Help me pick a white and a red - Fiola Mare list

A friend has asked me to help him pick a white and a red from the lists below for a small gathering. Fiola Mare is a seafood restaurant with a focus on Italian style dishes. I will be the only wine geek in attendance so a focus on crowd pleasers would be ideal.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Greg

The Vorberg or Cervaro are solid choices for white. I’d probably go with the Vajra Barbera for red.

A) I got nothing.

B) These prices are obscene.

I’m seeing Vajra Barbera on free Wine Searcher, at retail in the United States, for well under $20, and they’re gonna tag on another 350% but not even be bothered to give the poor wine its own vintage designation on the wine list?

EDIT: Out of curiosity, I just looked up this damned restaurant on the internet, and immediately realized that these are your tax dollars busy at work, allowing the parasitic Deep State tapeworms to eat & drink themselves to death whilst Rome is burning all around them.

I’d go for the Sancerre and the Mocali Brunello. Prices are nuts, but tell us how the meal goes. I went to Fiola for my birthday last year and the meal was amazing. I’ve wanted to try Fiola Mare too.

Fiola Mare has $50 corkage. Just saying.

Produttori Barbaresco for the red. Roederer bubbly for the white. Everyone should be happy.

Shocked that they don’t have Foley Claret for you. Shocked I tell you.

Bucci Verdicchio a very fine wine

Can’t see vintages

Am I missing something?

Agree with the Vorberg, but also with the Bucci at a lower price.
Hopefully the Vajra Barbera is the Superiore at that price but probably not. Good in either case, though without knowing vintage.
It looks like they offer the services of a “dedicated sommelier” for only $250!

Thanks all.

Howard - the Foley Claret is only for retired law partners - they are holding it for you.

Eric- this is for a friend who is hosting an event for a dozen folks. Otherwise I would definitely bring my own.

Karl - you are not missing anything. I had the same problem.

The list my friend sent is just a suggested list from their group reservation person. I went to the full list, and while there are no bargains there, I found some better choices.

Brian - I have had a couple of good/very good meals at Fiola Mare but I much prefer Fiola overall.

Ah

Makes sense that there are no vintages if it is a banquet wine list.

For the reds I would do the Vajra or Produtti if you want lighter bodied or the Pietraventosa in the other category. I have met the woman who makes wine there.

Disclosure: I also know the fellow who imports Bucci and Pietraventosa to the mid-Atlantic.

As others have said though overall the pricing is really rather high. Tell your friend to push cocktails then save the $1k+ he might spend on wine to buy some bottles for an offline?

I’d do Bucci Verdicchio and Einaudi Dolcetto Dogliani. Save them some scratch.

Merry Edwards Sauvignon blanc for $120 is an epic markup. It’s a $30 wine at retail.