Italy's greatest hits, Strip-side
Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas · Italian
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Scarpetta lands like a greatest-hits album for Italian wine nerds — Gaja, Giacosa, Biondi-Santi, Sassicaia all accounted for before you've even ordered bread. Perched above the Strip inside the Cosmopolitan, this is a room that takes Italian wine as seriously as the kitchen takes its pasta. The physical list is heavy in both weight and ambition.
Piedmont and Tuscany are the unambiguous stars here, and Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence — earned in 2025 — reflects a list that earns it. Barolo alone spans Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, Borgogno's Cannubi, and Gaja, covering both traditional and modern camps without apology. Tuscany delivers the full Super Tuscan trifecta — Sassicaia, Tignanello, and Ornellaia — alongside serious Brunello from Biondi-Santi and Ciacci Piccolomini, and Chianti Classico from Castello di Ama and Fontodi for the value-seekers. The list runs 350-500 bottles deep, which means there's room to explore, though it is unambiguously Italy-forward — if you came for Burgundy or California depth, recalibrate.
With 20-35 by-the-glass options ranging $15-$40, the BTG program is notably strong for a Vegas hotel restaurant. The range covers enough ground that you can work your way through Piedmont and Tuscany across a long dinner without committing to a full bottle. Wednesday's half-price wine night is genuinely rare in this price category — a legitimate reason to plan your visit around a weeknight.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2020 — $225
Vietti's Castiglione is a serious, cellar-worthy Barolo from one of the appellation's most consistent producers — on a list where bottles climb fast toward $500 and beyond, $225 for this level of quality and pedigree is the move if your budget has a ceiling.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
On a list dominated by trophy names and eye-watering price tags, Produttori del Barbaresco is the co-op that keeps overdelivering relative to its price. Most tables chase Gaja; the ones who know order Produttori and pocket the difference.
Sassicaia 2019
At $750 a bottle, Sassicaia is priced for people who are expensing dinner. The wine is great — it always is — but the markup here puts it firmly in 'celebrating a merger' territory rather than 'this is worth it' territory. The same evening of Italian wine can be had for a third of the cost if you work the list intelligently.
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 2018 + Short rib agnolotti
Giacosa's Asili is all dried roses, iron, and earthy depth — the Barbaresco equivalent of a power ballad. The braised richness of short rib agnolotti needs a wine with that kind of structure and acid to cut through it, and Asili delivers without overwhelming the pasta. It's an occasion bottle, but short rib agnolotti is an occasion dish.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night on Wednesdays — applies to bottles, making this one of the better mid-week value plays on the Strip for serious Italian wine.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Scarpetta is the real deal for Italian wine in Las Vegas — deep list, credentialed staff, and a Wednesday half-price program that almost makes the Strip feel reasonable. The markups are Vegas-steep at the top end, but navigate smartly and you're drinking some of Italy's finest in a room that knows what it has.
Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas · American, Italian
Alexxa's is a Strip restaurant doing Strip things — great location, recognizable bottles, pricing that reflects the real estate. If you're here for fountain views and a glass of Cakebread, you'll be genuinely happy; if you're hunting for value or adventure, look elsewhere.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas · French, Mediterranean
LPM is a legitimate wine destination by Las Vegas Strip standards — the Burgundy-forward list has real bones, sommelier Karla Poeschel keeps it credible, and a newly minted Wine Spectator Award of Excellence confirms this isn't just hotel filler. Markups are what they are in this zip code, but the quality is there if you spend wisely.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Las Vegas · Las Vegas · Italian
La Strega is doing something genuinely unusual for a Las Vegas neighborhood Italian: serving serious wine at prices that don't require an expense account, backed by a sommelier who knows what she's doing. Tuesday half-price wine night is not a gimmick — it's a reason to rearrange your week.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas · Italian
Caramella is a better wine stop than its lounge-y Strip pedigree would suggest — the Italian selections alone make it worth a serious look. The Thursday half-price night is the real unlock; that's when this list goes from steep to genuinely exciting.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
The Strip · Las Vegas · Spanish
é is a Wild Card in the most literal sense — a nine-seat secret room inside a casino that takes Spanish wine more seriously than most dedicated wine bars. If you're eating here, you're already spending money; lean into the list and let Chris So point you somewhere unexpected.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
The Strip · Las Vegas · Japanese
Wakuda isn't a wine destination in the way a dedicated wine bar is, but it's doing something genuinely interesting — pairing a focused, high-quality California-and-Burgundy list with Japanese cuisine that actually rewards that combination. If you're eating here, drink the wine; Luis Guillen knows what he's doing.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Toledo / Reynolds Corner · Toledo · Italian
There's one reason to come here for wine: Thursday. Half-price bottles on a standing weekly basis is a genuinely good deal, especially on the Santa Margherita. Any other night, the markups are steep and the list doesn't justify them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian
Carrabba's Toledo isn't a destination for wine — but it's not an embarrassment either. The Ruffino Chianti Classico alone earns its keep, and if you stick to the Italian side of the list, you'll drink reasonably well without drama.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
La Jolla · Chula Vista · Italian
Marisi is a reliable Italian wine list with genuine ambition hiding behind a steep markup structure — the producers are right, the regions are right, but you'll pay for the privilege. Go for the Produttori Barbaresco and the Pre-Phylloxera Barbera, and you'll leave satisfied.
Solid Range
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.