Greek Grapes You Actually Want to Drink
· New York · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed October 19, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Zaytinya’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Zaytinya reads like a love letter to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean viticulture — Xinomavro, Moschofilero, Assyrtiko, Vidiano, and Limniona all show up before you even get to the reds. This is not the list of a restaurant that defaulted to Pinot Grigio and Malbec to keep things easy. At 66 labels with 18 by-the-glass options ranging from $13 to $18, it's focused and intentional.
The list leans heavily Greek, which is exactly right for a mezze-forward concept — you'll find multiple expressions of Xinomavro (Kir-Yianni and Tatsis both appear), two Moschofilero producers, and a couple of Agiorgitiko bottles for the red drinkers. The Chateau Musar Jeune White sneaks in from Lebanon as a nice Levantine nod, and Sans Liege Long Way Home Syrah from California represents the token New World presence without feeling out of place. Gaps exist — there's no deep cellar here, and old-vintage nerds will find slim pickings — but for what this restaurant is trying to do, the list is coherent and well-matched to the menu. The $53–$275 bottle range keeps things accessible without abandoning ambition entirely.
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a genuinely strong program, and the spread across sparkling, white, rosé, red, and sweet means you can build a full meal without committing to a bottle. Prices top out at $18, which in New York is practically a public service. The glass list rotates meaningfully across producers rather than just offering one token Greek white — seeing both Sclavos Alchemiste Roditis at $14 and Mitravelas White on Grey Moschofilero at $18 on the same list suggests someone is actually paying attention.
The Bottom Line
Zaytinya's wine list is a rare thing in New York: a focused, regionally coherent program that commits hard to Greek and Eastern Mediterranean varieties without making you feel like you need a flashcard to order. The by-the-glass selection alone — 18 options, all under $18, featuring producers most wine lists wouldn't touch — makes this worth visiting even before the food arrives. If you eat here and order a Cabernet, that's on you.
SoHo · New York · Italian
A long bottle list with Italian, Burgundy and Champagne sections, fronted by a 22-wine glass page. For a glass, try the Skerk Orange Wine from Friuli at 25/95, and for a bottle on a lighter budget, the Volpaia Vermentino at 60; upstairs in the café, the labeled list pours Palistorti di Valgiano's orange Tuscan blend at Glass $22. Confirm prices before you order, because the site's Upstairs Café dinner menu and the beverage PDF do not match. This unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Midtown East · New York · American, French
A Park Avenue restaurant whose posted wine list is a 21-wine glass list. Start with the $18 Leitz Riesling or the $19 Ogier Saint-Joseph. No bottle list is posted online, so ask the restaurant what is available by the bottle. This unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
Hudson Yards · New York · American, Seasonal
A hotel restaurant whose list opens with a 13-pour glass page and then moves through Champagne, Burgundy, Austria and other regions. Start with the $29 Prager Grüner Veltliner or the $24 Do Ferreiro Albariño by the glass alongside the chilled oysters, and confirm current pricing since the list is dated 09.30.26. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
East Village · New York · Southern French, Wine Bar
A glass-only list of 15 Central and Eastern European pours from $18 to $26, with an orange wine section of five. Start with the Gal Tibor Egri Bikavér Superior at $18 or the Kapistoni Tavkveri at $23, and confirm prices because the list is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted by-the-glass list, not service, storage or markups.
Financial District · New York · American
A short posted wine selection, with the full list available by email. Start with the $17 Crafted Cava or the $18 Côte de Brouilly by the glass, and email ahead if you want the full list. This unrated guide covers only the nine posted wines, not service, storage or markups.
East Village · New York · American Steakhouse
A compact glass list at a beef-focused restaurant: 11 pours from $19 to $39 across France, Italy, Germany and California. Start with the $24 Domaine Perraud Chardonnay, or the $30 Signorello 'Edge' Cabernet if you're ordering steak, and confirm current pours because the page isn't dated. This unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
Buckhead · Atlanta · Mediterranean
Brassica might be hiding a thoughtful, Spain-forward wine program behind that Waldorf lobby — but we can't confirm it, and hotel dining rooms rarely earn the benefit of the doubt on pricing. If you're eating here for the butter-poached lobster or the rack of venison, go for it. Just keep your wine expectations measured until someone puts the actual list online.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cumming, GA · Mediterranean
Santa Maria is a genuine surprise for Cumming — a 26-bottle list that manages to be both approachable and quietly adventurous, with fair pricing and some real personality in the whites. We don't have enough intel on the staff or the floor experience to call it a Rager, but the wine program itself earns a Wild Card: it's doing things you wouldn't expect, and that's worth showing up for.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Montrose · Houston · Mediterranean
A very large list organized as Boundaries and Frontiers, with a short glass page that includes Champagne, Portuguese wines, port and madeira. Order the $15/glass Gota Branco, or ask about the Luis Seabra Douro red at 90 (unit not posted) from the Portugal pages, and confirm current availability. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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