La Masseria
Rhode Island's quiet Italian wine stronghold
East Greenwich · East Greenwich · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 23, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into La Masseria feels like someone airlifted a Tuscan farmhouse onto a Main Street in Rhode Island — and then, surprisingly, stocked it with a wine list that actually earns its setting. The list runs 150-plus bottles deep, skews hard Italian, and doesn't apologize for it. This is not a place hedging its bets with a California Cab safety net.
Selection Deep Dive
The list reads like a greatest-hits tour of the Italian peninsula done right — Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino anchor the north, Amarone della Valpolicella brings the muscle, and Chianti Classico Riserva covers the crowd-pleasing middle ground. Go south and you'll find Nero d'Avola and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo holding it down for the value-seekers. Gavi di Gavi and Barbera d'Asti round out the whites and lighter reds without feeling like afterthoughts. The gaps are real — non-Italian drinkers are mostly on their own — but for a focused Italian program in a state not known for serious wine lists, this holds up well enough to earn Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence, which it's held since 2020.
By the Glass
Twelve to twenty options by the glass is a solid spread for a restaurant of this size, with prices landing between $10 and $18 — reasonable for an upscale dining room. We'd expect the pours to track the bottle list closely, meaning Chianti and Barbera likely carry the glass program's weight. No rotating special pours or standout by-the-glass program to shout about, but what's here does the job.
Barbera d'Asti — $35
At the low end of the bottle range, Barbera d'Asti punches above its price point consistently — bright acidity, dark fruit, and enough structure to handle a plate of pasta without demanding your full attention or your wallet.
Gavi di Gavi
Most tables at a place like this are reaching for red, and the Gavi di Gavi sits quietly underordered. It's a crisp, mineral-driven white from Piedmont that cuts through rich antipasti and cream sauces in a way that no Chardonnay ever will — and it belongs on your radar.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarone is a showstopper wine, but it's also the most marked-up category on lists like this everywhere. At the higher end of their bottle range, you're paying a premium for the name recognition. Unless you're specifically hunting it, the Barolo or Brunello gives you more story for a similar spend.
Brunello di Montalcino + Meat cooked in wine
Brunello's firm tannins and earthy depth were practically engineered for long-braised meat — when the dish is already cooked in wine, meeting it with a serious Sangiovese-based bottle just closes the loop in the best way possible.
🎲 The Bottom Line
La Masseria is East Greenwich's best-kept wine secret — a focused, Italy-first list in a room that looks the part, priced fairly enough that you won't wince at the bill. Send a friend here if they love Italian wine and haven't figured out this town yet.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.