Serious Italian Juice in an Unexpected Zip Code
Saratoga Springs · Saratoga Springs · Italian, Northern Italian
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Taverna Novo’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're on Beekman Street in Saratoga Springs — not exactly a wine destination — and then the list lands and you do a double take. Brunello, Barolo, Sassicaia, Ornellaia: this is not a neighborhood Italian restaurant playing it safe. Someone here genuinely cares, and it shows from the first page.
The Italian spine is the real story: Piedmont gets proper representation with Barolo producers, Tuscany shows up with Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Riserva, and the Super Tuscans (Sassicaia, Ornellaia) give the list some serious horsepower. Amarone rounds out the big reds with exactly the kind of muscle that belongs next to wood-fired anything. California isn't an afterthought either — Napa Cab and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir anchor the New World section without overstaying their welcome. The list clocks in around 150-250 bottles, which is more than enough range to be interesting without becoming a homework assignment. Wine Spectator has handed out an Award of Excellence here every year since 2019, and the Italy-California focus they flagged holds up.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a genuinely respectable program for a small neighborhood spot — that's enough rotation to keep regulars from getting bored. We'd like to see more transparency on which specific producers are pouring by the glass, but the range of the bottle list suggests the glass program isn't just the dregs. Ask your server what's open; the answer will tell you a lot about how seriously they take it that night.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45
Chianti Classico Riserva at the low end of this list's price range is almost always the sweet spot at an Italian-focused restaurant — structured enough to handle the bolognese, honest enough not to need a fancy story. At Taverna Novo's pricing, you're almost certainly getting more wine than you're paying for.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at a place like this gravitate toward the Barolo or the Super Tuscans, which means the Amarone gets overlooked. That's a mistake. Amarone is a dense, dried-grape monster that absolutely sings next to anything coming out of a wood-fired oven, and it tends to be less aggressively marked up when it's not the headline act on the list.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a trophy wine, and restaurants know it. Pricing on prestige Super Tuscans like this one tends to reflect the name recognition more than the actual pour cost — you're paying for the cachet. Unless it's a special occasion and you specifically came for it, the same money spent on Brunello or a lesser-known Barolo producer will drink just as well and feel like a smarter call.
Brunello di Montalcino + Bolognese
Brunello's Sangiovese backbone — high acid, firm tannin, earthy red fruit — is basically engineered to cut through a rich, slow-cooked meat sauce. It doesn't fight the bolognese; it makes it taste more like itself. Classic pairing for a reason, and Taverna Novo gives you exactly the right ingredients to pull it off.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Taverna Novo is quietly punching above its weight for Saratoga Springs — a legitimate Italian wine list with real producers and fair prices tucked into a small neighborhood room. If you're up here for the races or just passing through, this is absolutely worth detouring for a bottle.
Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Tuscan Italian
Forno Bistro isn't a destination wine list, but it's a fair and functional one that respects your wallet — especially on Mondays when half-price bottles make a $30 Chianti feel like a genuine gift. Send your friends here for a fun dinner; just don't send the ones who want to talk about terroir.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Side / Route 50 Area · Saratoga Springs · Wine Bar and Bistro
If you're in Saratoga and want an honest, unpretentious look at what the Finger Lakes can do, Thirsty Owl earns the stop — especially on the patio in the warmer months. Just go in knowing this is a winery showcase, not a global wine bar, and you'll leave happy.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side / Route 29 · Saratoga Springs · Winery with American Fare / Wood-Fired Pizza
The Saratoga Winery is a legitimate Wild Card: a single-producer list of cold-hardy New York grapes served in an Adirondack tasting room with live music and wood-fired pizza. It's not a destination for serious wine exploration, but it's a genuinely fun, low-stakes way to drink something you've never tried before.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Downtown · Saratoga Springs · Upscale New American
15 Church has the bones of a genuinely good wine program — the range is there, the interesting picks exist — but the pricing is aggressive enough that you'll spend more time doing mental math than enjoying your glass. Stick to the Old World bottles and avoid anything with a recognizable California label.
Solid Range
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Race Course / Union Avenue · Saratoga Springs · American, trackside dining
Come for the races, stay for the atmosphere, but don't come here for the wine. If you need something in a glass to toast a winner, grab the Champagne and leave it at that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / Maple Avenue · Saratoga Springs · Jazz Bar / Cocktail Bar
Come to Nine Maple Avenue for the live jazz, the whiskey program, and the atmosphere — the wine list is a placeholder, not a reason to visit. If you're committed to ordering wine, grab the Château D'Esclans Rosé and enjoy the music.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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