Napa's Greatest Hits, Done Right
Downtown · Rochester · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rochester Chop House’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Rochester Chop House announces itself the way a steakhouse should — with confidence and a clear agenda. California Cabs up front, Bordeaux lurking in the wings, and enough Burgundy to keep things honest. It's a list built for the occasion, not for exploration.
The heavy lifting here is done by Napa Valley and Sonoma, with flagship names like Silver Oak, Far Niente, Opus One, Stag's Leap Cask 23, and Chateau Montelena anchoring the list. Bordeaux and Burgundy show up as supporting cast — present enough to be taken seriously, not deep enough to get lost in. There's a nod to local Finger Lakes producers, which earns real points and adds a welcome wrinkle to an otherwise predictable steakhouse playbook. Gaps exist in Southern Hemisphere wines and anything remotely adventurous, but for the audience this restaurant is serving, that's probably the right call.
With 15 to 25 options by the glass, there's enough range to drink well without committing to a bottle — a solid count for a room that skews toward business dinners and anniversaries. We'd love more rotation and a Finger Lakes pour featured prominently on the glass list, but the depth suggests the sommelier isn't just phoning it in.
Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon — null
The wine that beat the French at their own game in 1976 still earns its keep. At a steakhouse where markups are a given, Montelena tends to offer more restraint relative to the sheer brand premium of Opus One — you get a serious, age-worthy Napa Cab without paying the trophy-wine tax.
Finger Lakes selection
Most tables at a room like this are going straight for the Napa big guns, which means the local Finger Lakes pour often gets ignored. That's a mistake. The region's Rieslings and increasingly credible reds are among the most interesting things on this list — and in a sea of $150+ bottles, they almost certainly represent the best price-to-interest ratio in the building.
Opus One
It's spectacular wine. It's also the most marked-up bottle on every list it appears on, everywhere, always. You're paying for the name as much as what's in the glass. The Stag's Leap Cask 23 or Chateau Montelena will give you more actual drinking pleasure per dollar spent.
Far Niente Chardonnay + Lobster Tail
Far Niente Chardonnay is the kind of full-bodied, oak-kissed California white that was built for exactly this moment — rich, buttery lobster with a wine that matches the weight and leans into the luxury of the whole thing. No delicate French Burg needed here.
The Bottom Line
Rochester Chop House is a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine program with real sommelier muscle and a list that does exactly what it sets out to do — impress without surprising. Send a client here, order the Montelena, and leave feeling like you made good decisions.
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
· Gilbert · Steakhouse
Mastro's is a fine-dining steakhouse charging fine-dining prices, and the wine list reflects almost none of that ambition. Seven labels — all California, all safe, no flexibility for guests who want something outside the Napa Cab lane — is a hard sell when the rest of the experience is supposed to justify a big check. Come for the steak if you must, but lower your wine expectations significantly or you'll leave frustrated.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Greensboro · Steakhouse
Fleming's Greensboro is doing more than most chain steakhouses bother to do with wine — 42 by-the-glass options and actual Alsatian whites on a Greensboro wine list deserves acknowledgment. The markups are real and the list isn't going to surprise anyone who's been to a Fleming's before, but if you're eating a bone-in ribeye and want a proper glass without guesswork, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · Steakhouse
Bourbon Steak Irvine is running one of the most ambitious wine programs in Orange County — 225 labels, 31 by the glass, and a list with genuine personality beyond the expected steakhouse anchors. Markups get steep at the top end, but the by-the-glass range at the $15–$32 tier offers real drinking at fair prices. If you care about what's in your glass, this list rewards the attention.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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