A cocktail bar that actually thought about wine
Downtown / State Street · Ithaca · Cocktail Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Watershed’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Watershed, you expect to be handed a cocktail menu and told wine is an afterthought — and then you see Swedish Hill Pinot Noir sitting next to a Portuguese rosé and something from the Loire. Eight labels total, but whoever put this together was paying attention. For a cozy downtown cocktail bar, that's already more than we expected.
The list is short — eight bottles, full stop — but it punches above its weight class. There's a Finger Lakes rep in Swedish Hill Pinot Noir, a nod to Italy with Castello del Poggio Moscato, and LAB Dry Rosé flying the flag for Portugal. The inclusion of Blue Waters 2020 from Remy Vincent and La Griveliere 2023 suggests someone on staff has opinions, which is genuinely refreshing for a spot whose main identity is a well-made Negroni. The gaps are real — no Champagne or sparkling, nothing from Spain or the Southern Hemisphere — but for eight labels, the regional spread is surprisingly considered.
All eight bottles are available by the glass, which means the entire list is the BTG program — no tiers, no guessing. Prices land between $8 and $9 a glass, which in 2024 is basically a rounding error. Rotation doesn't appear to be a regular thing, but at these prices, you'll forgive the static lineup.
LAB Dry Rosé (Portugal) — $8
A Portuguese dry rosé at $8 a glass is almost aggressively fair. LAB consistently overdelivers for its price point — bright, dry, and food-friendly — and at $30 a bottle you could split one with a friend and still feel like you got away with something.
Swedish Hill Pinot Noir (Finger Lakes, NY)
Most people at a cocktail bar aren't ordering Finger Lakes Pinot Noir, and that's a mistake. Swedish Hill is a legit producer in a region that's quietly doing impressive things with the grape. If you're sitting in Ithaca and skipping it for something generic, you're doing it wrong.
Castello del Poggio Moscato (Italy)
Nothing wrong with Moscato, but at a cocktail-forward bar where the bartenders clearly have craft on the brain, a sweet, low-ABV Moscato feels like it wandered in from a different menu. If you want something sweet and effervescent, just order a proper cocktail — that's where The Watershed's real skill lives.
Mezy Sauvignon Blanc 2024 + Bar snacks / charcuterie
Without a full food menu to reference, we're working with what's likely on offer — and a crisp, high-acid Sauvignon Blanc is built for grazing. It cuts through anything salty or rich, stays lively over a long evening, and at $8-$9 a glass you can order a second without thinking too hard about it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
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.
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
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
West End / State Street · Ithaca · Seafood / Cajun
Maxie's is not a wine destination, but it's a genuinely good time with a list that's fair, approachable, and wisely anchored by the Atwater Finger Lakes pour. Show up on a Monday for $10 off every bottle, order the oysters, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Downtown / Mill Avenue · Tempe · Cocktail Bar
Filthy Animal is the last place you'd expect to find a real wine list, which is precisely what makes it a Wild Card — the selection punches above the bar's party-school energy, and if you know what to order, you can drink well while everyone else is doing kamikazes. Just don't come here for the value; come for the vibe and the pleasant surprise.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Center Square · Albany · Cocktail Bar
The Roosevelt isn't trying to be a wine bar, and it's better for knowing that. The list is short, fair, and stocked with names worth ordering — which is more than most cocktail spots in Albany can claim.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Raleigh · Cocktail Bar
C. Grace is a cocktail bar first, but whoever built this wine list wasn't phoning it in — the Cahors Malbec and Austrian Grüner alone prove that. Markup is the catch, as it usually is in atmosphere-heavy venues, but if you're here for the jazz and the ambiance, a glass of something genuinely interesting is absolutely on the table.
Solid Range
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.