Italy's Greatest Hits, Served On Melrose
Hollywood · Los Angeles · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Osteria Mozza’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Osteria Mozza lands on the table like a small Italian novel — dense, serious, and clearly written by someone who cares deeply about the peninsula. This isn't a list curated to please; it's a list curated to educate, challenge, and occasionally stun. Nancy Silverton's kitchen gets all the press, but the wine program earns its own headline.
Six to eight hundred selections anchored almost entirely in Italy — and that's not a limitation, it's a thesis statement. Piedmont alone could occupy an entire evening: Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja covering Barolo and Barbaresco across multiple vintages. Tuscany keeps pace with Biondi-Santi and Soldera representing Brunello at its most serious, Sassicaia and Ornellaia flying the Super Tuscan flag, and Fontodi and Isole e Olena doing honest work in Chianti Classico. The Friulian whites — Livio Felluga, Marco Felluga — are a quiet flex for anyone paying attention to the northern reaches of the boot.
Around twenty to thirty options by the glass with prices running $16 to $40, which is aggressive but in line with the room's ambitions. The selection rotates with enough Italian regional depth that you're not stuck choosing between Pinot Grigio and Chianti like it's 2003. A knowledgeable floor team — Josh Wibbenmeyer, Melissa Kunde, and Erika Parjus among them — can actually walk you through what's worth pouring tonight.
Fontodi Chianti Classico — $65
On a list that trends toward triple-digit Barolos and Brunellos, Fontodi's Chianti Classico is where the list quietly over-delivers — serious Sangiovese from one of the appellation's benchmark estates, at a price that doesn't require a conversation with your accountant.
Livio Felluga Friulian White
Everyone's chasing the Barolo section and missing the Friulian whites entirely. Livio Felluga makes some of the most food-friendly, texturally compelling whites in Italy, and on a list this meat-and-pasta-forward, they're the smartest order in the room.
Sassicaia
A great wine — no argument there — but Sassicaia is the most recognized Super Tuscan on the planet, and restaurant markup on icon bottles at this tier is reliably punishing. You're paying for the name as much as the wine. Dig deeper into the list and your money works harder.
Dal Forno Romano Amarone + Beef tagliata
Dal Forno's Amarone is a massive, concentrated wine that needs something with equal structural weight to meet it — the beef tagliata's char and richness are exactly that match. It's a big call, but this is the kind of pairing this list was built for.
The Bottom Line
Osteria Mozza holds a Best of Award of Excellence for good reason — this is one of the most coherent, deeply sourced Italian wine programs in Los Angeles, staffed by people who actually know what's on the list. The markup stings, but when the wines are this good and this carefully chosen, you're paying for access to a serious cellar, not just a restaurant wine list.
West Adams · Los Angeles · Wine shop & bar
Adams is doing something genuinely rare in LA: a community-anchored wine bar with actual conviction behind the list and staff who can back it up. Send your friends here, especially the ones who think they don't like wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Los Angeles · Wine Bar
Augustine is doing the work: a genuinely eclectic 66-bottle list, half of it available by the glass, with pricing that respects what it's selling. If you like exploring wine without having to commit to a full bottle, this is exactly where you want to be.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Los Angeles · Wine Bar
Buvons is for people who already know what natural wine is and want nine well-chosen pours without a 50-page list getting in the way. If that's you, you'll feel right at home.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Angeles · Los Angeles · French Bistro / Wine Bar
Bar Etoile is doing exactly one thing, and it is doing it with conviction — if you want grower Champagne from serious small producers in a French bistro setting, this is your room. If you want options, look elsewhere.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Los Feliz · Los Angeles · Wine Bar
Tabula Rasa is the kind of wine bar that rewards regulars — the list rotates, the prices are fair, and the room alone is worth the visit. We'd send friends here on a Tuesday without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Sushi / Japanese
Sushi Note is doing something genuinely uncommon: a thirteen-bottle list with no dead weight, fair prices, and the confidence to put Greek orange wine next to bluefin. If you let the list guide you, you'll drink better than you expected.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Italian
Porto by Antonio delivers a credible Italian-forward wine list with genuine high points — Promis, Barbaresco, Brunello — and a by-the-glass program that actually gives people choices. Markups get aggressive at the top, and the Caymus pricing is frankly embarrassing, but if you stick to the Italian core and the smart mid-range picks, you'll drink well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Toledo · Italian
Zia's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's trying harder than most Italian spots in Toledo — fair prices, a mostly by-the-glass program, and enough Italian producers to keep things honest. Go for the Antinori, order the Riesling to impress your date, and leave Castle Rock for the grocery run.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McKinney · Italian
Bravo! is a competent chain wine program — wide by-the-glass selection, a few Italian producers worth noting, and prices that are steep but not insulting. You're not coming here for the wine list, but you won't regret ordering either.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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