• Sotto Enoteca

For most of Trattoria Delia’s 20-year existence, its Italian-centric wine list has earned Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator. Yet impromptu guests to the cozy Burlington restaurant may not always get to taste those wines, because its perennial popularity makes long waits commonplace.

This Wednesday, Tratt owners Tom and Lori Delia will change that when they open Sotto Enoteca, a wine bar connected to the restaurant via a back hallway.

Part wine bar and part overflow lounge, Sotto (“under” in Italian) will offer selections from Trattoria Delia’s killer wine list — nine red and nine white by the glass, from a list of more than 30 bottles. Guests who snag one of the tables can sip them alongside a handful of dishes from Trattoria’s regular menu.

Also on the liquid menu will be “hard-to-find beer,” says Tom Delia (Trattoria’s list features uncommon Italian beers such as Panil Barriquée Sour Red Batch #14), and a selection of craft cocktails.

The original print version of this article was headlined "Subterranean Swills"