Zaza Italian Gastrobar

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.