Finger Lakes loyalty meets Burgundy ambition
South Wedge · Rochester · Farm-to-table American · Visit Website ↗
Updated September 2026
Reviewed April 12, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Lento Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Lento is refreshingly unpretentious — no padded pagecount, no dusty prestige bottles propping up the margins. What you get instead is a tight, deliberate curation anchored by two clear obsessions: Burgundy and the Finger Lakes. For a neighborhood farm-to-table spot tucked into Village Gate, that's a genuinely interesting editorial stance.
The Finger Lakes presence is real and committed, with Heart & Hand showing up across multiple varietals — Riesling, Aligoté, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a white blend — which tells you someone at Lento actually believes in the region rather than just checking a local-sourcing box. On the French side, the Arnaud Dubreuil selections punch well above the restaurant's price tier: a Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc and an Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru Les Paulands are not bottles you stumble across on a 40-label list in Rochester. The Jaffelin Crémant de Bourgogne as a sparkling option is a smart, affordable alternative to Champagne that fits the casual-but-thoughtful vibe perfectly. The list won't satisfy anyone looking for breadth across the globe, but depth-of-conviction lists like this often drink better than a lazy 120-label sprawl.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass in the $10–$16 range keeps things accessible without feeling like a race to the bottom. With Heart & Hand represented in multiple styles and a Crémant available by the glass, there's genuine variety here — not just a Chardonnay-Cab-rosé triangle. A rotating selection would elevate this further, but what's here is solid for the price point.
Heart & Hand Dry Riesling 2023 — $10-$16/glass
Finger Lakes Riesling at this price, from a producer that actually knows what they're doing with the grape, is a steal. It's the wine that makes you feel smart for ordering it.
Heart & Hand Aligote 2023
Aligoté is Burgundy's other white grape — undersung, crisp, and genuinely interesting — and Heart & Hand is one of the few Finger Lakes producers bothering with it. Most tables will walk right past it and order Chardonnay. Don't be most tables.
Arnaud Dubreuil Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Paulands 2021
It's a legitimately good bottle and we respect the ambition of putting it on here. But a 2021 Premier Cru that's only a couple of years old needs more time, and at restaurant markup it's hard to justify drinking it now when it won't be showing its best. Come back in five years.
Arnaud Dubreuil Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc 2023 + Pan Seared Red Snapper
White Burgundy — even village-level — brings enough texture and minerality to stand up to a properly seared fish without bulldozing it. This is the kind of pairing that makes a Tuesday dinner feel like a real occasion.
The Bottom Line
Lento isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the list punches well above its weight for a South Wedge farm-to-table spot — especially if you lean into the Finger Lakes selections or take a shot on the Burgundies. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
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.
Leawood · Overland Park · Farm-to-table American
Rye Leawood is a Wild Card in the best sense — it's a brunch-centric farm-to-table spot that somehow assembled a thoughtful, geographically curious wine list in a market that usually plays it very safe. Send your friends here, steer them past the cocktail-adjacent glass pours, and point them at the Cava or the Hito rosé.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Evanston · Evanston · Farm-to-table American
Farmhouse Evanston is a dependable neighborhood wine list that earns its keep without ever showing off. Send a friend here if they want a solid glass with a good burger — just don't send them if they're hunting for something to talk about.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Shirlington · Arlington · Farm-to-table American
Copperwood Tavern isn't a wine destination, but it earns its keep as a reliable neighborhood option — especially on Wednesdays, when the half-price bottle program briefly makes it one of the better value plays in Arlington. Come for the short rib, stay for the deal.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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