A Thousand Bottles Walk Into a Bar
Tribeca · New York · American, Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Terroir’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Terroir lands on the table like a small novel — and not the beach read kind. With somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 selections, this intimate Harrison Street wine bar announces its intentions immediately: this is a serious program run by people who actually care. The dim lighting and convivial buzz make it feel like a neighborhood spot, but the list tells a different story.
France and Germany anchor the cellar in the best possible way — we're talking Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling, Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr, and Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke sharing shelf space with Château Rayas and Clos Rougeard. Spain shows up strong with Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita and Vega Sicilia Unico, Italy brings Giacomo Conterno Barolo, and the fortified wine program — Blandy's Madeira and González Byass Jerez — is the kind of thing that separates the real lists from the pretenders. Wine Spectator handed these folks a Best of Award of Excellence in 2024, and walking through the selections, you understand why. The gaps here are few; the depth is real.
Forty to sixty options by the glass is not a by-the-glass program — it's a wine bar doing its job. At $12–$30 a pour, you can actually work your way through regions without committing to a bottle, which is the whole point of a place like this. Expect the pours to rotate with purpose, not because someone forgot to update the menu.
Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling — $18 (glass est.)
One of the Nahe's most precise Rieslings, and at Terroir's glass pour pricing, it's a steal compared to what you'd pay to open a bottle anywhere else in the city. This is the move.
González Byass Jerez (Sherry)
Most tables skip straight past the Sherry section, and that's their loss. González Byass makes some of the most complex, age-worthy fortified wine on the planet and it goes criminally underordered. At Terroir, where the program clearly respects it, order a glass before your charcuterie arrives.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
It's on the list, and yes, it's real — but unless you're celebrating something life-altering, DRC at a wine bar is a financial decision that doesn't add up. The list has dozens of genuinely thrilling bottles at a fraction of the cost. Save the DRC for a different occasion.
Blandy's Madeira + Bone Marrow
Madeira's natural acidity and oxidative richness cut straight through the fat of bone marrow in a way that's almost unfair. It's one of those pairings that makes you stop mid-bite. Terroir has the Madeira; they have the bone marrow. Do the math.
The Bottom Line
Terroir is exactly what a wine bar should be — encyclopedic without being intimidating, staffed by people who know their stuff, and priced in a way that rewards curiosity. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
NoHo · New York · Italian
Il Buco has one of the most compelling Italian wine lists in New York City — deep, principled, and staffed by people who actually care. The markup is real, so budget accordingly, but this is a room worth splurging in.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Downtown is a place where people order Champagne to celebrate, not to drink — and the wine program is built accordingly. If you're here for the vibe and someone else is paying, pop the Dom and enjoy it; if you actually care about what's in your glass, you're in the wrong room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Upscale Seafood & Steakhouse
Three happy hour wines do not a wine program make. Ocean Prime is a place you eat well and drink safely — but if wine is a priority, this list will let you down before the bread basket arrives.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Midtown · New York · Steakhouse
STK Midtown is a great place to see and be seen, but the wine list is there to pad the check, not to excite you. If you're here for the experience, lean on the cocktails or grab a glass of Bonanza at the bar — don't expect the bottle list to reward any real curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown West · New York · Russian-American
The Russian Tea Room treats wine as an afterthought dressed up in Champagne flutes — five famous labels at punishing prices with no range, no by-the-glass program, and no apparent curiosity about wine beyond what looks impressive on a table. Go for the spectacle, order the caviar, but don't come here expecting a wine list.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· New York · Restaurant
David Burke Tavern's list is a Chardonnay lover's comfort zone with a solid sparkling section propping up the top — but the narrow focus and steep pricing mean you're paying for familiarity, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want California whites and a glass of Champagne; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Green Bay · Green Bay · American, Small Plates
The Bottle Room is the best wine bar Green Bay probably didn't know it needed — a legit sommelier, fair California pricing, and half-price bottles on Tuesdays make this a genuine destination. If you're not from Green Bay and you find yourself there on a Tuesday, fix your schedule and make it here.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
Beacon Hill · Boston · American, Small Plates
1928 Beacon Hill is exactly what a Beacon Hill neighborhood spot should be on wine — honest, Italy-forward, and priced fairly enough that you won't feel the sting. It's not a destination list, but it's a very good reason not to skip the wine.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canton · Canton · American, Small Plates
Grapes in a Glass is the kind of place that has no business being this good in a mid-size Ohio city, and we mean that as the highest compliment. If you're in Canton and you care about what's in your glass, this is your only stop.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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