Finger Lakes Cred Hidden in a Bar & Grill
Route 64 / Outskirts · Canandaigua · American Grill · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lock Stock Bar & Grill’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Thirteen labels at a bar and grill on Route 64 isn't exactly a wine destination pitch — and the list leans hard on the familiar (Josh Cab, Kim Crawford, Ruffino). But then Dr. Frank's Riesling shows up, and suddenly this place is playing a different game than it looks.
The list is mostly safe-harbor stuff: Noble Vines Chardonnay, Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc, Mont Gravet Rosé — the kind of portfolio a distributor drops off with a handshake. But there are two genuine bright spots. G.D. Vajra Moscato d'Asti is a legitimately good producer flying well above its placement here, and Dr. Frank's Riesling is a nod to the Finger Lakes terroir sitting right outside the door. Cantina Tramin Pinot Noir from Alto Adige rounds out an Italian presence that's actually more interesting than the California contingent. The gaps are real — no local reds, no bubbles worth mentioning — but for a casual grill, this list has more going on than it admits.
Six pours on glass means roughly half the list rotates through your table without committing to a bottle, which is the right call at a venue like this. Pricing estimates in the $8–$14 range keep things accessible. We'd love to see Dr. Frank's on that by-the-glass menu — if it isn't already, it should be.
Dr. Frank's Riesling — $12
Dr. Frank's is the gold standard of Finger Lakes Riesling — bright acidity, stone fruit, a little diesel edge — and you're drinking it ten miles from the lake. At bar-and-grill pricing, that's an absolute steal relative to what this wine delivers.
G.D. Vajra Moscato d'Asti
Most people see Moscato on a bar menu and assume it's sweet grocery-store filler. G.D. Vajra is a serious Piedmontese producer making one of Italy's most precise Moscatos — low alcohol, floral, barely sweet. Nobody at this bar is ordering it, which means you should.
Josh Cabernet
Fine wine, wrong moment. Josh Cab is what you grab off a grocery store end-cap when you're in a hurry. At a bar in the Finger Lakes — surrounded by legitimate regional options — ordering the most algorithmically average California red on the list feels like a waste of your zip code.
Cantina Tramin Pinot Noir + Grilled Burger
Alto Adige Pinot Noir is lighter and more aromatic than anything from Napa — red cherry, a little earthiness, enough structure to hold up to a char-grilled patty without bulldozing it. It's a smarter burger wine than the Josh Cab by a wide margin.
Wednesday — Wine Down event every Wednesday at 6PM with live music from Bruce Wayne McLellan — half-price wine plus $1 wings.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Lock Stock isn't a wine destination, but Wednesday's half-price Wine Down with Dr. Frank's Riesling in your glass and $1 wings on the table is genuinely hard to argue with. Come for the deal, stay for the surprise.
South Main Street / lakefront · Canandaigua · Steakhouse and seafood with American fine dining
Nolan's is a dependable lakeside wine list that does right by its guests without taking any real risks — the Finger Lakes locals are a genuine highlight worth seeking out. Send a friend here for the view and the steak; tell them to order the Heron Hill.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Canandaigua · Canandaigua · Spanish tapas and wine bar
Pintxo is punching well above its weight class for a small-city wine bar, and the Spanish regional focus gives it a genuine identity that most places never find. If you're anywhere near the Finger Lakes and care even a little about wine, this one's worth the detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Canandaigua Lake waterfront · Canandaigua · Hotel Restaurant / American
Rose Tavern is a perfectly pleasant place to drink wine if you're already staying at The Lake House — the setting does a lot of the work. But if you're driving in specifically for the wine list, you'd do better hitting a dedicated Finger Lakes tasting room down the road.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canandaigua Lake waterfront · Canandaigua · Upscale Contemporary American / Event Dining
The Lake House is a beautiful place to get married or host a corporate dinner, but the wine program is clearly an afterthought — a functional, inoffensive list designed to move bottles at events, not to excite anyone. If you're eating here, drink the Finger Lakes options and leave the Meomi alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canandaigua Lake waterfront · Canandaigua · Hotel Restaurant / American
Rose Tavern isn't trying to be a destination wine bar, but it's got the bones of one — a sommelier, a thoughtful local-first list, and a glass program that lets you actually explore it. Markups on the name brands are punishing, but stick to the Finger Lakes section and you're drinking well at a lake view that most wine lists couldn't dream of.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Lafayette Street · Canandaigua · Indian
Flavors isn't a wine destination, but it's not pretending to be one either — the list is honest, the prices are fair, and the Fox Run Riesling alone justifies ordering a bottle. Come for the food, drink the Riesling, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Tahoe Donner · Truckee · American Grill
The Grille has a wine program that would hold its own in a proper city restaurant, which makes it a legitimate reason to seek out this lodge beyond just the mountain access. Markups are real and the Dom can stay on the shelf, but the Coravin program and the depth of California selections make this a genuine Wild Card worth your attention.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown · Portsmouth · American Grill
Skip the Gas Light on any night but Wednesday — half off all bottles turns a steep list into a genuinely solid deal and makes this a legitimate downtown Portsmouth option. The rest of the week, order a beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Branson Landing · Branson · American Grill
Black Oak Grill is a perfectly fine place to eat a burger and watch the Branson waterfront — just don't come here for the wine. With ten labels, steep markups, and zero evidence that the list has changed since the restaurant opened, the wine program is an afterthought at best.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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