Ballpark Views, Benchwarmer Bottles
Rochester · American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Grill at 1st Base’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at The Grill at 1st Base and it reads like a grocery store endcap — Josh Cellars, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, all the greatest hits from the bottom shelf of your local Wegmans. It's a stadium restaurant, so the bar isn't exactly set high, but the markup tells you exactly how much they're banking on that captive audience.
Seventy-five labels sounds respectable until you realize the list is essentially a rotation of recognizable brand names anchored in California, New Zealand, and Washington. There's no real range here — no Old World representation worth noting, no regional producers, nothing that suggests anyone with genuine wine curiosity built this list. It's engineered for fast decisions by people who just want a glass of something familiar before the first pitch. That's fine as a strategy, but it's not a wine program — it's a wine vending machine.
Twelve by-the-glass options is a reasonable number, but the lineup leans entirely on mass-market brands with wide recognition and thin complexity. Prices run $9–$15 a glass, which feels manageable until you remember these bottles retail for $13–$20 and the margins are doing heavy lifting. There's no indication the pour list rotates with any intention or seasonality.
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2022 — $42
Still a steep markup at 110% over retail, but Meiomi is at least a crowd-pleasing, fruit-forward Pinot with enough going on to hold up through a full meal. Relative to the rest of this list, it's the least egregious bottle and drinks better than its reputation suggests.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Nobody comes here looking for it, but on a warm afternoon watching the Red Wings, a cold pour of Kim Crawford's zippy New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc actually works. It's bright, citrusy, and cuts right through stadium heat. It's not a gem by any stretch — but by the glass, it's the most honest drink on this list.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
At $36 a bottle — 157% over its $14 retail price — Josh Cellars Cab is the single worst value proposition on this list. You're paying a premium for a wine that's genuinely ubiquitous and unremarkable. Order a beer. Seriously.
Meiomi Pinot Noir 2022 + BBQ Ribs
Meiomi's soft tannins and jammy fruit don't fight the smokiness of the BBQ Ribs — they lean into it. It's not a sophisticated pairing, but it's the most coherent one you can build from what's available here, and that counts for something.
The Bottom Line
The Grill at 1st Base is a stadium restaurant that treats wine as an afterthought and prices it accordingly — you're here for baseball and burgers, and the wine list knows it. Grab a beer or a cocktail, save the bottle for dinner somewhere else.
Downtown · Rochester · American Steakhouse
CHAR makes it easy to try Finger Lakes wine alongside the steakhouse standards. Our move is Hosmer Cabernet Franc at $16/glass, with Panizzi Vernaccia at $14 for anyone leaning white. Check the per-ounce pricing before ordering a Coravin pour.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Neighborhood of the Arts · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French inspiration
Avvino is the rare neighborhood restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to show up, not an afterthought. If you're in Rochester and you care about drinking well, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Brighton / Monroe Ave · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French influences
Avvino is the kind of wine-forward neighborhood restaurant Rochester deserves more of — nearly 200 bottles, a sommelier, and a standing half-price Wednesday that makes a solid splurge genuinely accessible. It's not reinventing the wine list, but it's doing the right things consistently enough that we'd send a friend here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Village Gate / NOTA · Rochester · Farm-to-Table / New American
Lento isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its list is thoughtful enough that it kind of becomes one by accident — especially if you care about Finger Lakes wines in their natural habitat. Send your friends here, let them order the Duck Confit, and point them toward the Cab Franc.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pittsford · Rochester · Refined Seasonal American with Wood-Fired Pizzas
jojo Pittsford is the kind of wine program that makes you want to cancel your dinner reservation somewhere else. For a bistro in suburban Rochester, this list is genuinely exciting — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
East Avenue / Winton · Rochester · Traditional Italian
Ristorante Lucano is a reliable Italian dinner with a wine list that doesn't embarrass itself — Italy-focused, anchored by classics, a bit overpriced but not offensively so. Send a friend here for a date night with the instruction to order the Barolo and not overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Baltimore · American
Give the international and local sections a look before defaulting to Burgundy. Sula at $70 and Old Westminster at $90 offer different budget options. These are posted bottle prices, not guaranteed stock; confirm availability. This menu guide doesn't rate service or cellar conditions.
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kerns · Portland · American
Noble Rot is the rare restaurant wine program that would hold up as a standalone wine bar — deep list, sharp staff, fair prices, and a view that makes the whole experience feel earned. Send your friends here. Send yourself here.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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