The Wine List Italian Grandma Would Apologize For
Downtown · Scranton · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sambucca Italian Kitchen & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Sambucca reads like the Italian section of a mid-size grocery store — familiar labels, zero surprises. It's the kind of list that exists because a restaurant legally has to have one, not because anyone spent real time curating it. You've seen every bottle here before, probably at a cookout.
The list leans hard on supermarket Italian stalwarts — Ruffino, Cavit, Ecco Domani, Santa Margherita — and doesn't stray far from that lane. There's no real effort to represent the actual depth of Italian wine: no Barolo, no Brunello, no Vermentino, no Sagrantino. California gets a nod too, but the range feels like it was built by someone who typed 'popular Italian wines' into Google and called it a day. If you're hoping for a Sicilian red or a Friulian white to go with your pasta, keep hoping.
The by-the-glass program is estimated at six to ten options, which is fine on paper, but when the bottles are Cavit and Barefoot, the glass pours aren't doing you any favors. There's no visible rotation or seasonal program here — what you see tonight is almost certainly what you'd see six months from now.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio — $44
It's still overpriced relative to retail at $24, but Santa Margherita is at least a recognizable, consistent producer — and the markup percentage is the lowest on the list by a wide margin. In this lineup, that qualifies it as the least bad option, which is the saddest possible endorsement.
Ruffino Prosecco
Not a hidden gem in the traditional sense, but ordering bubbles to start is the move here. Prosecco at a pasta dinner resets the palate, and Ruffino is a serviceable producer. At $34 it's still a markup, but you'll enjoy it more than overpaying for the Pinot Grigio.
Barefoot Moscato
A 243% markup on a $7 retail bottle is genuinely offensive. Barefoot is a gas station wine being sold with restaurant ambition. Skip it under any circumstances — at any restaurant, ever.
Ruffino Chianti + Chicken Parmigiana
Chianti's high acidity and light tannin structure cut through the marinara and mozzarella without stepping on the dish. It's the most classically Italian pairing on a list that isn't trying very hard — at least this one makes sense.
The Bottom Line
Sambucca is a perfectly decent Italian restaurant where wine is clearly an afterthought — steep markups on recognizable grocery store labels, no specials, no depth. Order the pasta, maybe a glass of something bubbly to start, and don't look at the wine list too hard.
Downtown · Scranton · Wine Bar
The Loft earns its Wild Card badge by doing something genuinely uncommon in Scranton: building a wine bar with a real point of view, even if the public-facing details don't yet let us verify every bottle or price. If you're in downtown Scranton and want wine over cocktails, this is your best legitimate option — just go in curious, ask the staff what's open, and be willing to try something you wouldn't normally order.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Scranton · New American / Wine Bar
Warney is doing something legitimately weird and committed for a mid-sized Pennsylvania city — an aperitif-forward, cocktail-wine hybrid program that rewards curiosity and doesn't punish your wallet for it. Send your most adventurous friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown fringe · Scranton · Brewery/Taproom with Pizza and Pub Fare
Mutant Brewing isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the all-Pennsylvania lineup from Maiolatesi is a genuinely thoughtful move for a taproom in Scranton. Come for the beer and the pizza, stay curious about the Sparkling Traminette.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scranton Area · Scranton · Farm-to-Table / Wine Bar
Harvest isn't a destination wine list, but Wine Wednesday — 50% off every bottle — turns a steep-markup, crowd-pleaser program into a genuinely good deal worth planning around. Come hungry on a Wednesday and order the Rombauer without guilt.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Scranton Area · Scranton · Italian / Brewpub
Marzoni's is a brewpub that's very good at being a brewpub — order a house beer and enjoy the pizza. The wine list exists to serve guests who won't drink beer, not to give anyone a reason to seek it out.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Scranton · Italian-American Pizzeria and Restaurant
Alfredo's isn't a wine destination, but it's a pizza place with a functional, fairly priced list and one of the better midweek wine promotions we've seen in northeastern Pennsylvania. Show up on a Wednesday, order the Bonanza Cab at half price, and get a large pie — there are worse ways to spend a weeknight.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Ogden · Italian
La Ferrovia is the kind of neighborhood Italian that Ogden is lucky to have — solid food, easygoing atmosphere, and a wine program that seems content to stay in its lane. We'd love to get eyes on an actual list before making a stronger call, so check their website or call ahead if wine is a priority for your visit. Good enough for a weeknight dinner with a carafe of something red; not the destination if wine is the main event.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Laredo · Italian
If wine matters to you at dinner, Laredo has better options than this. Olive Garden's wine program is a corporate formality — two labels do not a wine list make. Order the cocktail, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the bottle for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Colinas · Irving · Italian
Italian Cafe is a reliable neighborhood option for a low-key dinner with wine that won't embarrass itself alongside the food. The wine program isn't the reason to come here — the lakeside atmosphere and comfort Italian cooking are — but it should hold its own for a casual weeknight out. If you're a serious wine drinker, temper expectations; if you just want something decent in the glass with your lobster ravioli, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
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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