Italian focus, honest prices, no drama
East Avenue · Rochester · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Grappa’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Grappa leans hard into its Italian identity — which makes sense for a restaurant with this name. At $8-$9 a glass, the entry price is refreshingly un-gougy for a sit-down Italian spot in Rochester. Don't expect to go deep here, but you won't feel ripped off either.
The list is Italy-first with recognizable DOC appellations doing most of the heavy lifting — Veneto, Abruzzo, and the Banfi stable making regular appearances. It's not adventurous: no skin-contact wines, no obscure southern Italian producers pushing the envelope, no aged Barolo lurking in the back pages. What you get is a clean, approachable slate of Italian classics that won't confuse anyone but also won't inspire much conversation. The gaps are real — Piedmont is thin, Tuscany seems represented mainly through Banfi's mass-market output, and anything outside Italy appears to be an afterthought.
At least three options by the glass in the $8-$9 range, which is honest pricing for Rochester's East Avenue corridor. The Borgo dei Mori Pinot Grigio and Casalini Montepulciano are the anchors here — dependable, if uninspiring. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority; this feels like a list that gets refreshed annually, not seasonally.
Casalini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 2018 — $9
A 2018 Montepulciano at $9 a glass is genuinely solid value. This wine has had time to settle, and Abruzzo reds at this age tend to show more texture and depth than their price tag suggests. It's the best bang-for-buck pour on the list.
Casalini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 2018
Most people at an Italian restaurant default to the Pinot Grigio or whatever Banfi Chianti is on the list. The Casalini Montepulciano is the one worth ordering — it's a proper Abruzzo red with some bottle age on it, which most diners will walk right past.
Banfi
Banfi produces at industrial scale and their wines are ubiquitous on every mid-range Italian restaurant list in America for a reason — they're safe, consistent, and easy to source. But you can find this stuff at any grocery store. It's not a bad wine; it's just a lazy, uninspired pour that doesn't warrant restaurant markup when better options exist on this same list.
Casalini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC 2018 + Pasta with red meat ragù
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is built for exactly this — the wine's firm acidity and dark fruit cut through rich, slow-cooked meat sauces without fighting them. It's the Italian pairing equivalent of muscle memory.
The Bottom Line
Grappa is the wine list equivalent of a reliable neighborhood Italian place: it shows up, it doesn't embarrass itself, and the prices won't ruin your night. Just don't come here expecting to discover anything new.
Downtown · Rochester · Spanish & Mediterranean
A list of 14 wines posted with paired, unlabeled numbers and 14 bottles from $40 to $100, two of them from the Finger Lakes. Start with the Columna Albariño alongside the patatas bravas, or order the $40 Mille Reves Vouvray if you want a bottle for the table, and ask what the paired numbers in the Wine section stand for. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Park Ave · Rochester · Gastro-pub
A short, familiar 11-wine list for a gastro pub, with every price between $10 and $13 and no unit posted. Pair the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling or The Show Malbec with the Jumbo Chicken Wings, and ask whether those prices are per glass. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
South Wedge · Rochester · Italian
A one-page, Italy-first list of 31 wines where the two-price house pours run $10 to $12 and $36 to $42, and the top price is $90 for The Prisoner Cabernet. Start with the $40 Brancher Valdobbiadene Prosecco, and ask which price on the slash entries is the pour. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and the list is undated.
Woodcliff Hotel & Spa · Rochester · New American
A broad online list with a real Finger Lakes section and a few friendly glass pours. Order the $10 Hahn Pinot Noir or the $15 Apollo's Praise Scheurebe by the glass, or pick a New York bottle like the $35 Thirsty Owl Dry Riesling, and confirm current prices because the list is a live online menu. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Pittsford / Monroe Ave Corridor · Rochester · Upscale Steakhouse and Seafood
A steakhouse list built on familiar names, with a few surprises like a Finger Lakes Riesling, and no prices posted online. Order the 14 oz ribeye with the Jordan Cabernet from the Coravin list, or open with the Riesling, and ask for prices before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine program, not service, storage or retail markups.
Pittsford Plaza · Rochester · Sushi and Japanese-inspired contemporary dining
Start with the $15 glass of Bandol rosé or Green Rows Pinot Noir, and keep the $55 Green Rows bottle in mind if the table wants red. Confirm current availability and prices, since the menu is stamped 8-14-26. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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