which would be charming if the pricing didn't immediately give you pause. Four bottles, a couple of glass pours, and markups hovering around 90% tell you this list was assembled to check a box, not to excite anyone.
The entire list leans Italian sparkling, which at least has a coherent identity — but four bottles deep, that identity runs out of road fast. You've got the entry-level Cavit Lunetta Prosecco, the house-label 'Mezza' Italia NV, and a Rotari Talento and Zenato Lugana Brut for anyone willing to spend more. There's no red, no white, no rosé to speak of in the data — if they exist elsewhere on the list, they're not being advertised. For an upscale Italian restaurant, the absence of a Barolo, a Brunello, or even a Vermentino is a real miss.
The Cavit Prosecco Lunetta is confirmed by the glass at $9, which is the friendliest price on the menu. Beyond that, glass pour options are murky — if the restaurant pours anything else by the glass, it's not being communicated clearly. One confirmed glass option for a full dinner service is thin.
Cavit Prosecco Lunetta NV — $9/glass
At $9 a glass it's the only number on this list that doesn't sting. Retail is around $15 a bottle, so you're not getting robbed at the glass tier — grab a couple of these at the start of dinner and call it a night.
Rotari Brut Talento NV
Rotari's Talento is made Metodo Classico — Champagne method — from Trentino, which puts it in a different league than your average Prosecco. Most tables will walk past it for the cheaper Cavit, but the extra $10 buys you actual complexity and fine bubbles. It's the most interesting thing on this list.
Zenato Lugana Brut NV
At $49 with a retail price around $25, this is the steepest markup on the list at nearly 100%. Zenato makes solid wine but this is a grocery-store-accessible bottle being priced like a cellar find. Hard pass.
Rotari Brut Talento NV + Polpette
The acidity and fine bubbles in the Talento cut through the richness of meatballs in pomodoro sauce better than you'd expect from a sparkling wine. It's a slightly unconventional move that actually works — and on a list this narrow, it's your best shot at an interesting combination.
The Bottom Line
MezzaNote's wine list is a footnote, not a feature — a handful of Italian sparklers priced for the house's benefit, not yours. If you're eating here, order the Rotari, skip the Zenato, and focus on the food.
· Albany · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood
Choose by budget, check bottle size, and confirm the current menu. We haven't independently assessed service, glassware or storage.
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse
Order by the glass and explore: the posted menu gives you Riesling, Chablis, Cahors and Rioja without a bottle commitment. Pentimento at $16 is our price-conscious red starting point. Check the current list before ordering; the complete cellar, service and storage haven't been independently verified.
West Albany · Albany · Italian
Grappa ’72 gives you several ways into Italian wine without committing to a prestige bottle. Our move is Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva at $47/bottle for the table, or Bigi Orvietto at $9/glass if you want your own white. Confirm the current vintage and price when ordering.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Clinton Square · Albany · Modern Mexican / Latin-inspired
Ama Cocina isn't a destination wine bar, but it's a Wild Card worth respecting — a food-forward Latin spot that actually thought about its wine list instead of phoning it in. Come for the tacos, order the Albariño, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Warehouse District/Riverfront · Albany · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
The Shaker & Vine is Albany's best argument for the self-pour wine bar format — the markup is shockingly fair, the riverside setting earns its keep, and the list is approachable without being embarrassing. Don't come hunting for rare producers, but do come for a relaxed pour with a view.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Colonie · Albany · Classic Italian-American
Lombardo's wine list is the culinary equivalent of a comfortable booth — nothing revelatory, but nothing offensive, and it gets the job done alongside a plate of baked ziti. Send a friend here for the food and tell them to order the Barolo if they want to feel like they tried.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pearl District · Portland · Italian/Mediterranean
Serratto is a dependable wine stop in the Pearl — the Italian core of the list is genuinely good, but the sparkling markups are doing the list no favors. Send a friend here for a bottle of Barolo with pasta; just steer them away from the bubbles.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gramercy · New York · Italian/Mediterranean
Borgo looks like a white-tablecloth Italian and drinks like a downtown natural wine bar — that gap between expectation and reality is where all the fun is. Yes, send a friend here for wine, especially if they think they already know what an Italian restaurant list looks like.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
