Italian soul, upstate New York in the glass
· Ithaca · Northern Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed September 17, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Mercato Bar & Kitchen’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Mercato reads like a place that takes its Italian identity seriously without turning the wine list into a homework assignment. The bar-forward atmosphere and local-favorite reputation suggest a list built for a good night out, not for impressing wine critics. It leans into Italy and New York State, which is exactly the right call for a Northern Italian kitchen in the Finger Lakes backyard.
The regional focus here — Italian and New York State — is a smart, coherent choice, and it tells you the list is curated rather than just copied from a distributor catalog. A Northern Italian kitchen pairs naturally with Piedmontese and Venetian pours, and being minutes from Cayuga Lake wine country means there should be local representation worth your attention. That said, without a verified wine list in hand, we can't confirm depth, producer names, or whether the selection goes beyond the obvious crowd-pleasers. What we can say is that the concept supports a thoughtful list, and the reputation suggests it's managed with some care.
Glass pour options are unconfirmed from our research, so we can't call out standouts or flag weak spots by the glass. A polished urban bistro with a lively bar program typically runs a reasonable by-the-glass selection, but you'd want to ask your server what's pouring that night and whether anything local from the Finger Lakes is available.
The Bottom Line
Mercato is a well-regarded local staple with the right regional instincts — Italian roots, Finger Lakes ambition, and a warm room that earns its reservations. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a solid bottle of wine with dinner, but we'd tell them to ask questions at the table, because we can't yet confirm the specifics behind the list. Worth a visit; worth a deeper look once a full wine list is in hand.
· Ithaca · Southwestern / New American
Agava's wine program is essentially a placeholder — no producers named, no prices published, no apparent effort to connect the Southwestern-leaning menu to anything interesting in the glass. Ithaca sits in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country, making this omission especially puzzling. Order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if corkage is an option.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Hotel bar / seasonal restaurant
For a hotel bar in wine country, this list punches above its category — the Finger Lakes producers are legitimate, the Saperavi alone is worth a detour, and the overall curation signals actual effort. Pricing at a lakeside inn will likely sting, and without confirmed by-the-glass options or staff expertise, you may need to advocate for yourself. Come ready to order by the bottle, pick something local, and enjoy the view.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · New American
The Rook is swinging for something more interesting than its size suggests, and the range of regions and styles — Txakoline, Verdicchio, Barolo rosé, orange Garnacha — earns genuine respect for a 12-bottle list. Pricing skews steep at the top end, and the lack of any documented reds from classic regions is a real hole. If you're an adventurous drinker who's tired of the same wine list at every New American spot, this is worth exploring — just go in knowing you'll probably land in the $45–$56 range to find the value.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Brasserie / New American
Simeon's wine list does its job without breaking a sweat — it's approachable, reasonably priced, and quietly proud of the Finger Lakes producers it stocks. The by-the-glass selection is the real strength here; if you're in Ithaca and want to explore local wine without committing to a bottle, this is a perfectly decent place to do it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
Dupont Circle · Washington · Northern Italian
A list built around familiar California names, with a Chianti, a Rosso di Montalcino and a Pouilly-Fumé as the pivots away from them. Order the Duckhorn Cabernet with a steak, or the Saget La Perrière Pouilly-Fumé if you want something sharper, and ask the restaurant for prices and availability. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Back Bay · Boston · Northern Italian
Start with the $65 Ceretto white or $70 Borgoluce bubbles. For Barolo in a smaller format, ask about the $95 Paolo Scavino half bottle. These are posted-menu choices checked in September 2026, not an onsite tasting or assessment of service.
Mount Vernon · Baltimore · Northern Italian
Try Lavignone at $14 a glass or compare a $52 bottle if everyone wants the same red. Sotto Sopra makes that budget decision straightforward. Prices come from the posted menu checked in September 2026; availability can change, and this guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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