Two Continents, One Tasting Room, Zero Pretension
Neighborhood of the Arts · Rochester · Urban winery tasting room with small plates and charcuterie · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Living Roots Wine & Co.’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Living Roots feels less like a restaurant wine list and more like landing inside someone's dual-passport wine obsession — in the best way. The premise is genuinely unusual: an urban winery pouring estate bottles sourced from both the Finger Lakes and South Australia under one roof in Rochester. We don't see that combination often, and it immediately earns our attention.
The list is tight and entirely house-made, which is either a feature or a bug depending on what you're after. If you came hoping to browse a broad global selection, recalibrate — this is a focused, producer-driven experience built around Living Roots' own vineyards in two very different climates. The Finger Lakes work gives you that cool-climate precision you'd expect: lean, mineral-driven whites anchored by Riesling. The Adelaide Hills side of the ledger brings structure and warmth, with Shiraz as the flagship red. There are gaps — no third-party producers, no deep cellar rabbit holes — but the intentionality here is hard to argue with.
Roughly 10 to 14 pours are available at any given time, organized around flight menus that rotate with the season, which keeps things from going stale. Prices land between $10 and $14 a glass, which is genuinely reasonable for estate wine served in a tasting room format with a sommelier in the building. The flight structure is the smart move here — order one and let the staff walk you through the story.
Living Roots Finger Lakes Riesling — $12
Finger Lakes Riesling at this price point is hard to beat anywhere in Rochester. You're getting estate-grown, sommelier-selected cool-climate Riesling for what you'd pay for a mediocre pour at most hotel bars. The value math is easy.
Living Roots Adelaide Hills Shiraz
Most people coming to a New York tasting room aren't thinking about South Australian Shiraz — and that's exactly why this one surprises. Adelaide Hills runs cooler than Barossa, which means this isn't the fruit bomb people expect; it's more structured and food-friendly than the label might suggest to an unfamiliar drinker.
Living Roots Adelaide Hills Shiraz
If you drove to a Finger Lakes tasting room specifically to drink New York wine, ordering the Australian Shiraz is working against yourself. Save it for a return visit when you've already done the Riesling homework — it's good, but it's not why you're here.
Living Roots Finger Lakes Riesling + Cheese and charcuterie board
Off-dry Finger Lakes Riesling with its bright acidity and slight residual sugar is practically made for a board loaded with aged cheeses and cured meats. The wine cuts through the fat, lifts the salt, and makes everything on that board taste more intentional than it already is.
The Bottom Line
Living Roots is one of Rochester's more original wine experiences — a dual-continent estate poured by people who actually know what they're talking about, at prices that don't punish curiosity. If you want a broad global list, go somewhere else; if you want a focused, well-executed tasting room with a genuine story, this is your spot.
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CHAR makes it easy to try Finger Lakes wine alongside the steakhouse standards. Our move is Hosmer Cabernet Franc at $16/glass, with Panizzi Vernaccia at $14 for anyone leaning white. Check the per-ounce pricing before ordering a Coravin pour.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Neighborhood of the Arts · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French inspiration
Avvino is the rare neighborhood restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to show up, not an afterthought. If you're in Rochester and you care about drinking well, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Brighton / Monroe Ave · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French influences
Avvino is the kind of wine-forward neighborhood restaurant Rochester deserves more of — nearly 200 bottles, a sommelier, and a standing half-price Wednesday that makes a solid splurge genuinely accessible. It's not reinventing the wine list, but it's doing the right things consistently enough that we'd send a friend here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Village Gate / NOTA · Rochester · Farm-to-Table / New American
Lento isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its list is thoughtful enough that it kind of becomes one by accident — especially if you care about Finger Lakes wines in their natural habitat. Send your friends here, let them order the Duck Confit, and point them toward the Cab Franc.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pittsford · Rochester · Refined Seasonal American with Wood-Fired Pizzas
jojo Pittsford is the kind of wine program that makes you want to cancel your dinner reservation somewhere else. For a bistro in suburban Rochester, this list is genuinely exciting — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
East Avenue / Winton · Rochester · Traditional Italian
Ristorante Lucano is a reliable Italian dinner with a wine list that doesn't embarrass itself — Italy-focused, anchored by classics, a bit overpriced but not offensively so. Send a friend here for a date night with the instruction to order the Barolo and not overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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