Umbria's greatest hits, market-style
Downtown · New Haven · Italian / Umbrian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 3, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Skappo Merkato feels like someone raided a good Umbrian enoteca and set up shop in New Haven. The list is compact but it has a point of view — this isn't a restaurant that threw a few Pinot Grigios on the menu and called it Italian. You get the sense immediately that someone here actually cares about where the wine comes from.
The list runs 40 to 70 labels deep, and almost all of it is Italian, with a serious lean toward Umbria — which makes sense given the restaurant's roots. You'll find Sagrantino di Montefalco rubbing shoulders with Orvieto Classico and Torgiano Rosso, wines that most American restaurants wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Greco di Tufo shows up too, bridging the gap between Umbria and Campania and adding some welcome Southern Italian texture. The gaps are real — if you want Barolo or Brunello, look elsewhere — but within its lane, this list punches above its weight.
Eight to fourteen options by the glass is a solid range for a spot this size, and the pricing tops out around $18, which feels honest given what's being poured. The glass program leans into the same regional focus as the bottle list, so you're not just getting house Chianti — you're getting a chance to actually explore central Italy one pour at a time.
Orvieto Classico — $10
At the low end of the glass pour range, Orvieto Classico is one of Italy's most underrated whites — crisp, mineral, and genuinely food-friendly. At this price point, it's a no-brainer opener while you wait on the pasta.
Torgiano Rosso
Most people at the table will default to something they recognize. Skip that instinct. Torgiano Rosso — the flagship red of Umbria — is serious wine with a fraction of the name recognition of its Tuscan neighbors, and that means you're usually getting more bottle for your money.
Greco di Tufo
Not because it's a bad wine — it isn't — but because it's the one bottle on the list that drifts farthest from Skappo's Umbrian identity. If you're here, lean into what they know. The Greco feels like a token Southern Italian add-on rather than a considered pick.
Sagrantino di Montefalco + Umbrian sausage
Sagrantino is one of the most tannic grapes in all of Italy — it needs fat and protein to open up, and Umbrian sausage delivers exactly that. This is a classic regional pairing that actually makes both the wine and the food taste better than they would alone.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Skappo Merkato earns its Wild Card badge by doing something rare: committing fully to a region most restaurants ignore and making it work. If you're eating here anyway, skip the cocktail and let someone walk you through the Umbrian side of the list.
Ninth Square / Downtown · New Haven · Chilean-inspired wine bar with Chilean, Mexican and Spanish-style tapas
Viñas is punching well above its weight class for a downtown wine bar, and the Chilean-focused list is genuinely worth your attention. If you care about South American wine at all, this is the most interesting pour in New Haven right now.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · Japanese, Sushi, Asian Fusion
Miso is a sushi restaurant first and a wine destination never — but the Monday half-price bottle program and a well-placed Riesling keep it from falling into Lazy List territory. Come for the food, drink the Riesling, and show up on a Monday if you can.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown · New Haven · Japanese / Sushi
Kamakura Sushi is a solid neighborhood sushi spot and you should absolutely go — just order sake, beer, or a soft drink and leave the wine list alone. The wine program exists in name only, and no amount of goodwill toward the kitchen changes that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
City Point / Waterfront · New Haven · Outdoor Seafood Grill
Shell & Bones is a reliable wine destination by New Haven waterfront standards — solid list, a sommelier on staff, and a happy hour that rewards the early arrivals. The markup stings a bit at full price, but the setting forgives a lot.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown / Yale · New Haven · New American Hotel Restaurant
Heirloom is a hotel restaurant that quietly decided fortified and dessert wines were worth caring about, and that instinct alone makes it worth a detour. Don't come for a deep red wine list — come for the Tawnies, the Ben Rye, and the Madeira, and let the kitchen take care of the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
City Point / Waterfront · New Haven · Lounge
Shell & Bones is a reliable wine stop for a waterfront dinner — wide selection, solid glass pour count, and a Wine Spectator nod that isn't undeserved. Markups are on the steeper side, so stick to the happy hour window and let the raw bar do the heavy lifting.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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