Italy's greatest hits, Portland's own weird way
SE Portland · Portland · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 21, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Grand Amari inside Hotel Grand Stark, the wine list reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — tight, focused, and clearly assembled by someone who's actually been there. It's not trying to cover the whole world; it's committed to doing one thing well. For a hotel restaurant in Portland, that kind of restraint is refreshing.
The list runs 100 to 150 bottles deep and barely strays outside Italian borders, which is exactly the right call here. You've got serious northern representation — Barolo producers anchoring the reds — alongside Brunello di Montalcino for the big-night crowd. The south gets its due with Sicilian reds that tend to punch above their price point. White wine lovers aren't left behind either: Fiano di Avellino and Vermentino show up as smart, food-driven choices that most American diners still sleep on.
The by-the-glass program runs 10 to 16 options, which is a solid number for a focused Italian list — enough variety to explore without turning into a wall of text. We'd expect the Vermentino and a Sicilian red to be doing most of the heavy lifting here given the pasta-forward menu. Rotation details are limited from what we've seen, so ask your server what's currently pouring; the staff here seems equipped to actually answer that question.
Vermentino — $60
Vermentino is criminally underrated and tends to be priced fairly even when everything else on an Italian list creeps up. It's crisp, herbal, and built for pasta — which is exactly what you're ordering anyway.
Fiano di Avellino
Most tables walk past Campanian whites without a second look, but Fiano di Avellino is one of Italy's most serious white grapes — nutty, textured, and built to age. At a restaurant where amaro culture is baked into the DNA, there's a natural affinity for the complex, bitter-edged flavors Fiano brings to the table.
Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello is never a bad wine, but at a hotel restaurant it's almost always the most marked-up bottle on the list — the one that looks impressive on the bill. If you're not planning to cellar it for another decade, you're paying a premium for a wine that needs more time than your dinner reservation allows.
Barolo + Wood-roasted proteins
Barolo's tannin structure and dried rose character are basically engineered for wood-roasted meat. The smoke and char from the roast soften the wine's edges, and the wine's acidity cuts through the fat. It's the most Italian thing you can do at this table.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Grand Amari is a wild card in the best possible sense — a hotel restaurant that skipped the generic global wine list and committed hard to Italy, with a sommelier who can actually walk you through it. If you care about drinking well with your pasta, this place delivers.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.