Ron Ciavolino’s top wine bars

I Trulli

Why he loves it: “It’s nice because it’s based on the foods of Southern Italy: Puglia. You can sit at that tasting bar at the front—the wine director, Charles Scicolone, ran a wine shop in Park Slope for many years.”

What would you order there? “A nice Aglianico—the Cabernet Sauvignon of Southern Italy; what Caesar drank. Someone who doesn’t like the severity of a Syrah or the expense of a Barolo would love that. You can create a whole tasting meal to go with the wines. You can order a flight—five glasses—tell them how much you want in each one. It’s a great place if you’re a young college student and are looking for a charming date place; it’s a candlelit, romantic environment at the bar. Scicolone is not always there, but his deputies are always charming. They make you feel good. Italians can do that.”

I Trulli
122 E. 27th St.
between Park and Lexington Aves.
212-481-7372