Albany's Italian Soul with Serious Wine Bones
Lark Street · Albany · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Villa Di Como Ristorante’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into Villa Di Como and the wine list signals that someone here actually cares — Tignanello and Gaja on a Lark Street menu isn't nothing. It's a focused, Italian-only program that leans hard into the peninsula's heavyweights, which is exactly what you want from a place this intimate.
The list runs 40-80 bottles, all Italian, all business — Tuscany and Piedmont do the heavy lifting while Sicily and the Veneto round out the edges. Brunello di Montalcino selections add genuine cellar credibility, and the Super Tuscan presence means you're not just looking at a menu assembled from a distributor's top sheet. The gaps show up in northern Italy beyond Piedmont — don't expect Friuli or Alto Adige — but within its lane, the list is coherent and considered. For a 50-seat neighborhood spot in Albany, this is punching above its weight class.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass gives you real options without the decision fatigue of a wine bar. The program skews toward crowd-pleasing Italian staples in the glass format, which makes sense for a reservation-only dinner spot where the bottle list is the real story. We'd like to see the glass program rotate more aggressively, but what's here is serviceable.
Brunello di Montalcino — null
Pricing data wasn't available to confirm exact bottle cost, but Brunello in a setting like this typically represents the best ratio of prestige to experience — it's the wine that makes the room feel like it earns its ambiance.
Sicilian selections
Most tables are going straight for the Tuscany and Piedmont anchors, which means the Sicilian bottles sit underordered. Sicily's been quietly producing some of Italy's most interesting reds for years — if the staff can point you toward one, take it.
Antinori Tignanello
Tignanello is a genuinely great wine, but it's also one of the most marked-up bottles in Italian restaurants everywhere. At a steep-markup establishment without a dedicated sommelier, you're almost certainly paying a significant premium over retail for a wine you can find at any decent shop. Save it for a restaurant that earns the price through service and cellar care.
Gaja Barbaresco + Frutti di Mare
Barbaresco's acidity and iron-tinged fruit cut through briny, rich seafood in a way that feels like the pairing was designed in a Piedmontese kitchen. It's a slightly unexpected call — most people reach for white wine with frutti di mare — but Gaja's structure handles it.
The Bottom Line
Villa Di Como is the kind of neighborhood Italian spot that takes its wine seriously enough to stock Gaja and Brunello, even if the pricing and lack of a dedicated wine person keep it from true destination status. Send a friend here for dinner — just tell them to avoid the trophy bottles and dig into the list's mid-tier.
· Albany · Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood
Choose by budget, check bottle size, and confirm the current menu. We haven't independently assessed service, glassware or storage.
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse
Order by the glass and explore: the posted menu gives you Riesling, Chablis, Cahors and Rioja without a bottle commitment. Pentimento at $16 is our price-conscious red starting point. Check the current list before ordering; the complete cellar, service and storage haven't been independently verified.
West Albany · Albany · Italian
Grappa ’72 gives you several ways into Italian wine without committing to a prestige bottle. Our move is Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva at $47/bottle for the table, or Bigi Orvietto at $9/glass if you want your own white. Confirm the current vintage and price when ordering.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown/Clinton Square · Albany · Modern Mexican / Latin-inspired
Ama Cocina isn't a destination wine bar, but it's a Wild Card worth respecting — a food-forward Latin spot that actually thought about its wine list instead of phoning it in. Come for the tacos, order the Albariño, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Warehouse District/Riverfront · Albany · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
The Shaker & Vine is Albany's best argument for the self-pour wine bar format — the markup is shockingly fair, the riverside setting earns its keep, and the list is approachable without being embarrassing. Don't come hunting for rare producers, but do come for a relaxed pour with a view.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Colonie · Albany · Classic Italian-American
Lombardo's wine list is the culinary equivalent of a comfortable booth — nothing revelatory, but nothing offensive, and it gets the job done alongside a plate of baked ziti. Send a friend here for the food and tell them to order the Barolo if they want to feel like they tried.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Italian
Laico's has been doing this for over 30 years, and the wine list isn't why people keep coming back — the Chicken Francese and the neighborhood warmth are. If you're looking for a deep cellar or adventurous pours, this isn't your spot. But if you want a solid glass of something Italian to wash down a classic red-sauce dinner without getting gouged, Laico's delivers exactly what it promises.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lincoln · Italian
Lincoln Ristorante is doing something genuinely unusual: running a wine list in central Nebraska that would hold its own in most major American cities. The Italian focus is deep and well-curated, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the pricing — particularly on the reds — is fair enough that you won't feel punished for ordering well. If you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the only room that answers that call.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Italian
Il Tavolo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a reliable Italian spot with fair pours, sensible pricing, and enough range to keep the table happy. If you're in Jersey City and want a glass of Chianti that won't cost you a car payment, this is a safe and honest bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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