Sicily Only, No Apologies, No Exceptions
Unknown · New York · Sicilian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Norma’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Norma is a love letter to Sicily written by someone who actually knows the island. There's no Napa Cab here, no token Burgundy to keep nervous guests comfortable — just a tight, purposeful collection of indigenous Sicilian varieties that doubles down on the restaurant's identity. It's a bold move, and it mostly pays off.
Every bottle on this list is Sicilian, full stop, and the producers they've chosen are the real deal — Donnafugata, Cottanera, COS, Planeta, Feudo Montoni, Fondazione Witaker. You're getting Nero d'Avola, Frappato, Grillo, Nerello Mascalese, Grecanico, and Fiano, which is a legitimate tour of the island's best grapes. The COS Grecanico/Inzolia 'Ramí' orange wine shows they're not just playing the hits, and the Passito di Pantelleria 'Ben-Ryer' from Donnafugata gives the list a proper dessert landing. The gap is depth — if you want to explore verticals or find a sleeper producer, the list is too short to take you very far.
Glass pours run $14–$18, which is reasonable for New York, but we couldn't confirm how many options are available by the glass or how frequently the selection rotates. What we do know is that the bottle list skews toward the $45–$60 range, so the by-the-glass program likely pulls from the same approachable Sicilian core. If they're pouring the Frappato or the Grillo Brut by the glass, that's a good night.
Grillo Brut, Santa Tresa — $45
At a 125% markup this is the least punishing bottle on the list — retails around $20, drinks well as an aperitivo-style sparkling white, and sets the Sicilian tone from the jump. Relative to everything else here, it's the move.
Grecanico/Inzolia 'Ramí' (Orange wine), COS, 2021
COS is one of the most important natural producers in Sicily and this orange wine is genuinely interesting — skin-contact Grecanico and Inzolia with texture and grip that most guests will walk right past on the way to the Nero d'Avola. Don't let them.
Nero D'Avola, 'Sedara', Donnafugata, 2020
Donnafugata's Sedara is a fine, widely available wine that retails for about $18. At $58 on this list that's a 222% markup on a bottle you can grab at any decent wine shop. The Frappato from Santa Tresa is more interesting and barely costs less — go there instead.
Frappato, Santa Tresa, 2021 + Arancini
Frappato is light, bright, and has enough acidity to cut through fried rice and cheese without bullying the dish. Santa Tresa's version is approachable and food-friendly — exactly what you want with a crispy arancino.
The Bottom Line
Norma is a wine list with a clear point of view and the producers to back it up, but the markups are steep enough to take some of the joy out of it. Come for the Sicilian focus and the COS orange wine, just go in knowing your wallet is going to feel the island's heat.
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.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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