Wednesday half-price bottles save the whole list
Rondout Waterfront · Kingston · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 24, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Savona's Trattoria & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Savona's is exactly what you'd expect from a casual Italian trattoria that's been around long enough to get comfortable — familiar names, safe regions, and prices that make you wince just slightly before you order. It's a list built for people who want a glass of something Italian with their Chicken Parm, not for people hunting obscure Friulian whites. That said, there's just enough going on here to keep things interesting if you know where to look.
The roughly 22-label list leans heavily Italian, which makes sense given the kitchen — Veneto, Puglia, and Tuscany all show up, with a genuinely pleasant nod to New York state via Millbrook Winery's Tocai Friulano. The German Riesling from St. Michael and the Kuranui Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough cover the international bases without overreaching. What's missing is any real depth: no real exploration of southern Italian reds, no Nebbiolo outside one Barolo, no aged bottles worth getting excited about. The Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay sitting at the top of the price range is doing the list no favors.
Twenty-two by-the-glass options is actually a solid number for a neighborhood trattoria, and the spread across sparkling, white, rosé, and red means you won't be stuck with a bad call regardless of what you're eating. Prices run $10.95 to $14.95 a glass, which is reasonable for the Hudson Valley market — just don't expect any pour to blow your mind. The list feels static rather than rotated, which is the one thing holding back what could be a genuinely useful glass program.
Tocai Friulano, Millbrook Winery (New York) — $13.95/glass
A local Hudson Valley producer making a genuinely interesting white from a grape most people have never tried — this is the most interesting thing on the list, priced fairly for what it is, and it actually belongs on an Italian menu. Order it before you default to Pinot Grigio.
Vermentino, Banfi La Pettegola (Toscana, Italy)
Banfi's La Pettegola is a coastal Tuscan white that most diners walk right past on the way to something more familiar. It's bright, saline, and cuts through rich pasta dishes in a way the Pinot Grigio simply can't. It belongs at a waterfront restaurant and most people will never order it.
Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve (California)
At $14.95 a glass or $46 a bottle, you're paying a significant premium for one of the most widely distributed supermarket Chardonnays in America. It's not a bad wine — it's just a wine you can buy at any grocery store for about $14 a bottle. The math does not work in your favor here.
Riesling, St. Michael (Germany) + Lobster Ravioli
A touch of residual sweetness and bright acidity in the Riesling plays directly off the sweetness of lobster and cuts through whatever cream sauce is holding those ravioli together. It's a better call than reaching for the house Chardonnay, and it's one of the more underutilized bottles on this list.
Wednesday — Wine Lover's Wednesday: half-priced bottles of wine all day, at all Savona's locations, with no exclusions. No caveats, no fine print — applies to the full bottle list.
The Bottom Line
Savona's is a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that mostly stays in its lane — nothing offensive, nothing thrilling, and markups that sting a little on the familiar names. Come on a Wednesday when the bottles are half price, order the Millbrook Tocai Friulano, and you'll have a genuinely good night on the Rondout waterfront.
· Kingston · New American, Hotel Restaurant
Restaurant Kinsley is a hotel restaurant that treats wine as a utility — something to have on the table, not something to think about. The $10 flat pricing is fair and the Crémant is a bright spot, but five labels with no rotation and no depth is a hard sell if wine is part of why you're going out. Drink the bubbles, enjoy the room, and don't come here expecting a wine experience.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kingston · Italian, Pizza and Pasta
Lola Pizza isn't trying to be a wine bar, but it's clearly not phoning in the list either. The natural wine orientation and Italian varietal focus are smart choices for the food coming out of that kitchen. We'd go back — and we'd let the list surprise us.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kingston · Mexican Grill
Los Jalapenos isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. At $7 a glass across the board the pricing is hard to argue with, but when you don't know what producer you're drinking, cheap doesn't feel like a win — it just feels anonymous. Order a margarita and save the wine night for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kingston · Wine bar, small plates
Brunette is exactly the kind of neighborhood wine bar that mid-size cities desperately need — small, smart, and staffed by people who can actually talk to you about what's in the glass. The France-and-Germany backbone, the jewel-box intimacy, and the knowledgeable staff make this a genuinely worthwhile stop in Kingston, especially if you're pairing a pour with the baked oysters or working through the charcuterie. We'd send a friend here without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kingston · Bottle shop
Kingston Wine Co. is not trying to be everything to everyone — it stocks twenty bottles of stuff its buyers actually believe in, prices them honestly, and trusts you to figure out the rest. If you're in the Hudson Valley and you care about what's in your glass, this is a mandatory stop. Walk in, pick up the Leclair Gamay and the Tenuta Sella, and thank us later.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kingston · American Diner
Boulevard Diner is almost certainly a perfectly fine place to eat a stack of pancakes or a club sandwich. The wine list, however, is an afterthought — six anonymous varietals with no pricing, no producers, and no personality. Order the coffee.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Il Giallo runs one of the more thoughtful Italian wine programs in Atlanta — 35 by-the-glass options with genuine regional range is rare, and the pricing stays fair across most of the list. If you're willing to skip the comfort picks and lean into the Sardinian whites or the Abruzzo reds, you'll drink very well here. Send a friend who actually likes Italian wine; tell the one who always orders Rombauer to sit down.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Round Rock · Italian
Sortino's punches above its weight class for a suburban Italian chain — fair markup, a genuine Italian backbone, and seventeen by-the-glass options give you room to drink well without a fight. It's not a destination wine list, but if you're already there for the pasta, you won't be stuck ordering soda.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Round Rock · Italian
Frank & Margie's wine list is doing something quietly ambitious for Round Rock — twelve Italian-leaning glasses anchored by real producers like Oddero, Principiano, and Collosorbo at prices that don't sting. If you're the kind of person who gets excited about Grechetto di Todi on a Tuesday night, yes, absolutely send your friends here.
Small but Thoughtful
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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