Casino Resort Wine List That Actually Earns It
Waterloo · Waterloo · American, Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Portico by Fabio Viviani’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You're walking into a casino resort restaurant in the Finger Lakes, and the last thing you expect is a Wine Spectator-recognized list with genuine Italian depth and a real commitment to local producers. The wine menu opens with Antinori and closes with Hermann J. Wiemer, and somehow that range feels intentional rather than accidental. Credit where it's due — this list has a point of view.
The Italian backbone is the strongest part of the list: Antinori's Tignanello gives the cellar some serious credibility, Banfi's Brunello di Montalcino anchors the Tuscan prestige tier, and Marchesi di Barolo and Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva cover the everyday-but-respectable middle ground. What makes this list genuinely interesting, though, is the Finger Lakes section — Dr. Konstantin Frank and Hermann J. Wiemer are two of the region's most important producers, and having both on a casino resort list is a legit flex. California shows up predictably with Meiomi and Duckhorn, which are crowd-pleasers that won't surprise anyone but won't embarrass anyone either. The list runs 80-120 bottles, which is enough to feel curated without being overwhelming.
With 12-18 options by the glass ranging $10-$16, there's enough rotation to make a meal interesting without committing to a bottle. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the safe airport-wine pick that will inevitably dominate the tables around you, but the presence of local Finger Lakes pours by the glass is what sets this program apart from a generic upscale chain. Push your server toward the local stuff — that's where the story is.
Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling — $35–$50 range (bottle)
Wiemer is one of the Finger Lakes' benchmark producers, and getting their Riesling at a resort restaurant at anything near retail is a genuine win. This is a wine that competes with good German Spätlese and costs less than a mediocre Napa Cab at most comparable restaurants.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling
Most tables at a resort like this will gravitate toward Duckhorn or Meiomi and never look twice at the local section. That's a mistake. Dr. Frank put the Finger Lakes on the international wine map decades ago, and his Riesling is one of the most underrated domestic whites in the country. Order it, especially if you're new to the region.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
It's fine. It's always fine. It's also a wine you can find at every grocery store and airport bar in America, and paying restaurant markup for a bottle that has zero local or Italian authenticity story to tell is a pass. Spend those dollars on literally anything from the Finger Lakes section.
Antinori Tignanello + New York Strip
Tignanello is a Super Tuscan built around Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which means it's got the structure for red meat and enough savory complexity to make a well-executed strip steak feel like a proper occasion. This is the splurge pairing on the menu and it earns its price tag.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Portico punches well above its casino resort weight class — the Finger Lakes local selection alone justifies a detour, and the Italian anchors give the list real backbone. It's not a destination wine program, but it's a genuinely good one, and in Waterloo, New York, that's the Wild Card move.
Austin · Austin · American, Italian
Sammie's is a genuinely fun room with a wine list that's earned its Wine Spectator hardware — the Italian depth is real, the sommelier knows her stuff, and Monday half-price bottles might be the best deal in Austin. Just go in knowing the markups lean steep, and let Jenny point you toward the plays that aren't on the tourist track.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Las Vegas Strip · Las Vegas · American, Italian
Alexxa's is a Strip restaurant doing Strip things — great location, recognizable bottles, pricing that reflects the real estate. If you're here for fountain views and a glass of Cakebread, you'll be genuinely happy; if you're hunting for value or adventure, look elsewhere.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Houston · Houston · American, Italian
Milton's is the kind of neighborhood trattoria that surprises you — the room says casual pasta night, the wine list quietly whispers Biondi-Santi. If you care about Italian wine and you're in Houston, it's worth a reservation just to explore the bottle list.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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