Taurasi

Fiano di Avellino — $12–$16/glass

Fiano di Avellino is a criminally underrated white — nutty, textured, with real minerality — and you almost never see it poured by the glass outside of a serious Italian program. At the low end of the glass price range, it punches well above its weight and gives you something to actually think about.

Greco di Tufo

Most tables walk past the southern Italian whites and reach straight for the Barolo. That's a mistake here. Greco di Tufo has a volcanic edge and savory depth that's genuinely interesting, and it almost never gets the credit it deserves. Order it before your pasta and reassess your priors.

Amarone della Valpolicella

Amarone is always a markup magnet — production costs are high and restaurants know drinkers will pay for the name. At a restaurant with bottle prices running up to $200, the Amarone almost certainly lands at the top of that range and beyond. Unless you're celebrating something, the money is better spent on a Barolo or Taurasi DOCG that won't require a second mortgage.

Taurasi DOCG + House-made pasta with braised meat

Taurasi is Aglianico at its most serious — tannic, dark-fruited, with a savory iron-and-ash backbone. It needs something with weight and fat to meet it halfway. A slow-braised short rib or wild boar ragù over hand-rolled pasta is exactly that match, and it's the kind of combination that makes the whole dinner feel intentional.