The Upper East Side's Italian wine fortress
Upper East Side · New York · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sistina’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Sistina and the wine list arrives like a small novel — somewhere between 1,200 and 1,800 bottles deep, organized with the kind of seriousness that tells you immediately this place takes wine as seriously as it takes its decades-long Upper East Side reputation. This is old-school Italian dining done with conviction, and the cellar backs it up. Wine Spectator has handed out Grand Awards here since 2018, and one look at the list tells you exactly why.
The Italian section is the obvious centerpiece: Tuscany and Piedmont are covered at a depth that most dedicated wine bars can't touch. Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto, Solaia, and Tignanello anchor the Super Tuscan column, while the Barolo lineup reads like a Piedmont hall of fame — Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja all present and accounted for. Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri (Giacomo Neri) hold down Brunello di Montalcino with appropriate gravitas. France isn't an afterthought either: Bordeaux royalty like Château Pétrus and Château Lafite Rothschild share shelf space with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and California's prestige tier — Opus One, Screaming Eagle — rounds out a list built for serious collectors and serious celebrators alike.
With 20 to 30 options by the glass, Sistina offers more pour flexibility than most white-tablecloth Italian spots in the city. The selection skews Italian and classic, which is exactly what you want here. We'd steer toward whatever Nebbiolo or Sangiovese is open on a given night — the staff know what they're pouring and can point you in the right direction.
Tignanello (Antinori) — $180
In a list where bottles routinely push into the thousands, Tignanello is the entry point into serious Super Tuscan territory — a benchmark wine that consistently punches above its price relative to its neighbors on this list. Not cheap, but it's the move if you want to drink something iconic without ordering a mortgage payment.
Brunello di Montalcino, Casanova di Neri (Giacomo Neri)
In the shadow of Biondi-Santi — which gets all the headlines and commands the bigger price tags — Casanova di Neri quietly delivers some of the most compelling Brunello on the market. Most diners order past it chasing bigger names. Don't.
Screaming Eagle
Yes, it's on the list. Yes, it's Screaming Eagle. And yes, the markup at a restaurant like this will be punishing in a way that makes even fans of the wine wince. This is a trophy pour for people expensing dinner, not a smart way to spend your wine budget here.
Barolo, Bruno Giacosa + Eggplant Parmigiana
Giacosa's Barolo brings the kind of grippy tannin and dried rose depth that cuts right through the richness of a properly made Eggplant Parmigiana — the tomato acidity in the dish softens the wine, and the wine makes the dish taste more like itself. Classic match, no tricks required.
The Bottom Line
Sistina is the real deal — a 40-year-old Upper East Side institution with a cellar that earns its Grand Award year after year. Markups are what they are at this level, but if you're going to spend serious money on Italian wine anywhere in New York, this is one of the rooms worth doing it in.
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
Buckhead · Atlanta · Italian
Cucina Baci earns its place as a reliable neighborhood Italian — the kind of spot where the wine list won't blow your mind but it won't embarrass you either. If you're going for the pizza, the pasta, and the warm room energy, order something Italian and red and let the evening do the work. We'd want a full look at the list before calling it anything more than that.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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