Osteria
Italy's Greatest Hits, All Under One Roof
Philadelphia · Philadelphia · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list lands like a well-researched trip itinerary through Italy — from Piedmont to Sicily, with serious stops along the way. At 400 to 600 bottles deep, this is not a list someone threw together on a Tuesday afternoon. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, and one look at the producers justifies it.
Selection Deep Dive
Osteria's list is effectively a love letter to Italian wine, anchored hard in the north. Piedmont gets the full treatment — Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa representing Barolo at its most serious, with Barbaresco and Barbera filling in the mid-range. Tuscany holds its own with Biondi-Santi and Gaja covering Brunello, and Super Tuscans like Sassicaia and Ornellaia for when someone at the table needs a label they recognize. What genuinely impresses is the reach down south — Campania and Sicily get real shelf space here, not just a token Nero d'Avola to say they tried.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty options by the glass is a serious program, and for a list this Italy-focused, it means you can actually tour the boot without committing to a full bottle. The rotation isn't confirmed to be frequent, but the depth of the bottle list suggests the glass pours aren't phoning it in either. Come with curiosity and ask what's open.
Piedmontese Barbera — $45
Entry-level on a list this serious is still quality Italian — Barbera from this region at the low end of the price range gives you bright acidity and genuine character without the Barolo tax.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at an Italian spot like this default to Barolo or a Super Tuscan, which means the Amarone gets overlooked. That's a mistake — it's rich, complex, and a serious match for anything braised on the menu.
Sassicaia
The wine is great, the price at a restaurant with steep markups is not. You're paying for the label recognition more than anything you can't find in a better-value bottle on this same list.
Brunello di Montalcino (Biondi-Santi) + Braised Short Rib
Biondi-Santi Brunello has the structure and acidity to cut through the richness of braised short rib without disappearing into it — this is exactly the kind of pairing a list like this was built for.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Osteria is one of the best Italian wine programs in Philadelphia, full stop — the depth of producers alone earns the Rager badge. Budget for it, skip the obvious names, and let the list take you somewhere you haven't been.
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