Lu Nello Case Study
Lunello’s wine list was voted Best Wine List in New Jersey by NJ Monthly readers. The list was designed by Tony Margiotta, founder of Gladiator Wine Distribution and author of The Wine List That Sells Itself.
Why would a wine distributor design a wine list?
Most wine lists are copies of a liquor store. That’s why I call them “liquor store wine lists.”
I approached Lunello’s differently.
I started with the restaurant itself.
A wine list should feel like an extension of the restaurant. Its wines, organization, language, and presentation should reflect the identity of the establishment and make it easier for guests to discover something they’ll want to order.
That’s the premise behind my book, The Wine List That Sells Itself.
And there’s no sommelier required.
The Idea Came Before The Award
Before Lunello ever asked me to redesign its wine list, I had already written The Wine List That Sells Itself.
The book explores a simple idea: a wine list shouldn’t merely tell guests what wines a restaurant carries. It should help them decide what they want to drink.
Lunello became the first restaurant to give me the opportunity to put those ideas fully into practice.
Lunello Took the Idea seriously.
Lunello gave me the opportunity to approach its wine program through the lens of the restaurant’s own identity.
Rather than creating another generic list of Italian wines, the goal was to create a program that felt unmistakably like Lunello—while making the wines easier and more compelling for guests to explore.
The Result?
The best wine list in New Jersey.
Your Wine List Should Work as Hard as Your Restaurant
Your wine list is one of the most important sales tools in the room—and one of the few that can influence a guest before you’ve even poured the first glass.
I work with restaurants, wine shops, and boutique hotels to create distinctive, identity-driven wine programs featuring human-scale Italian wines that build loyalty and drive sales.
Let's Talk About Your Wine Program
The Method Behind the List
The Wine List That Sells Itself is Tony Margiotta’s guide to creating wine lists designed not simply to display wine, but to help sell it.
