A Syracuse Institution That Forgot About Wine
East Syracuse / Carrier Circle · Syracuse · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The new $5M building is gorgeous — soaring ceilings, warm lighting, the whole deal — and then the wine list lands on the table and the illusion cracks a little. It reads like a grocery store end-cap from 2009, with names like Cupcake and Yellow Tail sharing space with Ecco Domani. For a restaurant this proud of its heritage, the wine program feels like an afterthought.
The list runs roughly 25–40 bottles and leans almost entirely on mass-market brands that you could grab at any Price Chopper on the way home. There's a nod toward Italy with Santa Margherita and a handful of Pinot Grigios, but nothing with any real regional character — no Barbera, no Montepulciano, no Nero d'Avola to match the depth of the kitchen. Kendall-Jackson and Robert Mondavi Private Selection anchor the reds, which tells you everything you need to know about the ambition level here. It's not offensive, it's just completely, stubbornly safe.
The by-the-glass program offers somewhere between six and ten pours, but given what's on the bottle list, don't expect any surprises. You're likely looking at the usual suspects — Cavit Pinot Grigio, maybe a Yellow Tail red — rotated rarely if ever. There's no evidence of a seasonal program or anything approaching a dynamic pour selection.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige — $49.95
At roughly 117% over retail, it's the least egregious markup on the list by a wide margin. It's also actually a recognizable, consistent wine with enough acidity to hold up to the kitchen's heavier pastas. Among the options here, it's the clearest choice.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay
Not exciting, but it's one of the more food-friendly whites on the list and sits at the lowest markup percentage of the non-Italian options. If you're going cream sauce, this is the practical call most people will overlook in favor of the Pinot Grigio default.
Yellow Tail Shiraz
At $27.95 for a bottle that retails for $7.99, you're paying nearly 250% over retail for a wine that has no business being on a restaurant list at any price. There is no version of this that represents value. Order water and reconsider.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige + Seafood Fra Diavolo
The wine's clean citrus backbone and dry finish cut through the heat and richness of the spiced tomato sauce without getting steamrolled by it. It's the one pairing on this list where the wine actually earns its place at the table.
❌ The Bottom Line
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.
Downtown · Syracuse · Italian / New American
A Mano isn't a destination wine list, but it's an honest one — fair prices, Italian focus that matches the food, and enough by-the-glass options to drink well without overthinking it. Send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; just don't promise them a cellar tour.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Syracuse · Seafood
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
Skaneateles · Syracuse · Italian, Tuscan
Rosalie's Cucina is a genuinely lovely spot to eat Italian in the Finger Lakes, and the wine list is coherent enough that you won't be stranded — but the markups are consistent and unkind, so come in with eyes open. Order the Di Majo Norante, skip the Jermann, and let the pasta do the heavy lifting.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Toledo/Monroe Street · Toledo · Italian-American
The wine list at Olive Garden Toledo is a corporate afterthought dressed up as a selection — overpriced relative to quality, built to please no one in particular, and completely interchangeable with every other location in the country. Order the Chianti if you must, drink the Moscato if you want something fun, and save your real wine curiosity for a restaurant that earns it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Grafton Hill · Worcester · Italian-American
Dino's isn't a wine destination — it's a red-sauce neighborhood classic that happens to have an unexpectedly serious Port program tucked at the back of the menu. Come for the Chicken Parm, stay for the Taylor Fladgate.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Multiple Plano corridors · Plano · Italian-American
The Col d'Orcia Brunello and Bertani Amarone suggest someone, somewhere, tried — but the surrounding list is chain-restaurant autopilot and the markups don't reward your loyalty. Order the breadsticks, nurse the Amarone, and keep your expectations exactly where the laminated menu set them.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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