Spinasse
Piedmont in a Seattle living room
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Northern Italian (Piedmontese) · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Spinasse doesn't try to be everything — it tries to be one thing perfectly. You open it and it's basically a love letter to Piedmont, which makes complete sense given the lace curtains, the hand-hewn beams, and the pasta being rolled somewhere in the back. If you came here hoping for a broad world tour, wrong door. But if Nebbiolo speaks to you, pull up a stool.
Selection Deep Dive
We're talking 150-200 bottles that lean hard into Northern Italy, with Piedmont doing most of the heavy lifting. The names on this list read like a who's-who of Barolo traditionalists — Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bruno Giacosa, Vietti. These aren't bulk producers filling column inches; these are the kind of bottles serious collectors actually argue about. Roagna's Langhe Nebbiolo anchors the more accessible end without dumbing things down. The gap is everywhere outside of Piedmont, but that's a deliberate call, not laziness.
By the Glass
Twelve options by the glass is a respectable spread for a room this size. Given the list's Piedmontese obsession, you're likely looking at Nebbiolo-forward pours sitting alongside a handful of whites and maybe a Barbera to round things out. Rotation doesn't appear to be aggressive — this feels more like a curated standing cast than a constantly-changing chalkboard program.
Germano Dolcetto — $34
At roughly 70% over retail on a $20 bottle, this is actually one of the more restrained markups you'll find in a Seattle dining room. Dolcetto is Piedmont's everyday red — dark fruit, low acid, goes down easy — and at $34 a bottle it's the move if you want to drink local to the menu without committing to a serious Barolo budget.
Roagna Langhe Nebbiolo
Most tables at Spinasse are gravitating toward the big Barolo names, which means the Roagna Langhe Nebbiolo gets overlooked. It's the same grape, same producer family legacy, but at a fraction of the price and approachable right now without needing to decant for an hour. For anyone curious about Nebbiolo without the commitment, this is the on-ramp.
Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco
Giacosa is legitimately one of the greats, and we're not questioning the wine — we're questioning ordering it in a restaurant. Bottles like this carry serious collector premiums on a list, and unless you know exactly which vintage is being poured and at what condition it was stored, you're paying a steep premium for a name. The upside doesn't outweigh the risk when there are more approachable bottles on this same list doing equally exciting things.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione + Gossamer hand-formed ravioli
Vietti's Castiglione is one of the more food-friendly Barolos on the list — it has the structure and tannin you expect from Nebbiolo but enough fruit and polish to not bulldoze a delicate plate. The handmade ravioli at Spinasse, likely stuffed with something rich and buttery, gives the wine's acidity something to cut through without fighting the pasta's finesse.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Spinasse is for the Piedmont-obsessed or the curious — a tiny room with a wine list that punches way above its square footage. If you eat here and drink water, you've missed the point entirely.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.