Rochester's Best Steakhouse Wine List, Full Stop
East End / East Avenue · Rochester · Upscale Steakhouse / American Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 19, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tournedos Steakhouse’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Five hundred and fifty wines inside a historic Broadway inn — yeah, they mean business. The list lands on the table with the kind of weight that makes you sit up straighter. This is clearly a restaurant that built its wine program with the same intention it brings to its dry-aged beef.
At 550-plus bottles, the cellar punches well above the weight class you'd expect from an upstate New York steakhouse. Napa Cabernet is the undeniable spine here — Caymus, Jordan, and Silver Oak Alexander Valley all make the cut — which is exactly what the room calls for. There's globe-spanning range beyond California too, though the list leans heavily into crowd-pleasing American producers rather than taking any real detours into Burgundy or the Rhône. It's a well-stocked, confidence-inspiring list built to satisfy the expense-account crowd and the serious wine drinker in equal measure.
Fifteen to twenty pours by the glass is a genuinely solid program, landing between $14 and $28 — respectable for the category. Rombauer Chardonnay and Far Niente Chardonnay both appear, which means the glass program isn't just an afterthought. We'd love to see more rotation or a chalkboard special to keep things interesting, but what's here does the job.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $60–$90 (bottle estimate based on range)
Jordan is consistently one of the most fairly priced Napa-adjacent Cabs on any steakhouse list. It's polished, food-friendly, and doesn't require a finance background to justify ordering.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone in the room is ordering Cab, which means the Duckhorn Merlot is just sitting there being great. This is a serious, structured Merlot from one of Napa's best — and because it's not the headliner, it often slips under the radar.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, and at steakhouse markup it's rarely a good deal. You're paying a premium for brand recognition at this point. The same money gets you something far more interesting elsewhere on this list.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + In-house dry-aged steak
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment — the coconut-vanilla oak and ripe dark fruit are practically calibrated to wrap around a dry-aged ribeye's char and depth. It's the kind of pairing that makes the room go quiet for a second.
The Bottom Line
Tournedos is Rochester's most serious steakhouse wine list and it's not particularly close. The markups sting a little, but when the cellar is this deep and a sommelier is on the floor, you're in capable hands — order accordingly.
Downtown · Rochester · American Steakhouse
CHAR makes it easy to try Finger Lakes wine alongside the steakhouse standards. Our move is Hosmer Cabernet Franc at $16/glass, with Panizzi Vernaccia at $14 for anyone leaning white. Check the per-ounce pricing before ordering a Coravin pour.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Neighborhood of the Arts · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French inspiration
Avvino is the rare neighborhood restaurant where the wine list is a genuine reason to show up, not an afterthought. If you're in Rochester and you care about drinking well, this is your room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Brighton / Monroe Ave · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French influences
Avvino is the kind of wine-forward neighborhood restaurant Rochester deserves more of — nearly 200 bottles, a sommelier, and a standing half-price Wednesday that makes a solid splurge genuinely accessible. It's not reinventing the wine list, but it's doing the right things consistently enough that we'd send a friend here without hesitation.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Village Gate / NOTA · Rochester · Farm-to-Table / New American
Lento isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its list is thoughtful enough that it kind of becomes one by accident — especially if you care about Finger Lakes wines in their natural habitat. Send your friends here, let them order the Duck Confit, and point them toward the Cab Franc.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pittsford · Rochester · Refined Seasonal American with Wood-Fired Pizzas
jojo Pittsford is the kind of wine program that makes you want to cancel your dinner reservation somewhere else. For a bistro in suburban Rochester, this list is genuinely exciting — send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
East Avenue / Winton · Rochester · Traditional Italian
Ristorante Lucano is a reliable Italian dinner with a wine list that doesn't embarrass itself — Italy-focused, anchored by classics, a bit overpriced but not offensively so. Send a friend here for a date night with the instruction to order the Barolo and not overthink it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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