Casa Don Alfonso
St. Louis's Italian wine obsession, fully realized
Clayton · St. Louis · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Casa Don Alfonso hits like walking into a well-curated enoteca in Naples — Italy is the entire story here, and they're not apologizing for it. With 200-plus bottles anchored by some of the country's most serious Italian producers, this is not a list built for dabblers. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2023, and one look at what's on these pages tells you why.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs the full Italian peninsula with authority: Barolo from Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa, Brunello from Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri, Amarone from Dal Forno Romano and Allegrini, and Super Tuscans from Sassicaia and Ornellaia. That's not name-dropping for sport — those are the benchmark producers in their respective categories, and having all of them under one roof in Clayton, Missouri is genuinely impressive. The southern Italian selections round things out nicely, with Planeta and Feudi di San Gregorio adding texture beyond the Piedmont-Tuscany axis. Gaps in French or New World coverage are by design; this list knows exactly what it wants to be.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is a serious program, and with somm Adam Pashea running the floor, the pours are well-chosen rather than just the usual suspects. Expect representation across Italian regions rather than a lineup of generic pinot grigio and Chianti. The range means you can explore the list meaningfully without committing to a full bottle every time.
Feudi di San Gregorio (Southern Italian selection) — $40–$60 range
Southern Italian bottles from producers like Feudi di San Gregorio tend to be the price relief valve on lists dominated by Barolo and Brunello. You get serious terroir and a well-regarded producer without the premium that comes with Piedmont or coastal Tuscany pricing.
Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Everyone reaches for the Ornellaia or the Biondi-Santi on a list like this, but Fontodi's Gran Selezione is quietly one of the most consistent overachievers in Tuscany. Pure Sangiovese, iron discipline in the vineyard, and a fraction of the flash — it often gets passed over precisely because it doesn't have the marquee name.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a legitimate great wine, but it's also the most famous Super Tuscan on earth, which means it carries a corresponding markup on every restaurant list it appears on. You're paying significantly for the name recognition here. The same money spent elsewhere on this list — Dal Forno's Amarone, for instance — gets you something with more intrigue and less tourist tax.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Freshly made pasta with a rich meat ragù
Conterno Barolo and a slowly braised meat pasta is one of those combinations that makes the case for Italian wine existing in the first place. The wine's tannin structure and acidity cut right through the fat and depth of a ragù, and the savory character of Nebbiolo amplifies the umami in the meat without fighting the pasta.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Casa Don Alfonso is the rare Italian restaurant that backs up its Amalfi aesthetic with a wine list serious enough to match. If Italy is your thing — or you want it to become your thing — this is worth the trip to Clayton.
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