The Wine List Time Forgot
Dewitt · Syracuse · Italian Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Delmonico's Italian SteakHouse’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You open the drink menu expecting a steakhouse to bring some game on wine, and instead you get a greatest-hits collection from the bottom shelf of your local supermarket. The pricing is genuinely reasonable — we'll give them that — but low prices on forgettable wine is still forgettable wine.
The list is almost entirely California, which tracks for an Italian steakhouse in Central New York, but the producers here are doing the bare minimum. Copper Ridge, Mirassou, and Ecco Domani are all volume-production brands built for grocery endcaps, not wine lists. The one flicker of ambition is the MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley — an actual appellation with a real reputation — but it's surrounded by so much mediocrity it barely registers. There are no Italian wines to speak of, which feels like a specific miss for a restaurant with 'Italian' in the name.
Happy hour drops house pours down to $4 a glass, and at that price point Copper Ridge is basically a rounding error on your bill. Outside of happy hour, the by-the-glass options creep up a couple dollars but the lineup doesn't change in any meaningful way. If you're here for a serious glass of wine, you're going to be disappointed — if you just want something cold and red with your steak, it'll do.
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir — $7.75
Russian River Pinot Noir at this price is the only glass on the menu that actually earns your attention. It's the outlier in a list of workhorses, and at this price point it's the clear move.
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir
Most people sitting at a steakhouse order Cab on autopilot. This Russian River Pinot is lighter, more interesting, and genuinely out of place on this list — in the best possible way.
Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel
White Zinfandel in a steakhouse in 2024 is a choice, and not a good one. The markup is actually the most reasonable on the list, but no price makes this the right call.
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir + Grilled Salmon
Russian River Pinot has enough red fruit and earthiness to stand up to salmon without steamrolling it — and it's the one wine on this list flexible enough to handle fish.
❌ The Bottom Line
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.
East Syracuse / Carrier Circle · Syracuse · Italian-American
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles / Greater Syracuse · Syracuse · French
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles · Syracuse · American, regional tavern fare
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles · Syracuse · Modern American, Fine Dining
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Liberty/Belmont Corridor · Youngstown · Italian Steakhouse
Station Square Ristorante is the wine list Youngstown doesn't know it has — deep Italian selections, prestige California anchors, and 450+ bottles that would turn heads in any city. The markups are real and there's no dynamic specials program to soften them, but if you're willing to invest in a bottle of Barolo or a Super Tuscan, this place delivers.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Owen Ayres Court · Eau Claire · Italian Steakhouse
Johnny's is doing the most with a crowd-pleasing formula — 160 bottles, a Wine Spectator nod, and a list that won't offend anyone. Markups on the trophy bottles are hard to defend, but if you know where to look, there's a solid night of wine here for a reasonable bill.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Waterfront / Cabrillo Blvd · Santa Barbara · Italian Steakhouse
Ca' Dario Steakhouse is a reliable wine destination for anyone who wants serious Italian bottles with their steak without having to navigate a 300-label monster list. The markups trend steep, especially on the celebrity bottles, but the Santa Barbara Syrah and Sicilian options give value-hunters a legitimate path.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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