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๐Ÿ”ฅThe Rager

Osteria Mozza

Italy's Greatest Hits, Served On Melrose

Hollywood ยท Los Angeles ยท Italian ยท Visit Website โ†—

date-nightdeep-cellarold-world-focussplurge-worthy

Reviewed April 7, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietyDeep & Eclectic
MarkupSteep
GlasswareVarietal Specific
StaffKnowledgeable & Friendly
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempProper

First Impression

The wine list at Osteria Mozza lands on the table like a small Italian novel โ€” 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.

Selection Deep Dive

Six to eight hundred selections anchored almost entirely in Italy โ€” 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 โ€” Livio Felluga, Marco Felluga โ€” are a quiet flex for anyone paying attention to the northern reaches of the boot.

By the Glass

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 โ€” Josh Wibbenmeyer, Melissa Kunde, and Erika Parjus among them โ€” can actually walk you through what's worth pouring tonight.

๐Ÿ’ฐBest Value

Fontodi Chianti Classico โ€” $65

On a list that trends toward triple-digit Barolos and Brunellos, Fontodi's Chianti Classico is where the list quietly over-delivers โ€” serious Sangiovese from one of the appellation's benchmark estates, at a price that doesn't require a conversation with your accountant.

๐Ÿ’ŽHidden Gem

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.

โ›”Skip This

Sassicaia

A great wine โ€” no argument there โ€” 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.

๐Ÿฝ๏ธPerfect Pairing

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 โ€” 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.

๐Ÿ”ฅ The Bottom Line

Osteria Mozza holds a Best of Award of Excellence for good reason โ€” 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.

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