Ballpark Views, Benchwarmer Bottles
Rochester · 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 →
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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.
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
Pittsford Plaza · Rochester · Sushi and Japanese-inspired contemporary dining
Next Door is a Wild Card in the best sense: a grocery chain's restaurant with genuine wine ambition and a beverage program that earns more than a dismissive eye-roll. The markups will sting and the by-the-glass program needs more visibility, but the bones are here — and the wine pairing dinners featuring Château d'Yquem prove someone in the building actually cares.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Corn Hill · Rochester · Wine Bar / New American
Flight is exactly what Rochester needed and didn't know it had — a real wine program in an unexpected zip code, with Wednesday half-price bottles that make an already fair list even easier to love. Send your wine-curious friends here before it gets too crowded to get a table.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Neighborhood of the Arts · Rochester · Urban winery tasting room with small plates and charcuterie
Living Roots is one of Rochester's more original wine experiences — a dual-continent estate poured by people who actually know what they're talking about, at prices that don't punish curiosity. If you want a broad global list, go somewhere else; if you want a focused, well-executed tasting room with a genuine story, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
The Wild Sage is your dependable neighborhood spot in Eagle Ranch — the wine list won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you at dinner either. Watch the markups on the top-shelf Napa bottles and stick to the mid-range, and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Truckee · Truckee · American
Sunnyside is a casual lodge restaurant wearing a serious wine list under its flannel — the markup is steep and it won't win any awards for staff expertise, but the producer lineup is legitimately impressive for where you're sitting. If you're already at the lake, this is absolutely worth ordering a real bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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