Trophy Bottles, Tuscan Soul, Boca Price Tags
Central Boca · Boca Raton · Modern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Novello Restaurant & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Novello lands with real ambition — 155 labels, a serious Italian backbone, and a Napa trophy case that tells you exactly who's eating here. It's a flex list, no question, but whether you're paying for the wine or the zip code depends entirely on what you order.
The Italian side earns its keep: Piedmont shows up with Gaja's 'Sori Tildin' Barbaresco and 'Sperss' Barolo, both from the legendary 2001 vintage, and the Super Tuscan row is stacked with Sassicaia, Tignanello, and Ornellaia. Dal Forno Romano's 2008 Amarone is the kind of wine that makes you forgive a lot of other sins on a list. Napa gets equal real estate — Opus One, Schrader, Hundred Acre, Joseph Phelps Insignia — which reads more like a steakhouse wish list than a neighborhood Italian spot, but the Boca crowd clearly wants options. What's missing is the mid-tier: there's a gap between the approachable entry-level bottles and the big-ticket stuff that leaves budget-conscious drinkers with fewer interesting choices than they deserve.
Fifteen to twenty-five pours is a generous program on paper, and the $14–$28 range suggests they're not just dumping leftover bottles into the by-the-glass rotation. That said, with no confirmed rotation schedule or featured pours, this reads as a static program — what you see is what you get, week after week. Ask your server what's open and drinking well right now; that's your best move.
Marchesi Antinori 'Tignanello' Bolgheri 2016 — Bottle
Tignanello is one of the most recognizable Super Tuscans in the world, and the 2016 is drinking beautifully right now — Sangiovese-led with Cabernet muscle underneath. If the markup here is anywhere near reasonable, it's the most satisfying bottle on the list for the money, especially alongside a plate of pasta or the branzino.
Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella 2008
Most tables at a place like this are scanning for Napa or Tuscany and completely bypass the Veneto. That's a mistake. Dal Forno Romano makes some of the most intense, age-worthy Amarone produced anywhere, and the 2008 vintage has had plenty of time to open up. It's a big, brooding wine that will absolutely steal the show next to a braised meat dish or the richest pasta on the menu — and it's the kind of bottle you don't find everywhere.
Hundred Acre 'Kayli Morgan' Howell Mountain 2015
Hundred Acre is a cult Napa Cab with a cult Napa price, and in a restaurant setting you're paying a serious premium on top of an already inflated retail cost. It's a fine wine, but you're buying the label as much as what's in the bottle — and at a modern Italian restaurant, a Howell Mountain Cabernet is fighting the food more than it's working with it. Save this one for the steakhouse.
Tenuta San Guido 'Sassicaia' Bolgheri 2015 + Italian-inspired steak or chop
Sassicaia is Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown on the Tuscan coast — structured, cedar-forward, and built for red meat. A properly cooked steak or veal chop gives the wine something to push against, and the 2015 vintage has just enough age to show some complexity without needing more time in the cellar. It's the one bottle on this list that earns its price tag at the table.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Novello is a genuinely good wine list for Boca Raton — Italian-focused, with real depth at the top end — but the markups and the static glass program hold it back from being truly exciting. Go for the Amarone or the Super Tuscans; skip the Napa cult bottles unless someone else is paying.
Unknown · Boca Raton · Upscale Casual Grill
Madison's wine list is the restaurant equivalent of a firm handshake — reliable, familiar, and unlikely to disappoint or impress. Send a friend here if they want a safe, solid bottle with a good steak; steer them elsewhere if they're looking for something to talk about.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Boca Raton · Boca Raton · Italian Fine Dining
Novello is the best Italian wine list in Boca Raton you're likely to find, and the BTG program alone is worth the trip. Just go in knowing the markups reflect the zip code, not a bargain hunter's paradise.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Boca Raton · Boca Raton · Italian, Sicilian
Savia is doing something genuinely uncommon in Boca Raton: building a wine list around a single region with real intention and credible producers. The markup stings and the list won't satisfy everyone, but if you care about Sicilian wine at all, this is the most interesting glass you'll find in the city.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Boca Raton · Boca Raton · Modern American Steakhouse
Meat Market Boca is a reliable wine destination for steakhouse standards — the list is deep enough to be interesting, the by-the-glass program is stronger than average, and Wine Mondays turn a steep list into a genuinely smart night out. Show up Tuesday through Sunday expecting to pay for the room; show up Monday and actually enjoy the wine.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Boca Raton · Boca Raton · Modern Italian Steakhouse
Dorsia's wine list is exactly what it wants to be — polished, crowd-pleasing, and priced for a room that's spending freely. If you're after discovery or value, you'll have to work for it; if you're here for the scene and a great steak, Caymus and a Super Tuscan have you covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Mizner Park · Boca Raton · Classic Italian
Louie Bossi's isn't going to win any awards for wine curation, but that daily half-price bottle program is a legitimate reason to show up. Order an entrée, pick strategically, and you'll drink better than the list price would ever suggest.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Leawood · Overland Park · Modern Italian
North Italia Overland Park is a reliable place to eat well and drink adequately — just don't come here expecting the wine list to surprise you. Order the Santa Cristina, eat the pasta, and have a good time.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
National Landing / Crystal City · Arlington · Modern Italian
Corso is a dependable Italian wine list in a neighborhood that could easily get away with doing much less — it doesn't dazzle, but it doesn't disappoint either. If the Wednesday half-price bottle rumor holds up when you call ahead, it might just tip into genuinely great value territory.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Legacy West · Plano · Modern Italian
North Italia Plano is a perfectly functional wine stop that the Sunday half-price bottle deal quietly turns into something worth planning around. Come any other night and you're paying for the atmosphere as much as what's in the glass.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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