Sushi's Great, Wine List Phoned It In
West Side/Stillwater · Stamford · Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Fin II Japanese Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Fin II is an afterthought — eleven bottles, most of which you've seen at a CVS endcap, wedged into a menu that's clearly here for the hibachi. Nothing offensive, nothing exciting. It's the wine equivalent of a bread basket nobody asked for.
Eleven wines, ten of which you can pour by the glass — that math tells you everything. The lineup reads like a distributor's starter pack: Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Barone Fini Pinot Grigio, Angeline Pinot Noir, Avalon Cab. These are fine wines for a grocery run, not a destination list. There's a token nod to Japan with Hakutsuru Plum Wine, which at least shows some awareness of what cuisine is being served here. Gaps are enormous — no Champagne or real sparkling to speak of beyond a 187ml Segura Viudas, no Burgundy, no Riesling from Germany, no skin-contact anything.
Ten of eleven wines pour by the glass at $8–$9, which is genuinely low for Stamford — you're not getting gouged here. The problem is the selection itself, not the price: it's a greatest-hits of inoffensive crowd pleasers with zero rotation or ambition. If you're sticking to one glass with your sashimi, the Charles & Charles Riesling is your move.
Charles & Charles Riesling — $28/bottle
At $28 a bottle, this is the most food-friendly wine on the list for a Japanese meal — the off-dry fruit and acidity actually do something useful next to spicy tuna rolls and teriyaki. It's a fair price for a wine that earns its spot on the table.
Hakutsuru Plum Wine
Most people overlook it, but a small pour of plum wine alongside a gyoza course is a genuinely fun combination — sweet, tart, and unexpected. It's the one wine on this list that actually knows where it is.
Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon
A California Cab at a Japanese restaurant is a square peg in a round hole — and Avalon isn't interesting enough to justify the experiment. Save the $29 and get another round of sake instead.
Charles & Charles Riesling + Spicy tuna roll
The residual sugar in the Riesling takes the edge off the sriracha heat, and the bright acidity cuts through the rice. It's the only pairing on this list where the wine is actually pulling its weight.
The Bottom Line
Fin II is here for the sushi and hibachi, and the wine list makes no bones about that. Come for the food, order sake, and if you must have wine, grab the Riesling and move on.
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
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Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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