Albany's Neighborhood Pour, Done Right
Center Square · Albany · Wine Bar
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Marrone Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into Marrone, the list immediately signals that someone here gives a damn — 80-plus bottles spanning Italy, France, Spain, New York, and California is no accident in a Center Square neighborhood spot. The by-the-glass program is genuinely impressive in size, which is usually where wine bars either shine or fall apart. First read: promising.
The regional spread is Marrone's strongest card. Old World anchors — Italy and France — share real estate with domestic picks from California and New York, which shows a willingness to look closer to home without abandoning the classics. Spain gets a seat at the table too, which keeps things from feeling like every other safe American wine list. That said, the selections skew recognizable: Catena, La Crema, Duckhorn, Rombauer — crowd-pleasing labels that won't surprise anyone who's browsed a Total Wine. There's a solid foundation here, but we'd love to see a few more producers that don't already have endcap displays at the grocery store.
Twenty to forty options by the glass is genuinely generous — that's not a token gesture, that's a commitment. It means you can explore without committing to a bottle, which is exactly what a wine bar should encourage. We'd push staff on what's rotating versus what's been sitting open since last Tuesday.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2022 — $28
At $28, it's the most approachable bottle on the list and a reliable crowd-pleaser with real versatility. Yes, the markup is still steep relative to retail, but in absolute dollars this is the easiest entry point on the menu — especially if you're splitting a charcuterie board and don't want to commit to a $95 Cab.
Catena Malbec 2021
Most people sleep on Catena because it shows up everywhere, but that's the point — it consistently overdelivers for what it is. At $42 it's not cheap, but the wine itself punches well above its humble retail price, and on a list that skews toward recognizable California names, this Argentinian bottle is the outlier worth ordering.
La Crema Chardonnay 2022
Thirty-eight dollars for La Crema is a tough ask when you can grab it off a shelf for $16. It's a fine, inoffensive Chardonnay, but 'fine and inoffensive' at 138% markup is not a win. Order something else.
Catena Malbec 2021 + Charcuterie Board
The Malbec's dark fruit and firm structure cut right through the fat in cured meats and hold their own against sharp, salty flavors. It's a natural match that doesn't require any overthinking — which is the best kind.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles of wine every Wednesday night.
The Bottom Line
Marrone is the kind of neighborhood wine bar Albany is lucky to have — a knowledgeable staff, a real by-the-glass program, and a Wednesday half-price bottle night that genuinely changes the value math. The markups sting at full price, but if you play it smart (Wednesday, Riesling, Malbec), you walk out happy.
Downtown/Clinton Square · Albany · Modern Mexican / Latin-inspired
Ama Cocina isn't a destination wine bar, but it's a Wild Card worth respecting — a food-forward Latin spot that actually thought about its wine list instead of phoning it in. Come for the tacos, order the Albariño, and be pleasantly surprised.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Warehouse District/Riverfront · Albany · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
The Shaker & Vine is Albany's best argument for the self-pour wine bar format — the markup is shockingly fair, the riverside setting earns its keep, and the list is approachable without being embarrassing. Don't come hunting for rare producers, but do come for a relaxed pour with a view.
Solid Range
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Colonie · Albany · Classic Italian-American
Lombardo's wine list is the culinary equivalent of a comfortable booth — nothing revelatory, but nothing offensive, and it gets the job done alongside a plate of baked ziti. Send a friend here for the food and tell them to order the Barolo if they want to feel like they tried.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Steakhouse / Lounge
677 Prime Lounge is the wine list equivalent of a perfectly cooked strip steak — nothing surprising, nothing wrong, everything exactly where you expect it to be. If you're in Albany and someone else is buying, order the Silver Oak and enjoy the room; if you're watching your tab, lean on Jordan and don't let them upsell you to Caymus.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Traditional Greek and Mediterranean
Athos isn't trying to build the most ambitious wine program in New York State — it's trying to give you an honest Greek wine experience to go with honest Greek food, and it largely delivers. If you're eating moussaka and lamb in Albany, this is where your glass should be.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Albany · Albany · Modern American fine dining with Indonesian accents
Yono's is the best wine program in Albany and it's not particularly close — a thousand-label cellar, a sommelier who knows it, and a room built for the occasion. The markups are real and the by-the-glass list plays it safer than the cellar deserves, but if you're willing to lean on the staff and spend a little, this is one of the more serious wine experiences in upstate New York.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Mountain Road corridor · Stowe · Wine Bar
Dedalus Stowe is a legit wild card — a destination wine bar hiding in plain sight on a ski mountain road. If you care about what's in your glass, detour here before or after the slopes.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / South Main Street · Canandaigua · Wine Bar
Acquilano isn't trying to be a destination wine bar — it's a Finger Lakes producer pouring its own work in a casual Main Street setting, and it does that with charm and absurdly fair prices. If you're in Canandaigua and you skip this, you've made a mistake.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Paso Robles · Paso Robles · Wine Bar
Indigené is a focused, fairly priced boutique tasting room doing honest work with Central Coast fruit — it's not trying to be a full wine bar, and that clarity is actually the point. If you want to understand what a small Paso Robles producer can pull off without the tourist-trap markup, this is worth an afternoon.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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