Monday Bottles Save You From Yourself
Downtown · Stamford · Modern Italian, Tapas-Style Plates, Cocktail Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Zaza arrives with serious ambition — 40-plus by-the-glass options is a number that commands attention in a downtown Stamford tapas spot. The Italian-leaning selection fits the room, which leans stylish and loud in the best way. But once you start clocking the prices, the enthusiasm dims a little.
The list skews heavily Italian with supporting international cameos — think Chianti, Valpolicella, and Prosecco filling out the backbone alongside crowd-friendly crossover picks like Meiomi Pinot Noir and Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. It's a list built for the broadest possible audience, and that's fine, but don't come expecting deep regional dives into Campania or anything from a grower you've never heard of. The Antinori Santa Cristina Toscana Rosso and Allegrini Valpolicella give you a glimpse of what this list could be if it leaned harder into Italian personality. The gaps are real: no serious Barolo, no Sicilian representation worth mentioning, and the New World presence reads like a grocery store endcap.
Forty-plus by-the-glass options is the headline and it genuinely earns that attention — the range means you can graze through the small plates menu without committing to a bottle, which suits the tapas format perfectly. Prices run $5–$15 a glass, which keeps the damage manageable. The rotation doesn't appear to change much, so expect the same familiar faces every visit.
Allegrini Valpolicella NV — $46
At a 130% markup it's still the most defensible bottle on the list — Allegrini makes real Valpolicella with actual Corvina character, not just a label to fill a slot. It's the one bottle here that has something to say.
Banfi Chianti Classico NV
Most people at Zaza are ordering the Meiomi or the Santa Margherita out of habit. The Banfi Chianti Classico is the better match for the food, cuts through the richness of house-made pasta, and actually tastes like it belongs on an Italian menu.
Antinori Santa Cristina Toscana Rosso NV
A $12 retail bottle priced at $42 is a 250% markup on a wine that, respectfully, is a solid Tuesday-night table red — not a special occasion pour. The Allegrini drinks rings around it for only a few dollars more.
Allegrini Valpolicella NV + House-made pasta
Valpolicella's bright cherry fruit and savory edge cuts right through a rich meat-sauced pasta without overwhelming it — this is the pairing the list was accidentally built for.
Monday — Half-price bottles of wine at both the bar and dining room on Mondays. Reserve selections are typically excluded — confirm current policy with the restaurant.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Zaza is a genuinely fun spot to drink wine if you show up on a Monday, when half-price bottles turn a steep list into a reasonable one. Come any other night and you're paying full markup on wines you could pick up at Total Wine on the way home.
Downtown · Stamford · Greek
Kouzina is doing the right things with Greek wine in a city that doesn't ask for it, and that's worth something. Pricing runs a little hot, but if you stick to the Greek producers and let the Assyrtiko do its thing, you'll eat and drink well.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Southwestern / Mexican
Geronimo is a tequila bar first and a wine destination never — but for what it is, the wine list punches above its weight class. If you're the one at the table who doesn't want a margarita, you're not stranded here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Classic American Burgers and Malt Shop Fare
Lucky's isn't a wine destination, and it doesn't try to be — but the prices are fair, everything's available by the glass, and a Malbec with a cheeseburger is genuinely a good idea. Come for the malt, stay for the Malbec.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Springdale · Stamford · Italian
Table 104 is punching above its Springdale weight class — the Italian selections alone make it worth a visit, and the Barolo by the glass is a straight-up steal. The markups get aggressive on the California side, but stick to the Italian half of this list and you'll drink very well.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Side/Stillwater · Stamford · Japanese
Fin II is here for the sushi and hibachi, and the wine list makes no bones about that. Come for the food, order sake, and if you must have wine, grab the Riesling and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Stamford · Japanese/Sushi
Come to Kashi for the sushi and the atmosphere — both deliver. But the wine list is an afterthought, and with a stylish room and serious food, that's a real missed opportunity. Stick to cocktails or sake and save the wine obsession for somewhere that reciprocates.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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