Digestivi & Caffè

Italian Dessert Wines in Santa Rosa — Capriciano Osteria
Italian digestivi and the perfect ending — dessert wines from Tuscany and Piedmont, plus a proper espresso to finish the meal.

Our dessert wines in Santa Rosa are all Italian, from Tuscan Vin Santo to Moscato d’Asti, Recioto and Passito, poured in small glasses at the end of dinner.

In Italy, the meal is not over when the plates are cleared. The hour after dinner is its own ritual — a glass of Vin Santo to slow the conversation, a pour of Moscato d’Asti to lighten the palate, a small espresso to send you out into the night. At Capriciano, our digestivi e caffè program honors this tradition with a thoughtfully chosen list of Italian dessert wines and proper Italian-style coffee, served in the heart of Santa Rosa’s wine country.

What Makes Our Digestivi Special?

The Italian Art of the After-Dinner
No meal in Italy ends abruptly. The digestivo — literally “to aid digestion” — is the moment when conversation deepens, when last bites of cheese or dessert find their match, when the evening becomes its own reward. Our list draws from the great dessert wine regions of Italy: Tuscan Vin Santo from estates centuries old, Piedmont Moscato d’Asti with peach and jasmine, Umbrian Sagrantino Passito powerful and complex. Each one tells a different story of where in Italy the grapes came from and how they were dried, fermented, and aged for years before reaching your glass. And when the time comes, a proper Italian espresso — bold, hot, and exactly the right size — sends you out into the night.
Highlights From Our After-Dinner List
  • Vin Santo Flight — Chianti Classico, Grignano, and Rufina, three Tuscan Vin Santi
  • Moscato d'Asti — Vietti — Piedmont, lightly sparkling, peach, jasmine, apricot
  • Vin Santo del Chianti Classico — Badia a Coltibuono — Tuscany, walnut, dried fig, caramel, oak-aged
  • Recioto della Valpolicella — Roccolo Grassi — Valpolicella, cherry jam, chocolate, velvety sweetness
  • Montefalco Sagrantino Passito — Antonelli — Umbria, rare indigenous variety, dark chocolate, dried cherry
  • A proper Italian espresso to finish the meal — bold, hand-pulled, served the right way
Is the After-Dinner Worth Lingering For?
Our digestivi and espresso pair beautifully with:
  • A slice of tiramisu or a scoop of gelato
  • A long, lingering Italian dinner
  • Settling in after a special meal
  • A quiet end to a celebration
  • A few last bites of cheese or chocolate
  • Sharing stories at the end of the table
  • A short espresso for the road
  • An unhurried farewell to the evening
Whether you are easing toward the end of a full Italian feast, savoring the last few bites with a glass of Moscato, or simply pausing for an espresso before heading out into the Santa Rosa evening, our after-dinner list is built for the slow finish. The meal is not over until you decide it is.
What to Expect at Your Table
Digestivi and caffè arrive at our Santa Rosa osteria the way they should — in the proper glass, at the proper temperature, after a moment of quiet at the end of the meal. Espresso is served small and strong, the way Italians take it; cappuccino is offered if you would like it, though Italians themselves would smile and tell you it belongs at breakfast. Tell us what kind of finish you want — sweet, intense, light, or simply a coffee for the road — and your server will find it for you.
Why Choose Our Digestivi & Caffè?
From the Great Italian Dessert Wine Regions

Our dessert wines come from Italy’s most respected regions for after-dinner drinking — Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Umbria. Vin Santo aged for years in small oak barrels, Moscato d’Asti from Vietti, a late-harvest Moscato Bianco from Vignalta, and Recioto made from grapes dried for months after the harvest. Every glass is a piece of Italian winemaking history.

A Proper Way to End the Meal

In Italy, the espresso is not an afterthought — it is the right way to close a meal. Bold, hot, small, and never rushed. We serve ours the way it should be served: in a small cup, properly pulled, at exactly the right moment. Pair it with a digestivo for the full Italian experience.

Dessert Wines in Santa Rosa, Poured the Italian Way

Every digestivo we pour is wine-based, which makes our after-dinner list a small tour of Italian dessert wines in Santa Rosa. Tuscany brings several Vin Santo pours; Piedmont a lightly sparkling Moscato d’Asti from Vietti; the Veneto a late harvest Moscato Bianco and a Fior d’Arancio Passito from Vignalta, plus a Recioto della Valpolicella from Roccolo Grassi; and Umbria a Montefalco Sagrantino Passito from Antonelli. Most are poured in 2.5 oz glasses; the Moscato d’Asti and the late harvest Moscato Bianco come in 5 oz.

Panna cotta, gelato and two cocoa-dusted cakes to pair with dessert wines in Santa Rosa at Capriciano Osteria
Panna Cotta with cherry compote, raspberries and mint in a glass at Capriciano Osteria
Gelato: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla scoops with an olive oil drizzle at Capriciano Osteria
Layered cake with white cream, cocoa crumbs and green leaf decorations on a white plate at Capriciano Osteria

What is a digestivo?

A digestivo is the drink that closes an Italian meal, sipped slowly after dessert or in place of it. In Italy that can mean many things; at Capriciano it always means wine, because we serve beer and wine only. Our digestivi are dessert wines, sweet or gently sparkling, and the small pours make it easy to try one, or to share a few around the table while the espresso is on its way.

What is Vin Santo?

Vin Santo is Tuscany’s classic sweet wine. We pour it from Badia a Coltibuono in Chianti Classico, with walnut, dried fig, caramel and hazelnut; Capezzana in Carmignano, with dried fruit, toffee and orange peel; Selvapiana in Rufina, with amber, walnut, dried apricot and honey; and Grignano, golden amber with dried fruit and honey. The Vin Santo Flight sets Chianti Classico, Grignano and Rufina side by side, so you can taste the differences for yourself.

Do you serve espresso after dinner?

Yes. Our caffè menu covers Espresso, a single shot that is intense, short and traditional; Cappuccino with a thick layer of foam; Latte; Mocha with chocolate; and Affogato, vanilla gelato with espresso and cream, which works as coffee and dessert at once. An espresso next to a small glass of Vin Santo or Recioto is one of the most Italian ways we know to end an evening at the table.

When can I order dessert wines in Santa Rosa at Capriciano?

Whenever we are open for dinner: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 to 9:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 PM. We are closed on Tuesdays. Ask for a glass with dessert, whether that is Tiramisu, Panna Cotta with cherry compote, Gelato or the Cherry Coffee Kick, or simply order one instead of dessert.

Those are our dessert wines in Santa Rosa, poured the osteria way. Save room for the last glass: reserve a table online or through OpenTable, and get directions to 505 Mendocino Ave.

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