Old City's Italian Wine Anchor, Earning It Since '93
Old City · Philadelphia · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Panorama’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Panorama lands with authority — this is not a restaurant that bolted a wine program onto an Italian menu as an afterthought. Holding a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence continuously since 1993 means they've been doing this longer than most Philly restaurants have existed. You feel that history the moment you open the list.
Piedmont and Tuscany form the twin pillars here, and both are handled seriously — we're talking Barolo from Giacomo Conterno, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and the heavy-hitter Super Tuscans like Sassicaia and Tignanello sitting alongside Chianti Classico Riserva and Amarone della Valpolicella. California gets its due with Napa Cabernet and Sonoma Pinot Noir rounding out the New World presence, while France adds classical depth to what is already a 120-150 bottle list. The gaps, if any, are minor — this is a focused, curator's list rather than a phone-book exercise in showing off.
With 18-24 pours running between $12 and $22, the by-the-glass program punches well above the average Italian restaurant in this city. That range suggests real thought went into rotation — you're not stuck choosing between a house red and a generic Pinot Grigio. If the bottle list reflects the regions it focuses on, expect at least a few Piedmont and Tuscan options available by the glass on any given night.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45–$55 (approx.)
Chianti Classico Riserva at the entry price point on a list this serious is almost always the move — age-worthy Sangiovese with structure and savory depth, typically at the lowest markup tier. With hand-rolled pastas and veal on the menu, it earns its keep at the table without denting the card.
Amarone della Valpolicella
People walk right past Amarone on Italian lists because it sounds like a commitment — big, brooding, concentrated. But on a cold Philadelphia night with a plate of something meaty in front of you, it's one of the most rewarding bottles on this list. Most diners order the Barolo or a Super Tuscan. Let them. More Amarone for the rest of us.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a legend, full stop — but on restaurant lists it almost always carries a markup that puts it well north of what you'd pay at retail, and Panorama is unlikely to be the exception. Unless it's a special occasion and money isn't the conversation, the same terroir story gets told for considerably less elsewhere on this list.
Barolo (Giacomo Conterno) + Hand-rolled pasta with braised veal
Conterno's Barolo is built on Nebbiolo's signature tension — tart cherry, tar, dried roses, firm tannins that need something to work against. Braised veal with hand-rolled pasta gives it exactly that: fat and umami to soften the grip, enough weight to match the wine's structure. This is the pairing that justifies the trip.
The Bottom Line
Panorama has been one of Philadelphia's most credible Italian wine programs for three decades and the list backs that up with producer-level specificity and fair pricing. If you're eating in Old City and wine matters to you, there's no better seat in the neighborhood.
Philadelphia · Philadelphia · American
Vernick Fish is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants quality Chardonnay and Burgundy alongside serious seafood — just know you'll pay for the privilege. Send a friend here, but tell them to avoid the trophy bottles and lean into the French side of the list.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Rittenhouse Square · Philadelphia · French
Parc is a reliable, France-first wine list that fits the room perfectly — you won't discover anything new here, but you also won't go wrong. If you're eating onion soup and steak frites in a beautiful Parisian-style brasserie, this list does exactly what it should.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rittenhouse Square · Philadelphia · American, French
a.kitchen+bar is the real deal — a deep, well-curated list run by sommeliers who actually know what's on it, earning that Wine Spectator badge honestly. The markups sting on the high end, but the depth and staff knowledge make this one of Philadelphia's best rooms to drink serious wine.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Center City · Philadelphia · Italian
Vetri Cucina is the Italian wine list Philadelphia deserves and rarely gets — stacked with producers that serious collectors chase, staffed by people who can actually talk you through it. Yes, the markup stings on the trophy bottles, but the depth here earns every bit of that Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Philadelphia · Philadelphia · Italian
Osteria is one of the best Italian wine programs in Philadelphia, full stop — the depth of producers alone earns the Rager badge. Budget for it, skip the obvious names, and let the list take you somewhere you haven't been.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Philadelphia · Philadelphia · Asian, French
Jean-Georges Philadelphia earns its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence the hard way — with a French-dominant list that actually has depth behind the marquee names and staff who know how to navigate it. Markups are real and the DRC is not for the faint of heart, but if you're eating here, you're already in the right room.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ciao Bruto is running one of the smallest and most coherent wine lists in wine country, which is either audacious or brilliant — probably both. If you want a 200-label deep-dive, go somewhere else. If you want eight smart picks at prices that won't make you wince, this is the move in Healdsburg.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Geyserville · Healdsburg · Italian
Diavola earns its Wild Card badge because it's a wood-fired pizza joint that punches well above its weight on wine — sommelier on staff, regional focus, and a setting that practically demands you order a second glass. We can't give you the bottle-by-bottle breakdown until we get eyes on a current list, but the bones here are good enough to say: don't just order a beer and move on.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Healdsburg · Italian
Ca'Bianca is a genuinely lovely place to eat, and if the food lives up to its reputation for house-made pasta and classic Italian technique, a bottle of something from the list is absolutely worth ordering. We just can't tell you exactly which bottle to order yet — the wine program's specifics aren't publicly documented well enough for us to make a confident call. When in doubt, ask your server what's local and what they're excited about, and go from there.
Plays It Safe
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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