Water & Wine Ristorante-Taverna

The wine list at Water & Wine lands with some serious weight — this isn't a restaurant that threw together a few Chiantis and called it a day. Italy is the clear obsession here, and the depth in Tuscany and Piedmont alone puts most tri-state area wine lists to shame. It's been holding a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence since 2006, and the list backs that up.

Piedmont is where this list really shows out — Barolo from Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, and Gaja in the same program is genuinely impressive for a suburban New Jersey ristorante. Tuscany keeps pace with Biondi-Santi and Sassicaia sitting alongside Ornellaia and Tignanello, covering the full spectrum from classic Brunello to modern Super Tuscans. The California section doesn't try to compete — Caymus, Jordan, and Silver Oak show up for the crowd who needs them, and that's fine. The 200-350 bottle range means real breadth without becoming an intimidating phone book.

Sixteen to twenty-four by-the-glass options is a healthy pour program for a spot this focused on bottles, and the Italian backbone carries through even in the glass selections. We'd love to see a bit more rotation and some transparency on what's currently pouring — the set-and-forget nature of the specials program suggests the glass list doesn't change much. Still, getting access to quality Italian producers by the glass is a win most nights.