Café Gabbiano

Walking into Café Gabbiano, the wine list feels like it was curated by someone who genuinely loves Italy — and California enough to give it a proper seat at the table. It's not the longest list in Florida, but it reads with intention: Antinori, Gaja, Sassicaia, and a handful of Napa heavyweights all showing up like they were invited specifically. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 tracks here — this isn't a restaurant that phoned in the wine program.

The Italian backbone is the real story: Super Tuscans dominate the prestige tier with Tignanello, Solaia, and Sassicaia all present, while Brunello di Montalcino gets serious representation through Banfi and Biondi-Santi. Gaja's Barbaresco and Barolo bring the Piedmont contingent, which is exactly what you want when the pasta hits the table. California holds its own with Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, and Stag's Leap — crowd favorites, sure, but well-chosen crowd favorites. The list runs 150-250 bottles, which is enough range to reward explorers without overwhelming anyone just looking for a good glass of Sangiovese.

The by-the-glass program offers 12-20 options, which is a respectable count for a restaurant this size. We'd expect the pours to lean into the Italian focus, though the specific glass selections aren't fully enumerated — sommelier Kris Pierce is on hand to steer you right if the list leaves you guessing. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect weekly surprises.