Syracuse

Joey's is clearly a beloved Syracuse institution doing right by its food and its new space — but the wine list is running on autopilot and charging you for the privilege. Come for the Chicken Riggies, just don't come for the wine.

A Mano isn't a destination wine list, but it's an honest one — fair prices, Italian focus that matches the food, and enough by-the-glass options to drink well without overthinking it. Send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; just don't promise them a cellar tour.

The Fish Friar has no business having a wine list this well-considered, and we mean that as a compliment. If you're eating fried fish in downtown Syracuse and you're not ordering the Chablis or the Finger Lakes Riesling, you're leaving something on the table.

Joelle's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a French bistro that takes its wine list seriously enough to match the food, and that's exactly what it delivers. If you're eating here and drinking French, you'll leave satisfied.

The Sherwood Inn is a reliable wine stop, not a destination one — the Finger Lakes selections are genuinely good, but the markups on crowd-pleaser bottles are hard to forgive. Stick to the local producers, skip the California staples, and you'll drink well enough in a room that earns its keep on atmosphere alone.

The Krebs is a genuinely special place to eat — the setting, the food, the occasion of it all — but the wine program is coasting on the restaurant's reputation rather than earning its own. Until someone with real passion takes over that list, treat the wine budget as a tax and order accordingly.

Rosalie's Cucina is a genuinely lovely spot to eat Italian in the Finger Lakes, and the wine list is coherent enough that you won't be stranded — but the markups are consistent and unkind, so come in with eyes open. Order the Di Majo Norante, skip the Jermann, and let the pasta do the heavy lifting.

Inn of the Seasons isn't a wine destination, but it's an honest one — fair prices, a couple of genuine Finger Lakes highlights, and a list that won't embarrass you. Come for the Prime rib and the cozy room; just know where to point on the menu.

Eleven Waters isn't destination wine drinking, but it's the best regional wine argument a hotel bistro in upstate New York is likely to make — and for that, it earns a genuine recommendation over almost any comparable spot in Syracuse. Come for the Finger Lakes Rieslings, skip anything that isn't.

Noble Cellar is the kind of place that makes you rethink your assumptions about where serious wine lives — two credentialed sommeliers, a Burgundy-focused list, and a Wine Spectator award in a downtown Syracuse dining room is a combination nobody saw coming. If you're anywhere near Central New York, this is worth a detour.

Eden is a genuine wildcard — a wood-fired American restaurant in Syracuse that's quietly championing Finger Lakes wine with more seriousness than most. It's not a deep cellar experience, but the regional focus is real, the producers are legit, and it's worth seeking out if you want to drink well and eat better in central New York.

The pricing is honest and the happy hour is a genuine deal, but a restaurant called Delmonico's Italian SteakHouse deserves a wine list with more than grocery store standbys and zero Italian representation. Order the MacMurray Pinot, enjoy your steak, and don't overthink it.

Lorenzo's wine list is the reliable older sibling — not flashy, occasionally overpriced, but genuinely solid for a downtown Italian in upstate New York. Send your friends here knowing the Brunello and the Oregon Pinot will carry the night.

Owera is a weekend afternoon well spent — scenic, unpretentious, and genuinely proud of what it grows. If you're near Cazenovia and want to drink local without apology, this is the stop.

Laci's isn't a destination wine bar, but it's doing something right — a focused Iberian list that actually matches the menu in a city where that's genuinely rare. Send a friend here with the explicit instruction to order the Cava and the Albariño.

Coleman's is a great Irish pub that happens to have wine on the menu — emphasis on 'happens to.' Order a Guinness, grab a Jameson, and if someone at the table insists on wine, point them toward the Dr. Frank and move on.