Fondue First, Wine Very Much Second
City Center · White Plains · Fondue / American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Melting Pot White Plains’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here feels like it was assembled by someone whose main job is melting cheese — and that's fine, but don't come in expecting anything more than a greatest hits of grocery store stalwarts. It's a chain, it looks like a chain, and the wine program makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. The list exists to serve the fondue, not the other way around.
Thirty to fifty bottles covering California, Washington State, New Zealand, and Italy — which sounds diverse until you realize the producers are Chateau Ste. Michelle, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, and La Marca. These are reliable crowd-pleasers that you can find at any Total Wine on a Tuesday afternoon. There's no real regional depth, no small producers, nothing that signals anyone spent serious time curating this. The focus on approachable, inoffensive bottles makes sense for a fondue concept, but it also means wine enthusiasts are going to find this list pretty flat.
Eight to twelve by-the-glass options cover the bases — a sparkling, a white or two, and a couple of reds. You're not getting any surprises here; what's on the bottle list is basically what's on the glass list. Rotation appears minimal at best, and there's no evidence of any kind of curated glass program or seasonal swap-out.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling — null
If you're dunking things in cheese or chocolate, an off-dry Riesling is legitimately one of the best calls on the table. Chateau Ste. Michelle makes a solid, widely respected bottle that tends to be priced accessibly — and it actually does work with the menu in a way that most of the reds here won't.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Most people at a fondue restaurant reflexively order a red or grab the Prosecco for the table. Don't. The Riesling is the most food-conscious pick on this list — its acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese fondue in a way that Meiomi Pinot Noir simply cannot.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a mass-market brand owned by Constellation Brands, retailing for around $15-18 a bottle — which means whatever you're paying here is almost certainly a significant markup for something that tastes like fruit punch with a cork. There are better uses of your money, even on this list.
La Marca Prosecco + Chocolate Fondue
Bubbles and chocolate is a classic move for a reason — the effervescence keeps things from getting cloying, and La Marca's sweetness level plays nicely against dark chocolate. It's also the kind of easy, crowd-pleasing finish to a fondue dinner that doesn't require anyone to think too hard.
The Bottom Line
This is a wine list that exists because it has to, not because anyone at corporate lost sleep over it. Come for the fondue experience, order the Riesling, and keep your expectations calibrated accordingly.
· White Plains · Steakhouse
This appears to be a Restaurant Week wine promotion rather than Benjamin Steakhouse's full list, and we'd want to see a complete menu before rendering a final verdict on the overall program. Based on what's sourced here, though, the wine offering is thin for a steakhouse of this caliber — if you're coming for a serious bottle of Cab with your dry-aged ribeye, call ahead and ask what's actually on the full list.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· White Plains · Steakhouse
The Capital Grille Stamford isn't going to excite anyone who takes wine seriously, but it's not the embarrassment that many chain steakhouse lists are either. The Prüm Riesling and Substance Cab punch above their price points, and 23 BTG options gives you real flexibility. Just go in knowing the markups are aggressive and the list hasn't changed since someone in a corporate office approved it — probably over a Meiomi.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· White Plains · Italian
La Bocca is a polished, reservation-worthy Italian room in White Plains with a wine identity that leans on Italy's marquee regions — safe, serviceable, and priced for a special-occasion crowd. Until we can get eyes on the actual list and confirm what's pouring, we'd treat the wine program as a pleasant companion to the food rather than a destination in its own right. Ask the staff for their recommendation and see what happens.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bronxville · White Plains · Wine Bar & Small Plates
Ernie's is the kind of neighborhood wine bar Westchester needs more of: unpretentious, genuinely wine-forward, and priced like they actually want you to order a second glass. If you're in the area on a weekday, hit that happy hour window and settle in.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· White Plains · Spanish tapas & wine bar
Buleria is doing the right things — an actual Spanish-leaning list at fair prices in a market that could easily get away with slapping Malbec and Pinot Grigio on a page and calling it done. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely solid one, and that's worth something.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
White Plains · White Plains · Persian & Mediterranean Wine Bar
Shiraz Kitchen is the kind of unexpected wine find that makes suburban dining worth exploring — a Persian restaurant in White Plains with an honest, curious wine list and glass pour access to nearly everything on it. If you're in Westchester and tired of the same old Chardonnay-and-Cabernet loop, this is your move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Melbourne · Melbourne · Fondue / American
The Melting Pot Melbourne is a reliable date-night destination where the wine list plays a supporting role and mostly does its job without causing problems. If you're here for the experience — and you should be — order the Stoneleigh, enjoy the fondue, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cheektowaga · Buffalo · Fondue / American
The Melting Pot Cheektowaga is a dependable date-night destination where the wine list plays a supporting role — and knows it. Order the Riesling, enjoy the fondue, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Boise · Fondue / American
The Melting Pot Boise won't win any awards for its wine program, but it's a functional, inoffensive list that pairs reasonably well with an inherently indulgent dining experience. Send your friends here for the fondue and just steer them toward the Sonoma-Cutrer or the Jordan — they'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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