Ithaca's Dependable Anchor for California and France
Ithaca · American, Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Heights Restaurant and H Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The Heights walks in with quiet confidence — a 150-plus bottle list that leans hard into California and France, with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence they've been earning since 1999. For Ithaca, that kind of consistency means something. This isn't a restaurant that stumbled into wine; they've been thinking about it for a long time.
The list does exactly what it says on the tin: California and France anchor everything, with recognizable names like Caymus, Jordan, and Sonoma-Cutrer holding down the New World side while Louis Jadot flies the Burgundy flag for the Old World contingent. It won't surprise anyone who's spent time around serious wine lists, but in a college town like Ithaca, hitting $35–$120 with this kind of range puts The Heights well ahead of the local competition. The gap is in adventurousness — there's no Rhône rabbit hole, no skin-contact curiosity, no Finger Lakes representation to speak of, which feels like a missed opportunity given the backyard they're playing in. Still, the bones are solid and the producers are reliable.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, which is a respectable spread for a neighborhood restaurant without a dedicated wine bar program. Expect the usual suspects — a Chardonnay, a Cab, probably the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling if you're lucky. Rotation appears limited, so don't expect the list to surprise you on a return visit.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — $35
At the low end of their price range, this is an honest, food-friendly bottle that punches above what most people expect from Washington Riesling. It's the kind of wine that makes a table of skeptics into believers, especially alongside the grilled salmon or seasonal vegetable plates.
Louis Jadot Burgundy
Most people at a place like this are reaching for the Caymus, which is exactly why you shouldn't. A Jadot Burgundy at a fair-markup restaurant is the quiet overachiever on this list — earthy, food-smart, and built for the kind of Mediterranean-leaning menu The Heights is running.
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Look, Caymus is fine. But it's also everywhere, it commands a price premium based entirely on name recognition, and you're not getting anything you can't get at a steakhouse chain. At The Heights, your money works harder elsewhere on this list.
Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon + Steak Frites
Jordan Cab is built for exactly this situation — it's structured enough to stand up to the beef but polished enough that it doesn't turn dinner into a tannin wrestling match. Classic combo, executed well, and one of the better bottles on the list to justify the spend.
The Bottom Line
The Heights isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't need to — for Ithaca, a 25-year Wine Spectator streak, fair prices, and a California-France backbone makes this one of the most dependable wine stops in the region. Send a friend here without hesitation, just tell them to order the Burgundy.
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
Downtown / State Street · Ithaca · Cocktail Bar
The Watershed is a cocktail bar that accidentally has a decent wine list, and we mean that as a compliment. If you're in Ithaca and want a low-key glass of something thoughtfully chosen without paying downtown Manhattan prices, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West End / State Street · Ithaca · Wine Shop & Tasting Room
The Falls Wine Room is the kind of neighborhood spot that makes you realize how low the bar usually is — thoughtful list, honest prices, and a genuine point of view on what wine should be. If you're in Ithaca and you care even a little about what's in your glass, you owe this place a visit.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Downtown / Aurora Street · Ithaca · Fine Dining / International
Mahogany Grill is a fine restaurant that hasn't extended that care to its wine program — the list is mass-market, the Finger Lakes is a ghost, and the fine dining pricing makes it sting. Order the shrimp cocktail, drink the Bully Hill, and temper your expectations.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East State Street / East Hill · Ithaca · Italian (Tuscan-inspired, inventive Italian)
Gola is punching well above its weight class for an Ithaca side street — the Italian regional depth here would hold up at a serious wine bar in any major city. If you're driving through the Finger Lakes and think you're just stopping for dinner, plan to stay a while.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Appleton · Appleton · American, Mediterranean
Fratellos is the rare Wisconsin riverfront restaurant where the wine list is actually worth opening. It's not adventurous, but with a real sommelier, fair prices, and a solid California backbone, it earns its keep — and that river view makes everything taste better anyway.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Seneca · Seneca · American, Mediterranean
Vangeli's is the best wine program in the Seneca area by a comfortable margin, and for a California-focused crowd eating upscale American-Mediterranean food, it delivers. Don't come looking for adventure, but do come knowing you'll drink well.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
NoMad · New York · American, Mediterranean
Wine:30 earns its Wine Spectator nod with a focused, well-stocked list and a backyard that makes the whole thing feel like a neighborhood find worth protecting. The California backbone is serious, the pricing is fair for Manhattan, and the vibe is exactly what a good wine bar should be.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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