Best Wine Lists in New York

Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery Hudson Tasting Room

Warren Street · Hudson · Winery Tasting Room

The Wild Card

This is one of the better arguments for Hudson Valley wine you'll find on a single Warren Street block. If you've written off New York State as a wine region, Whitecliff's tasting room is the correction you didn't know you needed.

Feast & Floret

Warren Street Historic District · Hudson · Italian, farm-to-table

The Wild Card

Feast & Floret is punching well above its weight class for a small Italian spot in a Hudson tourist corridor. If you're the kind of person who wants Sagrantino and Banyuls with dinner instead of another Meiomi Pinot, this list was built for you.

Hudson Hotel Rooftop Bar

Central Hudson · Hudson · Bar

The Lazy List

Come for the rooftop, absolutely — but order a cocktail or a beer and save the wine night for somewhere else in town. This list isn't a program, it's a placeholder.

Lil' Deb's Oasis New Space

Warren Street Corridor · Hudson · Latin / Global

The Wild Card

Lil' Deb's doesn't have a wine list — it has a point of view. If you're open to drinking something you've never heard of in a room that feels like no other restaurant in upstate New York, this is exactly where you should be.

Hudson Taco

Downtown Hudson · Hudson · Mexican-inspired tacos and casual fusion

The Wild Card

Hudson Taco isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the list is smarter than the setting suggests — a few genuinely interesting picks tucked into a short, taco-friendly lineup. Just know going in that you're paying for the river view as much as what's in the glass, and steer toward the Spanish whites.

Hudson Chatham Winery Tasting Room

Outskirts / Route 66 · Hudson · Wine Tasting Room

The Wild Card

Hudson Chatham is a niche destination — if you're into New York State hybrid grapes and want to understand what the Hudson Valley is actually growing, this tasting room is worth the detour. If you want a broad restaurant wine list, that's not what this is, and that's fine.

Wm. Farmer & Sons Barroom

Front Street / Riverfront · Hudson · New American farm-to-table

The Reliable

Wm. Farmer & Sons isn't going to make you rearrange your weekend for the wine list alone, but it's doing real things — Weinbach, Bedrock, fair prices — in a room that earns the pour. Send a friend here for dinner on a Thursday and tell them to order the mussels and the Riesling.

The Spotty Dog Books & Ale

Warren Street Corridor · Hudson · Bar with light snacks

The Wild Card

The Spotty Dog is the wine world's version of finding a great novel in a gas station — unexpected, oddly satisfying, and worth telling your friends about. Come for the books and beer, stay for the Rioja.

Backbar

Warren Street Corridor · Hudson · Malaysian and Southeast Asian small plates with cocktail-focused bar

The Wild Card

Backbar is a cocktail bar that could've phoned in its wine list and nobody would've blamed them — instead they stocked local natural producers and built something worth ordering. If you're in Hudson and want a low-key glass of something real alongside a plate of Malaysian snacks, this is your place.

Nolan's on Canandaigua Lake

South Main Street / lakefront · Canandaigua · Steakhouse and seafood with American fine dining

The Reliable

Nolan's is a dependable lakeside wine list that does right by its guests without taking any real risks — the Finger Lakes locals are a genuine highlight worth seeking out. Send a friend here for the view and the steak; tell them to order the Heron Hill.

Pintxo Wine & Tapas Bar

Downtown Canandaigua · Canandaigua · Spanish tapas and wine bar

The Wild Card

Pintxo is punching well above its weight class for a small-city wine bar, and the Spanish regional focus gives it a genuine identity that most places never find. If you're anywhere near the Finger Lakes and care even a little about wine, this one's worth the detour.

Rose Tavern at The Lake House

Canandaigua Lake waterfront · Canandaigua · Hotel Restaurant / American

The Reliable

Rose Tavern is a perfectly pleasant place to drink wine if you're already staying at The Lake House — the setting does a lot of the work. But if you're driving in specifically for the wine list, you'd do better hitting a dedicated Finger Lakes tasting room down the road.