A PERFECT POUR: Inside Sugo’s Award-Winning Wine Program

A great wine list should do more than impress. It should tell a story—of place, of food, and of the people behind the bottle. At Sugo Italian Steakhouse, that philosophy has earned national recognition with the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2026, honoring a thoughtfully curated wine program that brings together the depth and diversity of Italy with the richness and structure needed to complement the restaurant’s steakhouse experience. For Wine Director Shannon Smith, the recognition is about far more than the number of bottles on the list or the prestige of the labels. It is about creating a program that genuinely fits the restaurant, works seamlessly alongside everything from beautifully crafted pasta to a 35-day dry-aged ribeye, and invites guests to discover something new without ever feeling intimidated.

Interview By Colleen Thompson, Photography By Matt Ray

Shannon Smith, Sommelier, Sugo Italian Steakhouse

From elegant Piedmont Nebbiolo and age-worthy Tuscan reds to volcanic Sicilian whites and an Amarone pairing Smith says she has “never had to apologize for,” Sugo’s wine list is designed to take guests on a journey through Italy—while leaving plenty of room for the rest of the wine world.

We sat down with Shannon to talk about what the award means, the art of pairing wine with both pasta and steak, the bottles she is particularly excited about right now, and why the best way to navigate a wine list is sometimes simply to ask.

What does receiving the Wine Spectator Award mean to Sugo, and what does it say about the restaurant’s approach to wine?

It’s recognition that the list actually fits the restaurant, which is the part I care about most. The Award of Excellence isn’t about having the deepest cellar in the country—it’s about whether the selection is thoughtfully chosen for the food coming out of the kitchen. That’s exactly the standard we’ve been holding ourselves to since we started rebuilding the program. It’s also a team award. I do weekly education sessions with our team, and our servers taste everything we pour. They’re the ones translating the list for guests every night.

Sugo’s wine program is designed to complement both Italian cuisine and the restaurant’s steakhouse experience. How do you approach building a list that works across both?

That tension is the fun part of the job. Most Italian wine is built around acidity and food-friendliness at moderate weight, which is perfect for pasta and lighter plates. Dry-aged beef wants something with structure and grip.

The good news is that Italy already answers both—Barolo and Barbaresco, Brunello, Amarone and Valpolicella Ripasso. Those wines have the tannin and depth to stand up to our in-house 35-day dry-aged ribeye without abandoning the acidity that makes them Italian. We keep a focused spine of Napa Cabernet, Bordeaux and other wines from around the world for guests who came in wanting exactly that, but Italy carries the list.

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What goes into curating Sugo’s wine list—from selecting producers and regions to finding wines that offer something distinctive for your guests?

I love curating relationships with producers, not just blindly buying due to appellations. Once I trust a house, I’d rather go deeper with them than chase a label from a region I don’t know well—which is part of why the Italia in Three Acts dinners with Tommasi, Petrea and Antinori mattered. Working through a producer’s range across a full evening tells you more than any tasting-room pour. The wine dinner with Petrea Imports was especially unique and curated to showcase wines from very small producers across Italy that have developed a special place in my heart and on our list. Beyond that, I look for three things: a wine that shows its place honestly, a producer whose vintages are consistent enough that I can list them year after year, and value at every tier—not just at the top.

Are there a few wines or regions on the current list that you’re particularly excited about right now?

There are a few areas of the list that we’re particularly excited to share with guests right now. One is Piedmont, especially the Nebbiolo selections. Wines like Damilano Langhe Nebbiolo “Marghe” offer the beautiful combination of sour cherry, raspberry, violet and earthy undertones that make Nebbiolo so compelling, while our Barolo and Barbaresco selections allow guests to explore the grape at a much more structured and age-worthy level. We’re also excited about Tuscany beyond the expected big-name wines. Our Chianti Classico selection ranges from the approachable Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico to the more mature Lecci e Brocchi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, a 2015 Sangiovese with impressive depth and persistence. It’s a great opportunity for guests to experience how dramatically the same region and grape can evolve across different styles and levels of aging.

Finally, we’re really enjoying the diversity of Italian white wines on the list. There are some fantastic alternatives to the usual Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, including Nicosia Etna Bianco from the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, Rocca Baglio Sicano Vermentino from Sicily, and Lecci e Brocchi Sangiò Rinascimento Bianco, an unusual and fascinating wine made from Sangiovese grapes vinified as a white wine.

For guests looking to discover something new, those are the wines I’d encourage them to explore. They show just how much variety there is within Italian wine—from the volcanic minerality of Sicily and the distinctive character of white Sangiovese to the elegance and age-worthiness of Piedmont and Tuscany.

For someone who walks into Sugo and feels overwhelmed by a wine list, what advice would you give them for choosing the perfect bottle to pair with a great steak or Italian dish?

Don’t try to solve it alone, and please don’t feel like you need the vocabulary. Tell your server two things: a bottle you’ve enjoyed before, even if it was a grocery-store Cabernet, and roughly what you want to spend. That’s genuinely all we need.

It also helps to describe texture rather than terminology—soft or firm, light or rich, fruity or savory. We’ll get you there. Honestly, this is my favorite part of my job as a sommelier. And if you want a default: if you’re ordering the dry-aged ribeye and you can’t decide, order the Amarone. That’s a pairing I’ve never had to apologize for.