Self-Pour Taps Meet Hudson River Views
Warehouse District/Riverfront · Albany · Wine Bar / American Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed June 16, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Shaker & Vine’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walk into The Shaker & Vine and the first thing you notice is the self-pour wine tap wall — a novelty that could easily feel gimmicky but actually works in a social, low-pressure way. The Hudson River patio seating seals the deal on atmosphere. This place is built for groups who want to drink casually and drink well enough.
The list pulls from France, Italy, California, Spain, and New York, which is a respectable spread for Albany's Warehouse District. That local New York presence is a small but meaningful touch — too many wine bars in this part of the state ignore their own backyard entirely. The anchors are familiar crowd-pleasers like Meiomi and Kim Crawford, which tells you the list skews accessible over adventurous. Don't come expecting a deep Burgundy cellar or a natural wine rabbit hole — this is a list built for approachability, and it largely delivers on that promise.
Somewhere between 12 and 20 pours by the glass, priced $10–$18, which is reasonable for a waterfront spot in a mid-sized city. The self-pour tap format means you control your own pour size, which is either freeing or dangerous depending on your willpower. Rotation doesn't appear to be aggressive — what's on tap seems to stay on tap.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon NV — $12
A $13 retail bottle pouring for $12 a glass is essentially at-cost generosity for a wine bar. Yes, it's mass-market, but it's a crowd-pleasing Cab and at this price you're not leaving money on the table.
La Marca Prosecco NV
Most people overlook the bubbles at a casual wine bar and go straight for red or white. At $12 a glass, La Marca is a clean, food-friendly pour that works overtime next to a charcuterie board and costs you almost nothing above retail.
Meiomi Pinot Noir NV
At $14 a glass, Meiomi is the priciest pour on the by-the-glass lineup and also the one with the softest value case — $18 retail isn't exactly a rare find. It's fine, but it's a supermarket staple dressed up as a wine bar pick. You can do better.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc NV + Prosciutto Flatbread
Kim Crawford's bright citrus and grassy snap cuts right through the salty richness of prosciutto without overwhelming the thin-crust simplicity of the flatbread. It's not a complex pairing, but it's a correct one — and at $13 a glass, it's the kind of thing you order twice.
The Bottom Line
The Shaker & Vine is Albany's best argument for the self-pour wine bar format — the markup is shockingly fair, the riverside setting earns its keep, and the list is approachable without being embarrassing. Don't come hunting for rare producers, but do come for a relaxed pour with a view.
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A steakhouse wine page with a long glass list and a Coravin group for bigger names, but no prices online, so judge it by phone or at the table. For a steak, try the Jordan Cabernet or the Caymus from the Sommelier Selections; for something different, the Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling. Confirm what is pouring and the prices before you order, since the page is undated and says selections may vary. This unrated guide covers the posted wine page, not service, storage or markups.
West End · Albany · British Pub
A short pub wine list where every one of the 15 wines has both a glass and a bottle price. Order the $27 Gionelli Pinot Grigio, or the $45 Tarani Malbec for a red; both are also poured by the glass, at $9 and $13. Confirm current availability and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Delmar · Albany · American
Normanside's posted drink menu is short and glass-friendly, with 23 wines carrying a glass price from $9 to $15. Order The Wine for Pizza with the $16 pepperoni Detroit-style pie, or take the $12 Pessimist by Daou for a darker red. Confirm current availability and prices before you go; this unrated guide covers the posted drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Albany · Seafood
Jack's is an oyster house first, and its wine lists back that up with French whites by the glass and the bottle. Start with a half dozen oysters and a glass of the Antoine de la Farge Menetou-Salon at 18, or go for the bottle of Reverdy Ducroux Sancerre at 84; for red, the $14 Catena Malbec is the lowest-priced glass. Confirm current lists and prices when you book; this unrated guide covers the posted wine lists, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown Albany · Albany · Italian
Cafe Capriccio's glass list is short and Italian-led. Try the Scaia Corvina or the Castello di Bossi Chianti before the usual Pinot Grigio, and put the Barolo with the Pork Osso Buco. The posted list shows no prices, so ask what each glass costs and confirm what is open. This unrated guide covers the posted glass list, not service, storage or markups.
Western Ave · Albany · Mediterranean
Barcelona's bar menu posts more Spanish and Italian range than you might expect, from Rioja Crianza to a $125 Brunello. Try the Albariño at $9 $35 with seafood, or the Juan Gil red blend at $11 $40 if you want something fuller. Most wines show two prices with no unit labels and the page is undated, so confirm which is glass and which is bottle, and today's availability, when you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Chandler · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
The Wild Vine Uncorked has the aesthetic of a wine bar and the wine list of a casual chain restaurant — if you're coming specifically for the wine program, there's not enough here to justify the trip. Order the Craggy Range, enjoy your company, and recalibrate expectations.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Erie · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
Cloud 9 is the kind of place that earns its Wild Card badge by simply existing and giving a damn about wine in a market where most restaurants stopped trying. The happy hour draft wine deal alone is worth the trip — just stay away from the Cristal unless someone else is buying.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Legacy West · Plano · Wine Bar / American Small Plates
CRÚ Legacy West is a chain wine bar that punches above its category — sommelier on staff, a deep enough list, and a Sunday half-price bottle deal that genuinely changes the math. Just steer clear of the Cakebread and let the sommelier point you somewhere worth the markup.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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