The wine list at Sistina Restaurant in New York City is epic. The nearly two hundred page tome reads like a narrative, spanning centuries and continents, full of depth, drama, status, and scope. The author of this story is Giuseppe Bruno, Sistina’s owner and chef, and a man with a passion for gastronomy as colossal as his collection of wines. And this collection, around 85,000 total, features 15,000 bottles carefully kept in the temperature-controlled cellar of the restaurant in a room that can only be considered an oenophile’s paradise.
“Every day I come in here,” Giuseppe says. “I look at the labels, and I am happy because I love to see my wines. That’s what I love to give my friends, my customers: this excitement.”
And the excitement comes not just from the quantity but the quality. The wines within the auspices of Sistina are consistently ranked among the best in the world. Wine Spectator named Sistina a Grand Award winner in 2018. The restaurant has the highest wine ranking of “Tre Bicchieri” from Gambero Rosso. The most coveted bottles at Sistina include vintages from Chateau Mouton Rothschild and a range of Romanée-Conti varietals. Of course, Sistina is an Italian restaurant, and the collection is dominated by an iconic list of Italian reds, including extensive quantities of the world’s finest Barolo (including Monfortino from Giacomo Conterno and Bric del Fiasc from Paolo Scavino), Brunello di Montalcino (including those of Salvioni and Biondi Santi) and a gob-smacking collection of seemingly every Super Tuscan under the sun: Tignanello, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia, Masseto.
As impressive as the wine list is, it is constructed to accompany the fine cuisine in the experience of a special occasion.
“It’s a marriage between the food, the wine, where you are, where you’re going, and who you are having dinner with,” Giuseppe explains the ethos of Sistina. “My job is to make a memorable evening.”
Such evenings or afternoons begin with entering a stately townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The interior of Sistina resembles a museum in its austere elegance, from the antique barroom that leads into the spacious dining areas under lofted ceilings and adorned with exclusive artwork and potted plants, opulent fixtures, and seasonal decor, among the marble and wood and glass. The table settings are carefully curated collections all chosen by the maestro himself.
And if you were seated at a table within the magnificent auspices of Sistina Restaurant in the late months of an east coast autumn, Chef Bruno and his legendary sommelier, Renzo Rapacioli, and their expertly trained staff, might present you with the following dining experience:
Island Creek Oysters, grilled/fried/raw with sea urchins and caviar paired with a Rossj-Bass, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from the Gaja winery in northern Italy. Handmade pasta adorned with fresh white truffles served with a Barbera d’Alba from Giacomo Conterno. A whole grouse, with the breast pan-roasted and the legs braised into a confit, complemented by roasted concord grapes, grilled figs, and orange marmalade along with paté of grouse liver on brioche. The recommended pairing would be a Valpolicella Superiore from Del Forno Romano. Dessert could be a pumpkin tiramisú or a selection of cheeses with nuts, honey, grapes, and pears complemented by a Passito di Pantelleria, Ben Rye, a sweet wine from Sicilian winemaker Donnafugata.
That does sound memorable.