Finger Lakes First, No Apologies
Downtown · Ithaca · Wine Bar & Tapas · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Just a Taste’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
A 100-bottle list with 50 by-the-glass options at a cozy tapas spot tucked just off the Ithaca Commons — that's not a wine list, that's a commitment. The Finger Lakes producers front and center tell you exactly where this place stands, and it's a refreshing stance in a world of safe California-heavy menus.
The list leads with serious Finger Lakes names — Dr. Konstantin Frank, Hermann J. Wiemer, Sheldrake Point, Lamoreaux Landing — and backs it up with France, Spain, and Italy to round things out. This isn't a gimmick regional focus; these are producers who can actually hang with Old World benchmarks, especially on Riesling. California shows up too, which feels more like crowd management than a real passion project. The gaps are real — no deep cellar play, no vintage depth visible from the outside — but for a tapas bar in upstate New York, this list punches well above its weight class.
Fifty by-the-glass options is an absurd number in the best possible way — at $8 to $16 a pour, you can genuinely explore without committing to a bottle or a second mortgage. The Finger Lakes selections dominate the interesting end of the BTG list, which is exactly the right call. Rotation appears seasonal, so what you find tonight might not be there next month — treat that as a feature, not a bug.
Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling — $12
Wiemer Dry Riesling by the glass at a fair pour price is the reason you came here. This is a benchmark Finger Lakes producer making wines that outperform their price point on the national stage — getting it by the glass means you can order two without the math getting ugly.
Sheldrake Point
Sheldrake Point doesn't get the name recognition of Frank or Wiemer outside the region, but their wines consistently deliver. Most people at this table will order something French or Californian — let them. More Sheldrake for you.
California selections
You drove to Ithaca — or you're already here — and you're going to order something you could find at any wine bar in any city? The California pours exist to keep the timid comfortable. Ignore them entirely.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling + House-made pâté and cheese plate
Frank Riesling has enough acidity to cut through rich, fatty pâté and enough stone fruit and mineral character to play well alongside aged cheeses. It's a classic pairing logic — fat needs acid — and the Finger Lakes terroir brings an earthy undercurrent that bridges the gap between the charcuterie and the wine without either one bullying the other.
The Bottom Line
Just a Taste is the Wild Card because it shouldn't work on paper — 50 BTG options, heavy regional focus, small plates, college town — and yet it absolutely does. Send your friends here with strict instructions to order Finger Lakes only and to try at least three pours.
· Ithaca · Southwestern / New American
Agava's wine program is essentially a placeholder — no producers named, no prices published, no apparent effort to connect the Southwestern-leaning menu to anything interesting in the glass. Ithaca sits in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country, making this omission especially puzzling. Order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if corkage is an option.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Hotel bar / seasonal restaurant
For a hotel bar in wine country, this list punches above its category — the Finger Lakes producers are legitimate, the Saperavi alone is worth a detour, and the overall curation signals actual effort. Pricing at a lakeside inn will likely sting, and without confirmed by-the-glass options or staff expertise, you may need to advocate for yourself. Come ready to order by the bottle, pick something local, and enjoy the view.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · New American
The Rook is swinging for something more interesting than its size suggests, and the range of regions and styles — Txakoline, Verdicchio, Barolo rosé, orange Garnacha — earns genuine respect for a 12-bottle list. Pricing skews steep at the top end, and the lack of any documented reds from classic regions is a real hole. If you're an adventurous drinker who's tired of the same wine list at every New American spot, this is worth exploring — just go in knowing you'll probably land in the $45–$56 range to find the value.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Brasserie / New American
Simeon's wine list does its job without breaking a sweat — it's approachable, reasonably priced, and quietly proud of the Finger Lakes producers it stocks. The by-the-glass selection is the real strength here; if you're in Ithaca and want to explore local wine without committing to a bottle, this is a perfectly decent place to do it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Northern Italian
Mercato is a well-regarded local staple with the right regional instincts — Italian roots, Finger Lakes ambition, and a warm room that earns its reservations. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a solid bottle of wine with dinner, but we'd tell them to ask questions at the table, because we can't yet confirm the specifics behind the list. Worth a visit; worth a deeper look once a full wine list is in hand.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Hill / Elmira Road corridor · Ithaca · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse Ithaca is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the list is short, the producers are supermarket-tier, and the markups on house pours are quietly aggressive. Come for the bread and the steak; if you need wine, order one glass and make peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
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