Fine Dining Vibes, Grocery Store Wine List
Downtown / Aurora Street · Ithaca · Fine Dining / International
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Mahogany Grill’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Mahogany Grill carries itself like a proper fine dining destination — reservations recommended, white tablecloth energy, shrimp in a martini glass. Then the wine list arrives and the illusion cracks. This is a grocery store run dressed up in a blazer.
The list reads like someone grabbed whatever was on sale at Wegmans and called it a wine program. You've got Cupcake, Cavit, Hob Nob, and Meiomi sharing space with Ruffino Chianti and Trapiche Malbec — all perfectly drinkable wines, but none of them belong on a fine dining list at fine dining prices. The one genuinely interesting pour is Bully Hill Love My Goat Red, a local Finger Lakes nod that at least shows some regional awareness. Washington State gets token representation via Chateau Ste Michelle and Charles Smith's The Velvet Devil, but that's the ceiling of ambition here. For a restaurant in the heart of New York's most celebrated wine region, the Finger Lakes is almost entirely absent — a missed opportunity that's frankly hard to forgive.
We don't have confirmed glass pour counts or prices, which is itself telling — a list worth bragging about tends to get talked about. What we can say is that the by-the-glass candidates skew heavily toward mass-market brands: Meiomi Pinot Noir, Hob Nob Red Blend, Oyster Bay Rosé. Functional, recognizable, and about as exciting as a Tuesday night flight delay.
Bully Hill Love My Goat Red — null
No confirmed price, but as the only local Finger Lakes pour on the list, it's the one bottle that makes sense in context. If you're eating in Ithaca, you should be drinking New York — and this is your only real shot at it here.
Charles Smith The Velvet Devil Merlot
Most people sleep on Washington Merlot, but Charles Smith makes a genuinely solid version. It's the most interesting non-local bottle on an otherwise flat list, and it tends to outperform its price tag.
Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc
You can buy this at any gas station with a wine license. At fine dining markup prices, there's no version of this that's a good deal — and it sets a low bar for what the kitchen is trying to do.
Ruffino Chianti + Pasta dinner entree
Chianti and tomato-based pasta is one of those combinations that just works on a chemical level — the high acidity cuts through rich sauce and keeps everything bright. It's the most natural fit on a list that isn't trying very hard to fit anything.
❌ The Bottom Line
Mahogany Grill is a fine restaurant that hasn't extended that care to its wine program — the list is mass-market, the Finger Lakes is a ghost, and the fine dining pricing makes it sting. Order the shrimp cocktail, drink the Bully Hill, and temper your expectations.
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
Downtown / The Commons · Ithaca · Irish pub, Irish-American gastropub
Kilpatrick's is never going to make a wine list worth traveling to Ithaca for, but it's a fair, unpretentious pour program that respects your wallet and quietly sneaks in a Pouilly-Fuissé and a proper Hugel Riesling. Come for the shepherd's pie, stay for the Alsace.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / State Street · Ithaca · Cocktail Bar
The Watershed is a cocktail bar that accidentally has a decent wine list, and we mean that as a compliment. If you're in Ithaca and want a low-key glass of something thoughtfully chosen without paying downtown Manhattan prices, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West End / State Street · Ithaca · Wine Shop & Tasting Room
The Falls Wine Room is the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you realize how low the bar usually is — thoughtful list, honest prices, and a genuine point of view on what wine should be. If you're in Ithaca and you care even a little about what's in your glass, you owe this place a visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
East State Street / East Hill · Ithaca · Italian (Tuscan-inspired, inventive Italian)
Gola is punching well above its weight class for an Ithaca side street — the Italian regional depth here would hold up at a serious wine bar in any major city. If you're driving through the Finger Lakes and think you're just stopping for dinner, plan to stay a while.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West End / State Street · Ithaca · Seafood / Cajun
Maxie's is not a wine destination, but it's a genuinely good time with a list that's fair, approachable, and wisely anchored by the Atwater Finger Lakes pour. Show up on a Monday for $10 off every bottle, order the oysters, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
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