Great Horses, Forgettable Wine List
Race Course / Union Avenue · Saratoga Springs · American, trackside dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Saratoga Race Course Dining Rooms’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list here is an afterthought dressed up in race day excitement. You're paying for the view of the track and the thrill of the Sport of Kings — the wine program knows it, and so do you the moment you see Josh Cellars and Mionetto Prosecco anchoring the offerings. This is a captive audience situation, and the list is priced accordingly.
The producer roster reads like the shelf at a mid-tier airport wine bar: Joel Gott, Ruffino, Josh Cellars, Chandon, Moët. These are not bad wines in isolation, but as a curated list for a reservation-only dining room charging $20–$40 per entrée, they're punching well below their weight class. There's no regional depth to speak of, no adventurous producers, and no indication that anyone with wine knowledge has touched this list recently. California and Italy dominate, France makes a cameo via Moët, and that's essentially the whole story.
By-the-glass specifics aren't published, but given the producer lineup — Josh Cellars, Mionetto, Chandon — expect a short, safe pour list that rotates about as often as the track layout changes. The Frosé situation (Josh Cellars base) tells you everything you need to know about the ambition level here.
Chandon California Brut — Unknown
If you're going to drink anything here, bubbles fit the celebratory racetrack energy and Chandon is at least a competent domestic sparkler. It's the most contextually appropriate pour on the list.
Moët & Chandon Champagne
It's not exactly obscure, but in this context Moët is quietly the most serious wine on the list. If you're splurging on a big race day win, skipping the Josh Cellars Frosé and going straight to actual Champagne is the move — it's the only thing here with genuine occasion-worthy credentials.
Josh Cellars Frosé
A frozen rosé cocktail built on a mass-market California brand, priced at a trackside premium. This is a novelty item, not a wine experience. The markup on something this gimmicky at a captive-audience venue is almost certainly brutal.
Mionetto Prosecco + Seafood (shrimp or raw bar, Turf Terrace)
Mionetto is light, effervescent, and low-commitment — exactly what you want with cold seafood in the August heat while watching horses run. It won't challenge you, but neither will it embarrass you.
❌ The Bottom Line
Come for the races, stay for the atmosphere, but don't come here for the wine. If you need something in a glass to toast a winner, grab the Champagne and leave it at that.
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
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Solid Range
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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