Great Steaks, Punishing Wine Prices
Pittsford · Rochester · Steakhouse
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Dano's Heinen's reads like a greatest hits compilation from a 2012 Napa wine auction — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn — all the names your uncle name-drops at Thanksgiving. It's a list that was built to impress at a glance, not to actually deliver value. The moment you start running the numbers, the mood shifts fast.
The list skews heavily California red, with Napa Cab doing most of the heavy lifting and a token nod to Bordeaux and Burgundy for the classicists in the room. There's nothing wrong with the producers here — Jordan and Stag's Leap Artemis are legitimately solid bottles — but the selection is so predictable it practically selects itself. You won't find a grower Champagne, a Willamette Pinot, or anything that suggests someone on staff is actually curious about wine. Bordeaux and Burgundy get a seat at the table, but they feel like afterthoughts rather than a serious international program.
Ten to eighteen pours by the glass is a decent spread for a steakhouse, though without a confirmed rotation, it's hard to know if this program has any pulse or just runs on autopilot. Expect the usual suspects — a Chardonnay, a Cab, maybe a Merlot — delivered reliably but without inspiration. If Monday's half-price bottle deal is on the table, skip the glass pours entirely and go straight to a bottle.
Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 — $135
Still a 170% markup over retail, but at $135 it's the least painful option on a painful list. Artemis is a genuinely good Napa Cab — structured, age-worthy, and it holds its own next to a dry-aged ribeye. On a Monday, at half price, this is actually a legitimately good deal at around $67.
Opus One 2020
At $595 it sounds absurd, but Opus One retails around $385 — making it the lowest percentage markup on the entire list at roughly 55%. By Dano's own math, this is ironically the most fairly priced bottle they're pouring. If you're splitting a splurge with the table and want something extraordinary with the dry-aged ribeye, this is the one time the math almost works in your favor.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Two hundred percent over retail at $285 for a wine you can grab at Total Wine for $95. Caymus is fine — it's crowd-pleasing, oaky, and reliable — but it's also wildly overexposed and not worth triple the price in any zip code. This bottle exists on the list to anchor the menu with a recognizable name and pad the check. Don't let it.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 + Dry-Aged Ribeye
Jordan's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment — it's got enough structure to stand up to a heavily marbled dry-aged ribeye without the jammy overripeness that makes some Napa Cabs clash with beef fat. It's a classicist's pairing at a gouging price, but if you're ordering the ribeye anyway, this is the bottle that earns its place on the table.
Monday — 50% off select wine bottles — the one genuine reason to plan your visit around a weeknight.
❌ The Bottom Line
Dano's Heinen's is a perfectly competent steakhouse with a wine list that treats its guests like a revenue stream rather than people who actually like wine. Come on a Monday, grab the Stag's Leap at half price, and enjoy the ribeye — just don't let the list convince you that paying three times retail is the price of admission.
Village Gate / NOTA · Rochester · Farm-to-Table / New American
Lento isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its list is thoughtful enough that it kind of becomes one by accident — especially if you care about Finger Lakes wines in their natural habitat. Send your friends here, let them order the Duck Confit, and point them toward the Cab Franc.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pittsford · Rochester · Refined Seasonal American with Wood-Fired Pizzas
jojo Pittsford is the kind of wine program that makes you want to cancel your dinner reservation somewhere else. For a bistro in suburban Rochester, this list is genuinely exciting — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
East Avenue / Winton · Rochester · Traditional Italian
Ristorante Lucano is a reliable Italian dinner with a wine list that doesn't embarrass itself — Italy-focused, anchored by classics, a bit overpriced but not offensively so. Send a friend here for a date night with the instruction to order the Barolo and not overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pittsford Plaza · Rochester · Sushi and Japanese-inspired contemporary dining
Next Door is a Wild Card in the best sense: a grocery chain's restaurant with genuine wine ambition and a beverage program that earns more than a dismissive eye-roll. The markups will sting and the by-the-glass program needs more visibility, but the bones are here — and the wine pairing dinners featuring Château d'Yquem prove someone in the building actually cares.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Corn Hill · Rochester · Wine Bar / New American
Flight is exactly what Rochester needed and didn't know it had — a real wine program in an unexpected zip code, with Wednesday half-price bottles that make an already fair list even easier to love. Send your wine-curious friends here before it gets too crowded to get a table.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Neighborhood of the Arts · Rochester · Urban winery tasting room with small plates and charcuterie
Living Roots is one of Rochester's more original wine experiences — a dual-continent estate poured by people who actually know what they're talking about, at prices that don't punish curiosity. If you want a broad global list, go somewhere else; if you want a focused, well-executed tasting room with a genuine story, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
I-35 / North Creek · Laredo · Steakhouse
Outback Laredo's wine program is a national chain doing national chain things — predictable, overpriced relative to quality, and staffed by people who aren't expected to know anything about what they're pouring. Come for the Bloomin' Onion, stick to a cocktail, and save the wine order for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Creek / I-35 · Laredo · Steakhouse
Logan's Roadhouse is not a wine destination — it's a steakhouse chain where wine clearly wasn't part of the concept. Order a beer, order a cocktail, and save the bottle for a restaurant that's actually trying.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mall del Norte Area · Laredo · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse Laredo is a great spot for a $17 steak and a bucket of rolls — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Order a margarita, or grab the Ste. Michelle Riesling and call it a night.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.