Sparrow Italia
Wynwood's Italian powerhouse knows its wine
Wynwood · Miami · Italian, Steakhouse
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Sparrow Italia lands with serious intent — 350 to 500 bottles deep, anchored in Italy but reaching confidently into France, California, and Spain. This isn't a list someone assembled by copying a distributor sheet. You feel the curation the moment you open it.
Selection Deep Dive
Italy is the obvious headliner here, and it earns it. Piedmont shows up with Gaja and Giacomo Conterno Barolos; Tuscany brings Biondi-Santi and Poggio di Sotto Brunellos alongside the Super Tuscan trifecta of Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello. Burgundy Grand Crus and Napa heavyweights like Opus One and Caymus round out the prestige end, while Rioja Reservas and a Barossa Shiraz from Dal Forno Romano's neighbor tier add useful breadth. The gaps are minor — you'd want more mid-tier Italian producers for the budget-conscious diner — but at this level, the depth is genuinely impressive.
By the Glass
Twenty to thirty-five by-the-glass options is an unusually generous program, and at $12–$25 a pour there's real range here. Sommelier Phil Fuentes keeps the glass list anchored in approachable Italian varietals without letting it get lazy. We'd like to see more rotation, but what's on offer beats most Miami restaurant programs by a comfortable margin.
Rioja Reserva — $50-$70 (bottle)
Among a list heavy with $200-$500 Italian flagships, a well-sourced Rioja Reserva is the sleeper pick — structured, food-friendly, and priced where you can actually order a second bottle without doing math.
Barossa Valley Shiraz
It feels out of place on an Italian-steakhouse list, which is exactly why most tables skip it. A big Barossa Shiraz against a dry-aged ribeye is a no-brainer power move that most guests walk right past in favor of the familiar Napa picks.
Opus One
Opus One is a prestige buy, not a value buy — and in a restaurant setting, the markup pushes it into trophy-bottle territory. You're paying for the name, not the glass. The Ornellaia or a Brunello gets you more interesting drinking for the same or less money here.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Dry-aged ribeye
A Conterno Barolo — all tar, roses, and iron backbone — against a properly dry-aged ribeye is the whole reason this pairing exists in the Italian wine canon. This is the order you make when the table next to you is watching.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Sparrow Italia's Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence is earned, not decorative — Phil Fuentes runs a serious program in a room that clearly cares about what's in the glass. The markups sting on the high end, but this is one of the stronger Italian-focused wine lists in Miami, full stop.
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