Finger Lakes views, serious wine, real surprises
Fairport · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Horizons Modern Kitchen + Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're on top of the highest point in Monroe County, looking out at rolling Finger Lakes hills and the Rochester skyline, and somehow the wine list keeps pace with the scenery. This isn't a hotel bar coasting on the view — the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2023 tells you something real is happening here. Two named sommeliers on staff is not a thing most suburban New York restaurants can say.
The 100-150 bottle list covers California, France, Italy, and New York with enough conviction to justify the range. You've got Kistler Chardonnay and Jordan Cab holding down the California end, Antinori Tignanello pulling serious weight on the Italian side, and Louis Jadot keeping France honest. The real sleeper move is the Finger Lakes representation — Scarbrough Wine Co. and Red Newt Cellars sitting alongside those bigger names signals that someone here actually gives a damn about what's growing 30 miles away. Gaps exist — the list doesn't go especially deep into Burgundy or Rhône — but for Fairport, New York, this is genuinely impressive.
Twenty to thirty pours by the glass is an ambitious program for this market, and the $12–$18 price window is honest for the quality level on offer. We'd expect the Finger Lakes options to anchor the local section, with California and France filling out the rest — a solid daily rotation without a lot of adventure, but well-curated. If the sommeliers are steering the BTG program, there's a good chance what's open is fresh and worth drinking.
Red Newt Cellars Finger Lakes Riesling — $12
Finger Lakes Riesling at a restaurant with a real wine program and panoramic views of the same hills the grapes grow on? That's not just good value, that's the whole experience in a glass. Red Newt makes honest, food-friendly Riesling and you're not going to find it cheaper anywhere with this kind of ambiance.
Scarbrough Wine Co.
Most people at this table are ordering Caymus without looking up. Don't be that person. Scarbrough is a small Finger Lakes producer that most diners outside the region haven't encountered — and here it is, sitting right on the list of a restaurant that could've taken the easy route and ignored local entirely. Order it, ask Carrie or Alise about it, and feel good about your choices.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is fine. It's also on every steakhouse list in America at a markup that reflects the name recognition more than what's in the bottle. When there's Kistler, Jordan, and Tignanello on the same list — not to mention genuinely interesting local producers — reaching for Caymus is leaving something better on the table.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir + Pan-seared duck breast
Duck wants something with enough fruit to match the richness but enough acidity and earth to cut through the fat. Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir hits exactly that mark — Old World discipline, New World fruit, and the kind of structure that makes a proper duck dish sing.
The Bottom Line
Horizons earns its Wild Card badge by being genuinely better than it has any right to be for its zip code — two sommeliers, Finger Lakes pride, and a list that can keep up with a killer view. Send your wine-curious friends here and let them be surprised.
Union Square · San Francisco · American
The Rotunda is a lunch experience first and a wine destination a distant second — the list is safe, the markup is real, and you're largely paying for the address and the atmosphere. Come for the crab salad and the occasion, order something bubbly, and don't go in expecting a serious wine program.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
The Wild Sage is your dependable neighborhood spot in Eagle Ranch — the wine list won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you at dinner either. Watch the markups on the top-shelf Napa bottles and stick to the mid-range, and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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