MoMA's Wall Art Has Nothing On This List
Midtown · New York · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Modern’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Modern lands with the quiet confidence of someone who doesn't need to prove anything — because 3,000-plus selections and a Wine Spectator Grand Award since 2016 have already made the case. Flip through it and the names start hitting like a who's-who of the wine world's greatest hits: DRC, Jayer, Rousseau, Screaming Eagle, Pétrus. This isn't a list assembled to impress on paper — it's assembled because someone here actually cares.
The depth across Burgundy alone would embarrass most dedicated wine bars, with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Henri Jayer, Leroy, Rousseau, Raveneau, and Coche-Dury all accounted for — the kind of roster that makes serious Burgundy lovers go quiet for a minute. California gets its due with Harlan Estate, Kistler, and Screaming Eagle, while the Rhône section leans on Guigal's single-vineyard La Las and Chapoutier with equal conviction. Piedmont, Bordeaux, Champagne, Germany, and Alsace round things out — Egon Müller Scharzhofberger, Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune, Krug, Salon, and Jacques Selosse aren't afterthoughts here, they're pillars. The one honest knock: this list skews heavily toward the prestige end, and if you're hunting under $80, the terrain gets noticeably thinner.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is serious real estate for a fine dining room, and the team rotates through enough to keep regulars on their toes. Expect proper pours across Champagne, white Burgundy, and California reds at any given time — not just the predictable crowd pleasers. The Wednesday half-price wine program is the most underrated recurring event in Midtown dining; if you haven't planned a Wednesday dinner around it, start now.
E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2019 — $375
La Landonne is one of the Northern Rhône's greatest single-vineyard wines, full stop — iron-fisted Syrah that needs years to open but rewards patience ferociously. At $375 in a room where bottles routinely tip past $500, it's the most bang-for-your-ambition on the list. Order it, let it breathe, and ignore everything else for a while.
Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune
Everyone at this table is going to order red, which means this legendary Alsatian Riesling from one of the appellation's most hallowed plots quietly goes unordered night after night. That's a mistake. Clos Sainte Hune drinks with a precision and longevity that embarrasses wines twice its price, and in a room full of Chardonnay converts, it's the sleeper that outperforms everything around it.
Dom Pérignon Vintage 2015
At $325, Dom Pérignon 2015 is the easy answer when someone says 'let's get Champagne' — and that's exactly the problem. It's a fine wine, but it's also the most heavily marketed bottle in the cellar and a brand that lives on restaurant markups. Krug and Salon are both on this list; either one gives you a more interesting drink and a better story to tell.
Kistler Vine Hill Chardonnay 2021 + Lobster pot-au-feu
Kistler Vine Hill is rich, precise California Chardonnay with enough acid and tension to cut through a butter-forward broth without disappearing into it. The lobster's sweetness and the wine's stone fruit and toasted oak hit the same frequency — neither one drowns the other out. It's the kind of pairing that makes you wonder why you ever order anything else.
Wednesday — Half-price wine night every Wednesday — the best recurring reason to eat dinner at a fine dining restaurant in Midtown.
The Bottom Line
The Modern is the real thing — a Grand Award list that earns its reputation without hiding behind it, staffed by a team that actually knows what's in the cellar. Get here on a Wednesday, let someone talk you into the Trimbach, and accept that you're going to spend more than you planned.
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
· 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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
