CasaDamĂ
La Dolce Vita Meets Coastal California Wine Bar
Newport Beach · Newport Beach · European, Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into CasaDamĂ, the wine list feels like it was curated by someone who actually spent time in Italy and France rather than just ordering from a distributor catalog. It's intimate, thoughtful, and a little unexpected for a harbor-adjacent Newport Beach spot. The Italian and French backbone is immediately apparent — and immediately encouraging.
Selection Deep Dive
The list earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence with a genuine commitment to the Old World: Barolo from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico Riserva, and a Super Tuscan contingent that includes heavy hitters like Sassicaia and Ornellaia. France holds its own with Burgundy Premier and Grand Cru options alongside Bordeaux classified growths, giving the list real depth rather than just name-dropping prestige bottles. At 150–250 bottles, it's focused without feeling cramped. The gap is anything outside Italy and France — if you're hunting for Iberian, domestic, or Southern Hemisphere bottles, you're largely on your own.
By the Glass
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a strong showing for a small plates format, and the $12–$25 range means you can drink well without committing to a bottle. We'd expect the glass program to lean into approachable Italian and French regional picks rather than pouring the cellar stars — which is exactly what a rotating small-plates dinner calls for.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $45–$65 (bottle)
In a list anchored by Brunello and Barolo at premium prices, a well-chosen Chianti Classico Riserva delivers the Italian red experience at a fraction of the cost — structured, food-friendly, and honest about what it is.
Burgundy Premier Cru
Most tables at CasaDamĂ are ordering Italian reds, which means the Burgundy Premier Cru options often get overlooked. In a small-plates, sharing format, a lighter-bodied Premier Cru is actually the more versatile bottle on the table.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a genuinely great wine, but restaurant markup on prestige Super Tuscans is reliably punishing — you're paying a significant premium over retail for the label. If you want to splurge, the bottle deserves a better occasion than a casual small-plates night.
Brunello di Montalcino + Steak Frites
Brunello's firm tannins and dried cherry depth are exactly what a properly cooked steak wants in its corner. The richness of the frites rounds out the wine's acidity, and the whole thing feels like a very intentional European dinner.
🎲 The Bottom Line
CasaDamà is a legitimate wine-forward destination hiding inside a Newport Beach café concept — the Italian and French list punches well above what the casual harbor vibe suggests. Send a friend here with instructions to order Italian red and the steak.
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