The Revelry

You walk into a buzzy, rustic-chic Southern spot on University Ave and the last thing you expect is a wine list that could hold its own in a Manhattan natural wine bar. The Revelry's list opens with grower Champagne and Txakolina before most Rochester restaurants have figured out that Pinot Grigio isn't the only white wine. This is a serious list wearing casual clothes.

The list runs 100-plus labels with a clear point of view: Old World-leaning, low-intervention-friendly, and built for people who actually want to drink something interesting. France anchors the whole thing — Loire Chenin Blanc (think Vouvray and Montlouis-style), Beaujolais crus from small producers, Northern Rhône Syrah from Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage, and Burgundy at both village and premier cru levels. Italy shows up with volcanic Etna Rosso and Piedmont alongside Tuscany, while Spain brings Basque Txakolina and Galician whites into the mix. Oregon Pinot Noir and California boutique producers round out the domestic side without leaning on the usual suspects. The gaps are minor — no deep Finger Lakes presence despite being right in New York wine country, which feels like a missed hometown opportunity.

Fifteen to twenty pours by the glass is genuinely impressive for a neighborhood New American in Rochester, and the range tracks with the bottle list — you can get a grower-style sparkling, a skin-contact white, or a Beaujolais cru without committing to a full bottle. Prices run $12–$18 a glass, which is honest for the quality tier. The glass program rotates enough to reward repeat visits.