Upstate's Punk-Leaning Natural Wine Hideout
Midtown/Broadway · Kingston · Seasonal California-inspired, natural wine-focused · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sonder Kingston’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
The list at Sonder hits you like a well-curated record collection — not enormous, but every pick feels intentional. This isn't a restaurant that stumbled into natural wine; it's the whole point. Bosnia, Savoie, Emilia-Romagna, and the Loire all sharing space on a single page says a lot about the ambition here.
Thirty-plus bottles covering Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Germany, Chile, Portugal, and the U.S. is a tight but genuinely global sweep for a neighborhood spot in Kingston. The through-line is low-intervention winemaking — producers like the Languedoc blend behind 'Autochtones' and the Emilia-Romagna Barbera-Croatina 'Distina' signal a kitchen that actually drinks this stuff. The Loire gets proper attention, with the Kalamite 2022 and the Dinocheau Touraine Chenin Blanc both making an appearance. The gaps are real — don't come looking for a deep Burgundy bench or Napa firepower — but that's a feature, not a bug.
Sixteen by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a room this size, and the range tracks the bottle list in all the right ways: obscure grapes, unfashionable regions, producers you probably haven't heard of yet. At $12–$22 a pour, you can graze through the list without doing the math all night. Rotation appears tied to the season and what's available, which keeps things honest.
Dinocheau 2022 Touraine Chenin Blanc — $13/glass, $50/bottle
Touraine Chenin Blanc this clean rarely shows up for this kind of money. At $13 a glass you're drinking one of the Loire's most food-friendly grapes without any of the sticker shock that follows it into trendier rooms.
Distina 2022 Emilia-Romagna (Barbera, Croatina)
Barbera-Croatina blends from Emilia-Romagna are genuinely undersung, and most people will walk right past this for something more familiar. Don't. It's the kind of bottle that makes you want to stay for one more round.
Alphee 2019 Savoie Chardonnay
At $22 a glass or $88 a bottle, this is the one spot where the math stops working. Savoie Chardonnay is lovely, but there are better-value pours on this exact list that will keep your wallet intact.
Autochtones 2022 Languedoc + Small plates from the seasonal menu
The Autochtones is built for grazing — it's got enough fruit and enough edge to play against salty, acidic, vegetable-forward small plates without dominating anything on the table. At $16 a glass, you can pour liberally and still feel like a responsible adult.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Sonder is exactly what Kingston needed and what most mid-sized American cities are still waiting for: a genuinely curious natural wine program in a room that doesn't take itself too seriously. Send your adventurous friends here without hesitation.
Route 28/Thruway Corridor · Kingston · Steakhouse
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do: minimum effort, maximum familiarity, corporate pricing. Order the steak, grab a beer, or spring for the Chateau Ste. Michelle if you need something in a glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Route 28/Thruway Corridor · Kingston · Chain American Grill
You're not coming to Ruby Tuesday Kingston for the wine, and the list knows it. But if you show up on a Wednesday and grab a half-price bottle with dinner, it's hard to complain too loudly.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Route 28 Corridor · Kingston · Italian
La Florentina isn't a wine destination — it's a neighborhood Italian with a wine list that knows its lane and stays in it. Come for the pizza, order the Chianti carafe, and don't overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Kingston · Japanese / Sushi
Sushi Makio's wine list is modest but functional, with honest pricing and a smart nod to Japanese wine options that most spots never bother with. We'd happily send a friend here for a low-key sushi night — just order the Yuzu Wine and leave the Cab alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Katrine/Kingston Periphery · Kingston · Italian
Reginato's food reputation is real and the kitchen clearly cares — the wine list does not return the favor. Order the pasta, drink the Chianti, and keep your expectations firmly earthbound.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rondout Waterfront · Kingston · Italian
Savona's is a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that mostly stays in its lane — nothing offensive, nothing thrilling, and markups that sting a little on the familiar names. Come on a Wednesday when the bottles are half price, order the Millbrook Tocai Friulano, and you'll have a genuinely good night on the Rondout waterfront.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.