California Hits With a Manhattan Skyline
Jersey City · American, Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Hudson & Co’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You sit down at Hudson & Co, the Manhattan skyline glittering across the water, and the wine list matches the ambition of the view — California all day, heavy on the greatest hits. It reads like someone said 'give me the Napa power list' and then didn't look back. Roman Tartakovsky is on staff to guide you through it, which matters when the list leans this confidently into one lane.
With 150-250 bottles, this is a real list — not a clipboard with six options. The California focus is deliberate: Kistler and Sonoma-Cutrer anchor the Chardonnay side, Flowers handles the Pinot, and the Cabernet column runs from Caymus and Duckhorn through Stag's Leap up to Ridge Monte Bello and Opus One. That's a serious range of price points and ambition within a tight regional focus. What you won't find here is much of the world outside California — if you want a Burgundy, a Barolo, or anything with a Mosel on the label, you're mostly out of luck. For a restaurant blending American and Japanese cuisine, a broader Old World presence would make the list a lot more interesting.
The by-the-glass program runs 12-20 options at $12-$18, which is genuinely reasonable for the Jersey City waterfront where you're effectively paying Manhattan-adjacent prices for everything else. The range tracks the bottle list — expect California Chardonnay and Cabernet to dominate the pours. We'd love to see more rotation and variety here, but what's offered is competent and honestly priced for the setting.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay — $45-$55 bottle
Sonoma-Cutrer's Russian River Ranches is a benchmark Chardonnay that consistently overdelivers — clean, restrained, with real orchard fruit and none of the butter-bomb clichés. At the lower end of this list's price range, it's the move if you want California white without paying Kistler prices.
Ridge Monte Bello
Most tables here will order Caymus or Stag's Leap without blinking, but Ridge Monte Bello is the serious choice. It's one of California's genuinely great Cabernet-based wines — age-worthy, complex, and far less flashy than its neighbors on this list. If you're splitting a nice bottle for the night, this is the one worth the stretch.
Opus One
Opus One is a trophy wine, and restaurants know it. You'll pay a significant premium here for a bottle that's become more about the label than what's in the glass. The Ridge Monte Bello is better wine at a lower price — leave Opus One for the people who need to impress someone who reads Forbes.
Flowers Pinot Noir + Spanish Grilled Octopus
Flowers Pinot from the Sonoma Coast has a briny, cool-climate edge that actually makes sense next to grilled octopus — the wine's acidity cuts through the char and plays well with whatever citrus and smoke the kitchen is running. It's the kind of match that makes the food taste better and the wine feel purposeful.
The Bottom Line
Hudson & Co is a well-run California list with a credentialed sommelier, a knockout view, and enough serious bottles to make dinner feel like an occasion. The markups and the lack of range outside Napa and Sonoma keep it from being a destination wine experience, but if you love California reds and want to drink well in Jersey City with the skyline as your backdrop, this works.
· Jersey City · Japanese
For a Japanese lounge with a 21-bottle list, Stingray is doing more work than it has any reason to. The Grüner, the Loire whites, and that Grand Cru Champagne are all legitimate finds at prices that won't sting. If you're nearby and want something better than the usual sushi-spot house white, this is worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Italian
Laico's has been doing this for over 30 years, and the wine list isn't why people keep coming back — the Chicken Francese and the neighborhood warmth are. If you're looking for a deep cellar or adventurous pours, this isn't your spot. But if you want a solid glass of something Italian to wash down a classic red-sauce dinner without getting gouged, Laico's delivers exactly what it promises.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Amanda's isn't going to make a wine lover's heart race, but it's doing the honest work: fair prices, enough variety to match a proper New American menu, and a by-the-glass program deep enough to drink your way through a multi-course meal without getting stuck. If you're in Jersey City and want a reliable bottle without a markup argument, this list delivers.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · American Bistro
Court Street's wine list is functional and fair — no embarrassing markups, a couple of genuinely good pours hiding among the Coastal Ridge, and glass prices that won't wreck your dinner tab. It's not a destination for wine lovers, but it's a perfectly fine neighborhood spot where you can drink the Rioja or the Sancerre and have a good night. Send your friends here for dinner; just steer them away from the mystery Champagne.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Italian
Il Tavolo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a reliable Italian spot with fair pours, sensible pricing, and enough range to keep the table happy. If you're in Jersey City and want a glass of Chianti that won't cost you a car payment, this is a safe and honest bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Anthony David's wine list is reliable without being exciting — it does the job for a casual dinner without making you work too hard or feel gouged at the lower price points. The by-the-glass program is legitimately strong for a list this size, and the Crémant de Loire is a smart pour. If you're a wine-first diner, this isn't your destination, but if you're coming for a neighborhood meal and want a decent glass to go with it, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ossining · Ossining · American, Japanese
3 Westerly won't challenge your wine assumptions, but it'll take care of you — and Wednesday half-price wine night is genuinely one of the better deals in Westchester. Send a friend if they want a reliable, crowd-pleasing bottle with a waterfront view; tell them to skip the Margaux.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Weehawken · Weehawken · American, Japanese
Drift is a reliable California wine list bolted onto a genuinely great view — it'll satisfy most tables without challenging anyone. Send a friend if they want a safe, well-executed bottle with their steak and a killer skyline; just don't send them expecting to discover something new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bernal Heights · San Francisco · American, Japanese
3rd Cousin is the Wild Card in full effect — a neighborhood restaurant on a quiet San Francisco street that has quietly built a Franco-Californian list serious enough to earn national recognition. Send your wine-curious friends here and watch them figure out this city has more going on than Divisadero.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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