Tuscan soul, Finger Lakes zip code, steep tabs
Skaneateles · Syracuse · Italian, Tuscan · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Rosalie's reads exactly like the restaurant looks — warm, Italian-leaning, and a little dressed up for Skaneateles. You'll find recognizable Italian producers alongside some New York State pours, which is a smart nod to the Finger Lakes wine country sitting right in the backyard. It's a list that tries, and mostly delivers, but your wallet is going to feel it.
The Italian spine is solid — Allegrini, Antinori, Feudi di San Gregorio, Planeta, and Jermann all show up, covering the peninsula from Friuli down to Sicily with reasonable regional range. There's a genuine effort to go beyond the Pinot Grigio-and-Chianti default, with picks like the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre (a Veronese IGT that punches above its category) and the Di Majo Norante Sangiovese from Molise, which almost no one puts on a menu. New York State and Champagne round things out, though neither feels deeply explored. The gaps are real — no Barolo or Barbaresco in sight, and the list skews heavily toward brands that play well with casual Italian-American expectations.
Glass pours run $8–$14, which is reasonable for the market, but we couldn't confirm exactly what's rotating through those slots or how many options are available at any given time. Given that the bottle list leans heavily Italian, the by-the-glass program likely mirrors that — expect Pinot Grigio, a Chianti-adjacent red, maybe something sparkling. The presence of Woodbridge White Zinfandel on the takeout menu is a yellow flag for how adventurous the glass program actually gets.
Feudi di San Gregorio Primitivo 2020 — $52
At roughly 189% markup over a $18 retail price, it's still the least punishing bottle on the list relative to what you're getting — a rich, dark-fruited southern Italian red that holds its own against the osso buco and heavier pasta dishes. Not a steal, but the best deal on the table.
Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2021
Molise is one of the most ignored wine regions in Italy, and most diners will walk right past this one. Di Majo Norante is the producer that put the region on the map, and their Sangiovese is earthy, honest, and food-friendly in ways that the bigger-name Chiantis on this list simply aren't. At $45 it's still marked up hard, but it's the most interesting bottle nobody's ordering.
Jermann Pinot Grigio 2021
Jermann is legitimately great — one of Friuli's benchmark producers — but at $78 for a bottle you can find at retail for $35, the math just doesn't work in your favor. That's a 123% markup on a wine that's already expensive to begin with. Order it at home where it belongs, or put that $78 toward something that eats better with a plate of pappardelle.
Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2019 + Pappardelle
Palazzo della Torre is a Corvina-dominant blend with a ripasso-style richness — dried fruit, leather, a little bitter chocolate on the finish. It's built for pasta with slow-cooked meat sauce, and Rosalie's house-made pappardelle is exactly that kind of dish. The wine's body stands up to the weight of the plate without stomping all over it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Rosalie's Cucina is a genuinely lovely spot to eat Italian in the Finger Lakes, and the wine list is coherent enough that you won't be stranded — but the markups are consistent and unkind, so come in with eyes open. Order the Di Majo Norante, skip the Jermann, and let the pasta do the heavy lifting.
East Syracuse / Carrier Circle · Syracuse · Italian-American
Joey's is clearly a beloved Syracuse institution doing right by its food and its new space — but the wine list is running on autopilot and charging you for the privilege. Come for the Chicken Riggies, just don't come for the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Syracuse · Italian / New American
A Mano isn't a destination wine list, but it's an honest one — fair prices, Italian focus that matches the food, and enough by-the-glass options to drink well without overthinking it. Send a friend here for dinner without hesitation; just don't promise them a cellar tour.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Syracuse · Seafood
The Fish Friar has no business having a wine list this well-considered, and we mean that as a compliment. If you're eating fried fish in downtown Syracuse and you're not ordering the Chablis or the Finger Lakes Riesling, you're leaving something on the table.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles / Greater Syracuse · Syracuse · French
Joelle's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a French bistro that takes its wine list seriously enough to match the food, and that's exactly what it delivers. If you're eating here and drinking French, you'll leave satisfied.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles · Syracuse · American, regional tavern fare
The Sherwood Inn is a reliable wine stop, not a destination one — the Finger Lakes selections are genuinely good, but the markups on crowd-pleaser bottles are hard to forgive. Stick to the local producers, skip the California staples, and you'll drink well enough in a room that earns its keep on atmosphere alone.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Skaneateles · Syracuse · Modern American, Fine Dining
The Krebs is a genuinely special place to eat — the setting, the food, the occasion of it all — but the wine program is coasting on the restaurant's reputation rather than earning its own. Until someone with real passion takes over that list, treat the wine budget as a tax and order accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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