Piedmont's Greatest Hits, Downtown Manhattan Edition
Flatiron · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rezdôra’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Rezdôra hits like a love letter to northern Italy — Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, and a handful of regional curveballs that tell you someone here actually cares. This isn't a list built by a distributor rep; it's built by people who've been paying attention. Four sommeliers on staff, a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator since 2024, and roughly 400-500 selections deep — you're in good hands before you've even ordered a glass.
Piedmont is the obvious anchor and it doesn't disappoint: Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Bruno Giacosa, and Giuseppe Rinaldi cover the traditionalist canon, while Paolo Scavino and Vietti round out the modernist side — meaning you can have an actual conversation about style here. Tuscany holds its own with Isole e Olena and Fontodi in Chianti Classico, plus Biondi-Santi and Canalicchio di Sopra for the Brunello faithful, and the obligatory trophy bottles in Sassicaia and Ornellaia for whoever's expensing dinner. What separates Rezdôra from a generic Italian steakhouse list are the off-script picks: Walter Massa's Timorasso, Bruno Giacosa's Arneis, Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbera d'Asti, and Langhe Nebbiolo give you a genuine sense of the Italian northwest beyond the big reds. Gaps exist — the list leans hard into Piedmont and Tuscany, so if you're looking for southern Italy or island wines, you'll find slim pickings.
With 20-30 options by the glass in the $15-$25 range, Rezdôra is unusually serious about its pour program for a restaurant that could easily coast on bottle sales. Expect to find Nebbiolo-based options, regional whites, and rotating picks that reflect what's actually interesting on the full list rather than just whatever needs to move. The Langhe Nebbiolo by the glass is the move if you want to taste the region without committing to a full bottle of Barolo.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco — $60-$80
Produttori is one of the most reliable co-ops in all of Piedmont — serious Nebbiolo at a fraction of what you'd pay for a single-vineyard Gaja. At a restaurant with this caliber of list, this is your entry point to the top shelf without the sticker shock.
Walter Massa Timorasso
Most tables walk right past this. Timorasso is a rare indigenous white from the Colli Tortonesi that ages like a white Burgundy — rich, mineral, and completely unlike anything else on the list. Walter Massa is the guy who brought this grape back from near-extinction. Order it just to say you did, then be genuinely surprised.
Sassicaia
It's a great wine. It's also available at every Italian restaurant in a 10-mile radius and marked up accordingly. At Rezdôra, the money is better spent going deeper into the Barolo producers that actually distinguish this list from everywhere else.
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico + Cacio e Pepe Tortellini
The acidity in a well-made Chianti Classico cuts through the fat of the cheese filling without muscling the pasta off the plate. Isole e Olena keeps things bright and structured — it's a Sangiovese that knows when to shut up and let the food talk.
The Bottom Line
Rezdôra is the rare restaurant where the wine list genuinely earns its reputation — deep on the producers that matter, staffed by people who can talk you through it, and adventurous enough to reward curious drinkers willing to go beyond Barolo. Yes, you'll pay Manhattan prices, but you're getting Manhattan's best Italian wine program in return.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· 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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
