Upstate NY restaurants named among best destinations for wine lovers

Wine Spectator, a U.S. magazine that reviews more than 15,000 wines each year, also reviews restaurant wine lists, and recognizes those that "offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers."

Six restaurants from Rochester and the Finger Lakes area were included on its 2024 Best Restaurants for Wine list, which includes more than 3,700 establishments from around the world.

Best of Award of Excellence winner

Rose Tavern, in the The Lake House on Canandaigua at 770 S. Main St. in Canandaigua, was among 1,531 restaurants that received the Best of Award of Excellence, which features wine lists that "display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation." The farm-to-table restaurant offers 350 selections of wines, and is particularly strong in wines from New York, California, France and Italy, according to the magazine. Call (800) 228-2801.

Award of excellence winners

These five restaurants were among the 2,150 winners of the Award of Excellence, which "should offer at least 90 selections, "feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style."

Char Steak & Lounge, in the Strathallan Hotel at 550 East Ave., offers 300 selections of wines, with a strength in wines from California and New York, according to the magazine. Call (585) 241-7100.

Horizons Modern Kitchen & Wine Bar in the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, 199 Woodcliff Drive in Perinton, made the list for the second consecutive time. The seasonal American offers 215 wines with strengths in wine from California, France, New York and Italy. Call (585) 248-4825.

Farmer's Creekside Tavern & Inn, at 1 Main St. in LeRoy, Genesee County, has appeared on the list since 2018. It offers 140 wines with strengths in wines from New York, France and California, according to the magazine. Call (585) 768-6007.

Portico by Fabio Viviani, in the Del Lago Resort and Casino at 1133 State Route 414 in Waterloo, has been on the list since 2020. The Italian restaurant and steak house offers 300 wine selections, with strengths in Italy, New York and California, according to the magazine. Call (315) 946-1780.

1833 Kitchen & Bar, in the Inns of Aurora at 391 Main St. in Aurora, made the list for the second year running. The farm-to-table restaurant that overlooks Cayuga Lake offers 250 wine selections, according to the magazine. Call (315) 364-8888.

Find a searchable database of all the winners at winespectator.com/restaurants.

Food and drink reporter Tracy Schuhmacher holds a Level 3 Wine certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). Send news to her at tracys@gannett.com.