A cocktail bar that actually thought about wine
Downtown / State Street · Ithaca · Cocktail Bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Watershed’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
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Agava's wine program is essentially a placeholder — no producers named, no prices published, no apparent effort to connect the Southwestern-leaning menu to anything interesting in the glass. Ithaca sits in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country, making this omission especially puzzling. Order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if corkage is an option.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Hotel bar / seasonal restaurant
For a hotel bar in wine country, this list punches above its category — the Finger Lakes producers are legitimate, the Saperavi alone is worth a detour, and the overall curation signals actual effort. Pricing at a lakeside inn will likely sting, and without confirmed by-the-glass options or staff expertise, you may need to advocate for yourself. Come ready to order by the bottle, pick something local, and enjoy the view.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · New American
The Rook is swinging for something more interesting than its size suggests, and the range of regions and styles — Txakoline, Verdicchio, Barolo rosé, orange Garnacha — earns genuine respect for a 12-bottle list. Pricing skews steep at the top end, and the lack of any documented reds from classic regions is a real hole. If you're an adventurous drinker who's tired of the same wine list at every New American spot, this is worth exploring — just go in knowing you'll probably land in the $45–$56 range to find the value.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Simeon's wine list does its job without breaking a sweat — it's approachable, reasonably priced, and quietly proud of the Finger Lakes producers it stocks. The by-the-glass selection is the real strength here; if you're in Ithaca and want to explore local wine without committing to a bottle, this is a perfectly decent place to do it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Ithaca · Northern Italian
Mercato is a well-regarded local staple with the right regional instincts — Italian roots, Finger Lakes ambition, and a warm room that earns its reservations. We'd feel comfortable sending a friend here for a solid bottle of wine with dinner, but we'd tell them to ask questions at the table, because we can't yet confirm the specifics behind the list. Worth a visit; worth a deeper look once a full wine list is in hand.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· Duluth · Cocktail Bar
This is a cocktail bar that slipped a legitimately interesting nine-bottle wine list into the corner without making a big deal about it — and we respect the quiet confidence. Don't come here for a deep cellar experience, but do come here knowing you have real options beyond the well liquor.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Cocktail Bar
Sorry Gorgeous isn't a wine destination, but it's a cocktail bar that actually tried — and that counts for something. Come for the rooftop, order the Pinot Blanc or the orange wine, and leave the Dom on the menu for someone else's bachelorette party.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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