Twelve Hundred Bottles Deep and Counting
Unknown · Philadelphia · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Savona lands on the table like a small novel — over 1,200 bottles spanning Italy, France, California, Germany, New Zealand, Argentina, and New York. This is not a list assembled by someone who called their distributor once a year. Someone here actually cares, and it shows immediately.
Italy is the clear backbone, running from Puglia up through Tuscany and into Trentino-Alto Adige, with producers like Villa Pillo and Badiolo anchoring the middle of the list. France shows up properly with Burgundy representation including the Domaine de l'Évêché 2023. The West Coast gets its due via Siduri's Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, which signals they're not just phoning in the American section. Germany, New Zealand, and Argentina round out what is genuinely one of the more geographically ambitious lists in the Philadelphia area.
Fourteen-plus options by the glass is a solid count for a program this size, priced between $9 and $15. The range covers enough ground — Italian whites, Tuscany reds, California Chardonnay — that you can actually explore the list without committing to a bottle. We'd love to see more rotation here, but what's available is competent.
Cingalino Rosso di Toscana, Villa Pillo 2018 — $36–$45 range
A 2018 Tuscan red at the entry end of a 1,200-bottle list from a quality producer like Villa Pillo — that's a wine with real age and structure that most restaurants would mark up aggressively. At this price point on a list that runs well north of $83, it's the move for anyone who wants Tuscany without taking out a loan.
Domaine de l'Évêché, Burgundy 2023
Most people at a place like this gravitate toward Italian reds or big California names. The Domaine de l'Évêché Burgundy is the kind of bottle that gets overlooked on a list this large, which is exactly why you should order it. Burgundy from a real domaine, not a negociant bulk play — find it before the table next to you does.
Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve (California)
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve is a grocery store staple retailing around $14 a bottle. On a list this deep and ambitious, paying restaurant markup for K-J is just burning money. Go literally anywhere else on this list.
Siduri, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2023 + Ask your server for the current pasta or pork feature
Siduri's Willamette Valley Pinot is bright, earthy, and medium-bodied — it has enough fruit to handle a rich pasta and enough acidity to cut through any pork preparation. It's the kind of flexible red that works across half the menu without overpowering anything.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Savona is the rare restaurant in the Philadelphia area where the wine program is genuinely worth the trip on its own merit — 1,200 bottles with a sommelier on staff and proper storage is not something you take for granted. The markups lean steep as you climb the list, so anchor yourself in the $36–$60 range and you'll eat and drink very well.
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
Old City · Philadelphia · Italian
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.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
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
Westdale · Cedar Rapids · Italian-American
Olive Garden Cedar Rapids is not a wine destination — it never pretended to be, and that's fine. But if you're sitting down here, order the Chianti, skip the Mondavi Cab, and save your serious wine drinking for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Topeka · Topeka · Italian-American
Olive Garden is not a wine destination and was never trying to be one — the list exists to move bottles, not to inspire anyone. Order the Il Grigio if you want something worth drinking, otherwise stick to the Chianti and save your wine energy for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Naperville · Naperville · Italian-American
Maggiano's Naperville is a reliable wine stop the same way a highway rest area is a reliable food stop — it works, no one's going out of their way for it, but you won't leave thirsty. If the table is ordering family-style and everyone needs a glass in hand, this list gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.