Intimate Italian with a Serious Wine Intention
· New Haven · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Strega Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Strega, the wine program feels like it was built for the room — intimate, considered, and clearly not an afterthought. The list leans hard into Italy, which makes sense given the kitchen's focus, and the overall tone says this is a place that actually thought about what goes in the glass. It's not a deep cellar, but what's here signals intention.
The list orbits Italian regions with a particular pull toward the northeast — Conegliano Valdobbiadene gets a nod, and Sicily shows up too, which keeps things interesting without going off the rails. Valpolicella territory is represented, giving the red side some structural backbone for the meat-forward tasting menu courses. The range isn't sprawling — this feels like a curated list built around the food rather than a wine director flexing — but that focus has its own appeal. Gaps exist if you're hunting outside Italy, but that's a feature, not a bug, here.
By-the-glass specifics aren't well documented from available sources, so we can't speak to exact count or rotation frequency. Given the tasting-menu format and upscale positioning, we'd expect a short but deliberate pours program — probably four to six options — aligned with the kitchen's courses. Whether there's meaningful glass rotation remains unclear; at this price point, there should be.
The Bottom Line
Strega is the kind of spot where the wine list is doing real work to serve the food, not just fill a binder — and for a small Italian in New Haven, that earns genuine respect. We'd send a friend here for a date night without hesitation, with the caveat that the bill will climb fast if you're not watching the glass.
· New Haven · Modern Italian
Casanova's wine list is doing the quiet work well — Italian-forward, fairly priced, and broader than its 55-label count suggests. Send a friend here knowing they won't get gouged and won't be bored.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· Atlanta · Italian
Nino's wine list is exactly what it looks like: a dependable, crowd-pleasing selection built for guests who want something familiar with their chicken piccata. The pricing runs steep in places — Korbel at $50 is hard to defend — but the Italian whites, especially the Gavi options, show that someone put at least some thought into this. Send a friend here if they want a comfortable, no-surprises dinner; don't send them if they're hunting for value or discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Inman Park · Atlanta · Italian
Amore e Amore earns its stripes as a reliable neighborhood Italian spot where the atmosphere is the main event. If you're coming for a celebration dinner, you'll likely have a great time — just go in knowing the wine list hasn't been independently confirmed to be anything exceptional. Check the menu online before you go if wine is a priority, and when in doubt, ask your server what's Italian and under $60.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Scottsdale · Scottsdale · Italian
An Italian list dated 06.17.26 with 18 glass pours at 15 to 19 and full bottles from 60 to 970. Start with the Barbera d’Alba La Gemella at 15 a glass, or the Fontanavecchia Aglianico del Taburno from the chef’s Campania hometown at 17, and confirm prices because the list says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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