Acquerello
Italy's Greatest Hits, Cellar-Deep and Serious
Nob Hill · San Francisco · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Acquerello lands in your hands like a small novel — 2,000-plus selections, organized with the kind of care that tells you someone here actually cares. This is a Grand Award list that earned it, not one that coasts on the credential. The Piedmont and Tuscany sections alone could occupy a serious drinker for an entire evening just reading.
Selection Deep Dive
Piedmont is the undisputed anchor: Giacomo Conterno Monfortino, Bruno Giacosa Falletto, Bartolo Mascarello, Gaja Barbaresco — the murderers' row of Nebbiolo is all present and accounted for. Tuscany runs just as deep, with Biondi-Santi Brunello, Sassicaia, Solaia, and Fontodi's Flaccianello holding down the Sangiovese and Super Tuscan flanks. California isn't an afterthought either — Ridge Monte Bello and Harlan Estate give domestic drinkers something worth the detour. Champagne rounds it out with Krug and Salon on the shelf, which signals that whoever built this list wasn't cutting corners anywhere.
By the Glass
The by-the-glass program runs roughly 15 to 25 options and rotates with the kind of intention you'd expect from a sommelier like Anka Batsukh, who clearly isn't just spinning bottles on autopilot. Don't expect pours from the trophy shelf here — that's what the bottle list is for — but the glass options give you a legitimate on-ramp to the cellar's personality. If you're undecided, ask Anka; that's not a throwaway suggestion.
Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015 — $325
In a room where Screaming Eagle clocks in at $2,800 and Monfortino hits $950, a bottle of Dom Pérignon 2015 at $325 is practically the house deal. It's still a splurge in the real world, but relative to the company it's keeping on this list, it's one of the more reasonable ways to drink at this level.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2020
Everyone at the table is scanning for Conterno and Giacosa, and Vietti gets overlooked as a result. That's a mistake. The Castiglione is Vietti's most accessible Barolo and at $225 it's one of the few ways you drink serious Piedmont at this address without committing to a mortgage payment.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
At $2,800 a bottle, you're not paying for the wine — you're paying for the story you get to tell. Screaming Eagle is a status pour dressed up as a wine selection. With Ridge Monte Bello 2018 sitting on the same list at $420, there's simply no argument for going there.
Fontodi Flaccianello 2019 + Cappellacci with Pumpkin and Amaretto
Flaccianello is pure Sangiovese grown to its absolute ceiling — savory, iron-edged, with enough acid to cut through the richness of the pumpkin filling while the wine's dark fruit plays off the amaretto's bittersweet note. It's the kind of pairing that feels inevitable once you've had it.
Monday — Half-price wine night every Monday — one of the best reasons to eat out on a Monday in San Francisco. Same serious list, half the bottle price.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Acquerello is the real thing — a serious Italian wine program in a room that takes both the food and the bottle equally seriously. The markups will sting if you're not prepared, but Monday's half-price night is one of the best deals in San Francisco dining, full stop.
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