Finger Lakes Roots, Familiar Sips, Solid Execution
· Ithaca · Brasserie / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 17, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Simeon's on the Commons’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Simeon's is compact — 22 labels total — and leans hard into accessibility. It's not trying to impress anyone with obscure growers or deep cellar cuts, but it does make a genuine nod to its Finger Lakes backyard, which earns it some goodwill right out of the gate.
About a third of the list is local: Château LaFayette Reneau, Lamoreaux Landing, Ryan Williams Vineyard, Hermann J. Wiemer, and Damiani Wine Cellars all show up, which is a meaningful commitment to the region for a brasserie-style spot. The rest of the list fills in with crowd-pleasing safe bets — Frog's Leap, Louis Jadot Chablis, Famille Perrin Côtes-du-Rhône — competent selections that won't surprise anyone but won't embarrass anyone either. Red wine drinkers get the short end here: Barton & Guestier Bistro Pinot Noir and Maddalena Cab are not exactly inspiring anchors. Bubbles are well-represented with Zonin, Lunetta, Damiani's Bollicine, and the full Champagne trifecta of Laurent Perrier, Moët, and Veuve.
Seventeen of the 22 labels pour by the glass, which is a genuinely strong conversion rate and makes this a real by-the-glass program rather than an afterthought. Prices run $9–$30/glass, with most options clustering in the $9–$13 range — reasonable for a sit-down restaurant in Ithaca. The Moët & Chandon Impérial at $30/glass is the outlier, but that's in line with what you'd expect anywhere.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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 · Northern Italian
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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