Worcester's Shrewsbury Strip Gets a Real Wine List
Shrewsbury Street · Worcester · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 26, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Via Italian Table’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Via Italian Table hits you like a confident handshake — 85 labels, heavy on Italy and California, with enough serious names (Gaja, Ornellaia, Sassicaia) to signal that someone here actually cares. It's a big, bustling room on Worcester's main dining strip, and the list matches the energy: ambitious but approachable, with a sommelier on staff to back it up. This isn't a list built by a distributor rep on autopilot.
The Italian backbone is legit — Caparzo Brunello, Antinori Tignanello and Solaia, Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and Gaja Sperss Barolo all make appearances, covering Tuscany and Piemonte with real depth. California gets equal billing, with Shafer Hillside Select, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Chappellet Prichard Hill, and Quintessa anchoring the prestige Napa side. There's a nice move toward the Sonoma Coast with Wayfarer Pinot and Chardonnay, plus Domaine Della, which shows the list isn't just chasing trophies. The white selection is thinner — a Flouret Sancerre, Knights Bridge Sauvignon Blanc, Guado Al Tasso Vermentino — functional but could use more Italian whites to match the food program.
Thirty-five by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a Worcester Italian restaurant — that's not a typo. You can get Rombauer Chardonnay for $17, Austin Hope Cab for $17, Duckhorn Merlot for $15, and even Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne by the glass at $18, which is a solid move. The BTG program is clearly where Via makes wine accessible to the room, and it works.
Duckhorn Merlot Napa 2022 — $15/glass
Fifteen bucks for Duckhorn Merlot by the glass is genuinely hard to complain about. This is a polished, reliable Napa Merlot from one of the category's best producers, and at that price it's the easiest yes on the BTG list.
Wayfarer Chardonnay Fort Ross-Seaview 2020
Most tables at Via are ordering Rombauer or reaching for a big Napa red — almost nobody is ordering Wayfarer Chardonnay, which is a shame. Fort Ross-Seaview is one of California's most compelling Chardonnay zones, cool-climate and structured, and Wayfarer is one of its best producers. This bottle quietly outclasses everything else in the white wine section.
Dom Pérignon Champagne 2013
At $340 a bottle, Dom Pérignon is doing what Dom Pérignon always does in a restaurant setting — extracting a significant premium for the label. It's a fine wine, but the markup here puts it in 'special occasion flex' territory rather than 'smart wine order' territory. If you want bubbles, Nicolas Feuillatte by the glass at $18 keeps money in your pocket.
Antinori Tignanello IGT Tuscany 2021 + Pasta Bolognese
Tignanello — Sangiovese with a backbone of Cabernet — is practically designed for slow-cooked meat ragù. The wine's dark fruit and structured tannins cut through the richness of the Bolognese, and the Tuscan origin of the wine mirrors the Italian soul of the dish. It's a $200 bottle, but this is the reason you order it.
The Bottom Line
Via Italian Table is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood Italian on Shrewsbury Street — a sommelier, 35 BTG options, and serious producers across Italy and California make this a genuinely good wine destination. The markups on prestige bottles are restaurant-standard steep, but the glass pour program keeps things honest for normal humans.
· Worcester · American
The Boynton is a great neighborhood spot for a cold beer, a burger, and a game — and that's exactly what it should be. The wine program is along for the ride, not driving the car. If wine matters to you tonight, this isn't your destination; if you're here for the food and the vibe, order a beer and enjoy it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Worcester · American Grill
110 Grill Worcester is a dependable spot for a casual dinner or drinks with a group, and the food menu has some genuinely appealing options — the Chimichurri Steak and Cucumber & Avocado Tuna in particular look like they could use a decent pour alongside them. We just can't vouch for the wine list until we have better intel on what's actually in it. Come for the vibe; we'll update the wine call when the evidence catches up.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Worcester · Italian / Mediterranean
Nuovo is a reliable date-night pick on Shrewsbury Street with an Italian-leaning wine list that won't embarrass itself, but won't surprise you either. Order something from the Veneto, enjoy the room, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Worcester · American Tavern
The Duck isn't a wine destination, but it's doing more with its Italian regional focus than most taverns in Worcester County bother to attempt. Come for the half roasted duck and let the list surprise you — just don't show up expecting a deep cellar.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Near Worcester–Auburn line · Worcester · Steakhouse / Japanese Sushi
Willy's delivers a competent, crowd-friendly wine list that matches its supper-club DNA — no one's going home disappointed, but no one's going home inspired either. If you're in Worcester and want a solid glass with a prime steak, it does the job; just don't come here for the wine list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Shrewsbury Street · Worcester · Gourmet Burger Bar and American
The Fix earns its reputation on the burger side of the menu — the wine list is just not part of that story. Come for the food, order the beer, and save the bottle for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
