Via Sophia
Rome Called, D.C. Actually Picked Up
Washington · Washington · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Via Sophia reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — no token French bottles padding out the back pages, no California Cab hiding in the corner. This is an all-Italy program with real conviction, which in D.C.'s sea of safe, globally-scattered lists, already makes it a Wild Card worth noticing. Thomas Delasko's fingerprints are on this thing and it shows.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into the classics — Barolo from Piedmont, Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Chianti Classico Riserva anchoring the reds with serious credibility. Sassicaia and Ornellaia make appearances for the Super Tuscan crowd, which tracks for a D.C. expense-account clientele without feeling like pandering. White wine isn't an afterthought either — Vermentino di Sardegna and Gavi di Gavi give the list some lighter, coastal Italian energy that matches the osteria vibe. At 150-250 bottles deep, there's enough range to reward a second visit without overwhelming a casual diner who just wants something good with their pappardelle.
By the Glass
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a solid program — enough variety to work through the menu without committing to a bottle. The price range of $12–$22 per glass is reasonable for the 14th Street corridor, where restaurants regularly charge more for less interesting wine. We'd push the kitchen staff to ask Delasko to rotate the glass list more aggressively, because a static by-the-glass menu in an all-Italy program is a missed opportunity.
Vermentino di Sardegna — $12-$16/glass
Sardinian Vermentino is criminally underordered at Italian restaurants — it's bright, saline, and built for food. At the lower end of the glass price range, this is your move before the pasta arrives.
Gavi di Gavi
Most tables walk right past this Piedmontese white for the bigger reds, but Gavi di Gavi's crisp, mineral profile is genuinely great with lighter antipasto and branzino. It doesn't get the attention Barolo does, which means you'll find it at a friendlier price point.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a great wine. It's also one of the most recognizable labels in Italy, which means restaurants price it accordingly. If you're paying for the name on a night out, there are better expressions of the same money elsewhere on this list.
Amarone della Valpolicella + Osso buco
Amarone's dense, dried-fruit richness and firm structure go toe-to-toe with braised veal shank without getting buried — both are big, slow, and built to last. This is the pairing that makes the whole osteria concept click.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Via Sophia is doing something genuinely focused in a city full of lists that try to please everyone — an all-Italy program with real depth, fair pricing, and a sommelier who actually cares. Send your friends here, tell them to ignore the Sassicaia, and order the Amarone.
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