Georgetown's Italian wine list that means business
Georgetown · Washington · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Osteria Mozza DC, the wine list announces itself before you even sit down — this is not a restaurant that treats wine as an afterthought. The Georgetown setting is polished and purposeful, and the list reflects that same energy: this is an Italian-focused program that clearly has a point of view and the cellar depth to back it up. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, and from what's on these pages, it's not hard to see why.
The list is anchored hard in Piedmont and Tuscany, and it doesn't apologize for it — you'll find Barolo from Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja sitting alongside Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Riserva, which is essentially an Italian wine lover's wishlist made real. The Super Tuscan representation is serious too: Sassicaia and Ornellaia are both present, covering the high-end collector corner for anyone celebrating something worth celebrating. What makes this more than a trophy list is the range within those Italian regions — Barbaresco sits alongside Barolo, giving you the full Piedmont conversation. Gaps exist outside Italy, but honestly, the focus is the point.
Specific by-the-glass details aren't published prominently, which is a minor frustration for the casual diner who just wants a solid pour without committing to a bottle. With a sommelier team this deep — Benjamin McMeley, Mirian Colonel, Zoe Pullen, and Alison Sachs on staff — we'd expect the glass program to be curated and rotated with care, but we can't confirm counts or pricing from available data. Ask your server directly; a room like this usually has something worth pouring by the glass even if it's not loudly advertised.
Chianti Classico Riserva — null
In a list full of Gaja and Sassicaia price tags, a well-chosen Chianti Classico Riserva is almost always the smart move — structured enough to handle a full Italian dinner, approachable enough not to require a spreadsheet decision. At a program like this, it's likely sourced well and priced more reasonably than its Barolo neighbors.
Barbaresco
Everyone comes in asking about Barolo, but Barbaresco — especially from a producer like Bruno Giacosa — is the more elegant, often earlier-drinking option that gets passed over at tables that don't know better. On a list this strong, the Barbaresco section deserves a second look before you default to Barolo.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a legitimate great wine, but at a restaurant with this kind of markup profile, you're almost certainly paying a significant premium over retail for a bottle that's widely available and well-known. Unless it's a special occasion and someone else is paying, there are more interesting bottles on this list that won't drain your account.
Barolo (Giacomo Conterno) + Pasta with braised meat ragù
Conterno's Barolo is built for this — the wine's high acidity and tannic structure cut right through a rich, long-braised meat sauce, and the earthy depth in the wine mirrors whatever's in the pot. It's the most classically Italian pairing on the menu, and it works because it's supposed to.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Osteria Mozza DC is the kind of Italian wine program Georgetown needed — serious Piedmont and Tuscany depth, a knowledgeable team, and a list that earned its Wine Spectator badge honestly. Pricing will test your budget, but if you know what you're ordering, this list rewards you.
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Maydan's wine list is one of the most geographically coherent and genuinely adventurous in Washington, DC — it matches the kitchen's ambition and then some. If you're willing to let go of the familiar, this is one of the best by-the-glass programs in the city for opening your eyes to what the wine world looks like beyond Europe.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Moon Rabbit's wine list is doing something rare: it's short enough to read in two minutes and interesting enough to talk about for twenty. If you care about well-chosen, adventurous bottles at prices that won't wreck your dinner bill, send your people here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Georgetown · Washington · French
Lutèce earns its Wine Spectator nod with a tightly curated French list that goes deeper than the cozy Georgetown bistro setting might suggest. The pricing skews steep once you move past the Loire and Alsace sections, but if you drink strategically — and let Chris point the way — this is a genuinely rewarding wine experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Spanish
Xiquet is doing something genuinely rare in D.C. — a tightly edited, Spain-first wine program inside a room that actually earns it. Four sommeliers and a Wood Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 confirm this isn't an accident; just know you're paying for the setting as much as the bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Washington · Washington · Italian
Via Sophia is doing something genuinely focused in a city full of lists that try to please everyone — an all-Italy program with real depth, fair pricing, and a sommelier who actually cares. Send your friends here, tell them to ignore the Sassicaia, and order the Amarone.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Truluck's is a dependable, well-run wine program that earns its Wine Spectator nod without doing anything surprising — California loyalists and Napa Cab fans will be perfectly happy here. If you want adventure, bring your own recommendations; if you want reliable execution with your stone crab, this delivers.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
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.