Cold Beer Town With A Decent Wine Backup
South Wedge · Rochester · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lovin' Cup Bistro & Brews’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Lovin' Cup is a music venue and burger spot first, wine program second — and it doesn't pretend otherwise. The list is short and approachable, aimed squarely at the RIT crowd and neighborhood regulars who want something in a glass while a local band sets up. Don't come here expecting a Burgundy deep cut; do come expecting to drink without getting gouged.
The wine list leans on recognizable, crowd-pleasing labels — Austin Hope, Coppola Diamond, Portillo Malbec — spread across California and Argentina with a nod toward local and international producers. There's nothing adventurous here, no natural wine tangent, no obscure Finger Lakes Riesling to reward the curious. The range covers the bases: a big Cab for the red drinkers, a Malbec for the 'I don't know, just red' crowd, and a few whites and rosés to round it out. It's a grocery-store-circuit list, but it's priced honestly enough that complaining feels petty.
Glass pours run $8–$13, which in 2024 Rochester is actually decent value. The Austin Hope Reserve Cab at $13 a glass is the ceiling, and it's a legitimate wine for the price. We'd like to see more rotation and a by-the-glass count north of a handful, but what's here works for the context.
Austin Hope Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon — $13/glass
A $30 retail bottle poured by the glass at $13 is real math that works in your favor. It's a ripe, full-bodied Paso Robles Cab that drinks well above its price point, and Lovin' Cup isn't marking it into oblivion. Order it.
Bodegas Salentein Portillo Malbec
It gets dismissed as the default 'house Malbec' by people scanning past it, but Portillo is a solid, dependable pour from one of Mendoza's better producers. At $10 a glass in a casual bistro setting, it's doing its job and then some.
Francis Ford Coppola Diamond
The Coppola Diamond label trades almost entirely on brand recognition — the bottle is everywhere, the wine is fine, and at $12 a glass you're mostly paying for the name. The Austin Hope next to it on the list is a better wine at a dollar more. Skip the celebrity bottle.
Bodegas Salentein Portillo Malbec + Burgers
A juicy, fruit-forward Malbec and a well-built bistro burger is the kind of pairing that doesn't need explanation. The wine's dark fruit stands up to the beef, and at $10 a glass you're not precious about it — which is exactly the energy a burger deserves.
The Bottom Line
Lovin' Cup is not a wine destination, and it knows that. But the pricing is honest, a couple of the pours are genuinely worth ordering, and sometimes you just need something decent in a glass while the band warms up — this place delivers that.
Downtown · Rochester · American Steakhouse
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
· Jersey City · New American
Amanda's isn't going to make a wine lover's heart race, but it's doing the honest work: fair prices, enough variety to match a proper New American menu, and a by-the-glass program deep enough to drink your way through a multi-course meal without getting stuck. If you're in Jersey City and want a reliable bottle without a markup argument, this list delivers.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · New American
Anthony David's wine list is reliable without being exciting — it does the job for a casual dinner without making you work too hard or feel gouged at the lower price points. The by-the-glass program is legitimately strong for a list this size, and the Crémant de Loire is a smart pour. If you're a wine-first diner, this isn't your destination, but if you're coming for a neighborhood meal and want a decent glass to go with it, you'll leave satisfied.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· McMinnville · New American
Thistle is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that McMinnville deserves — rooted in place, edited in approach, and situated in one of the best wine regions in North America. We can't name specific bottles right now, but the regional focus on Willamette Valley and France tells us the list has a point of view. If you're heading to wine country and want a real dinner, this is worth a reservation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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