SoHo's Italian wine list done right
SoHo · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sartiano's’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list lands in your hands and it's immediately clear someone here takes wine seriously. Four to six hundred bottles anchored in Italy, France, and California — this isn't a restaurant that slapped a Chianti and a Pinot Grigio on the back of the food menu and called it a day. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2024, and one look at the list tells you that wasn't a charity call.
Italy is the undisputed star here — Barolo alone reads like a producer hall of fame, with Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja all represented. Brunello di Montalcino gets serious treatment too, with Biondi-Santi anchoring that section alongside Sassicaia pulling double duty in both the Super Tuscan and Bolgheri conversation. France shows up with genuine weight — Burgundy dips all the way to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti territory, while Louis Jadot holds it down for the non-billionaires. California rounds things out with Opus One and Caymus, which feel more crowd-pleaser than adventurous, but they belong in a list this size.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is a generous pour program for a room this size, and with sommelier Robert Cook steering the ship, you'd expect those pours to rotate thoughtfully rather than collect dust. The range likely spans from accessible Italian whites to serious reds — enough to build a full dinner without committing to a bottle if that's your move.
Louis Jadot Burgundy — $60–$80
In a list that reaches DRC heights, Jadot is the entry point into real Burgundy without the sticker shock. Solid producer, proper terroir expression, and it keeps you firmly in the spirit of the list without torching your wallet.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables here are zeroing in on the Barolo and Brunello sections, which means the Amarone often sits underordered. Big, structured, and built for a long dinner — if you're going pasta heavy and want something that can carry the whole meal, this is your move.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine wine, but it's also available at roughly every mid-to-upscale restaurant in America with a markup to match. At a list this deep in Italian and French excellence, ordering the Caymus at SoHo prices is like going to a great sushi counter and ordering the California roll.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Veal Chop
This is the pairing the list was built for. Conterno's Barolo is structured, tannic, and earthy — exactly what a thick, bone-in veal chop needs to cut through the richness and make both the wine and the plate taste bigger than they would alone.
The Bottom Line
Sartiano's is the real deal — a SoHo Italian with a wine program that earns its Best of Award of Excellence rather than just framing it on the wall. The markups sting at the top end, but Robert Cook and a list this deep make it worth every penny for a serious wine dinner.
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.
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