Gran Caffe L'Aquila
Philadelphia's Italian wine list done right
Midtown Village · Philadelphia · Italian, Regional · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Gran Caffe L'Aquila lands like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — 300-plus selections, organized with the kind of care that tells you someone actually thinks about this stuff. The room itself helps: marble, chandeliers, the whole grand caffè aesthetic. It sets an expectation, and the list meets it.
Selection Deep Dive
This is one of the most focused Italian lists in Philadelphia, and it earns that distinction honestly. The Piedmont section alone is worth the trip — Gaja, Giacomo Conterno, and Bruno Giacosa covering Barolo from the elegant to the structured and age-worthy. Tuscany runs just as deep: Biondi-Santi and Banfi holding down Brunello, Sassicaia and Ornellaia for the Super Tuscan crowd, and Antinori anchoring Chianti Classico Riserva. The real surprise is the Southern Italian bench — Nero d'Avola and Aglianico show up with enough range to prove this isn't just a checklist, and the Franciacorta sparkling selections give the list a bubbly dimension most Italian spots completely ignore.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment, and at $12–$22 a glass there's real range to work with. The selection rotates enough to keep regulars interested without feeling chaotic. If you're not ready to commit to a bottle, the glass program is a legitimate way into some quality Italian juice.
Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella — $90
Allegrini punches well above entry-level Amarone — rich, dried-fruit intensity without the slog of lesser producers. At this price point on a list that also carries Gaja and Sassicaia, it's the move for anyone who wants to drink seriously without ordering the most expensive thing on the page.
Franciacorta
Most people at an Italian restaurant default to Prosecco without a second thought. The Franciacorta selections here are Champagne-method sparkling wines from Lombardy that most Philly diners have never touched — complex, toasty, worth exploring before you reflexively order the still stuff.
Sassicaia
The wine is great. The markup is not. Sassicaia commands a premium everywhere it appears, and on a restaurant list that already skews steep, you're paying a significant surcharge for the name. Save it for a bottle shop and spend that money on two different Barolos instead.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Osso buco
Conterno's Barolo brings tar, roses, and serious structure — exactly what you need to stand up to the braised richness of osso buco without steamrolling the gremolata. Classic match, executed at a level most restaurants in this city can't pull off.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Gran Caffe L'Aquila is the Italian wine list Philadelphia needed — deep in the right regions, staffed by someone who actually knows the list, and serious enough to hold a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. The markups sting a bit, but when the selection is this good, you find your bottle and you stop complaining.
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