Nearly 200 Bottles and Half-Price Wednesdays
Brighton / Monroe Ave · Rochester · Contemporary American with Italian and French influences · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 19, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Nearly 200 selections at a neighborhood spot on Monroe Ave is a statement. This isn't a restaurant that threw a wine list together as an afterthought — there's a sommelier on staff and it shows from the first page. The range of regions and the reported $8–$9 entry-level glass prices suggest they're actually trying to keep this accessible.
The list pulls from France, Argentina, and domestic producers with enough international coverage to keep things interesting without going off the deep end. The presence of Laurent Gerard's Sancerre signals that someone here is paying attention to the Loire and not just grabbing whatever the distributor pushed. The Argentinian Malbec inclusion rounds out a solid South American foothold, though we'd love to see more Finger Lakes representation given Rochester's backyard access to world-class Riesling and Cabernet Franc. At nearly 200 bottles, there's real depth here — just a few more local producers would make it exceptional.
The by-the-glass program runs an estimated 15–25 options, which is a healthy count for a neighborhood restaurant at this price point. At $8–$9 a glass on the entry end, you're not getting gouged before you've even ordered an appetizer. Rotation and quality of the pours aren't fully documented, but a sommelier-led program at this scale tends to keep things honest.
Laurent Gerard Sancerre — $9/glass (estimated)
A producer-specific Sancerre on a by-the-glass list at a neighborhood restaurant is genuinely rare. If this is priced anywhere near the reported glass range, it's the most overachieving pour on the menu.
Laurent Gerard Sancerre
Most tables at Avvino are ordering Italian reds or something familiar. The Sancerre from a named Loire producer is the kind of specific, considered pick that flies under the radar — crisp, food-friendly, and priced for a neighborhood spot, not a hotel wine bar.
Argentinian Malbec
Malbec is the path of least resistance on almost every American restaurant list, and without more detail on the specific producer or pricing here, it's hard to get excited. It's likely fine — but at a 200-bottle restaurant with a sommelier on staff, there are more interesting calls to make.
Laurent Gerard Sancerre + Housemade pasta with seasonal Italian-influenced preparations
Sancerre's bright acidity and clean citrus cut through butter and cream while matching the herbal lift you often find in seasonal pasta preparations. It's a classic pairing that works precisely because it doesn't try too hard.
Wednesday — Multiple customer reports indicate half-price bottles on Wednesdays. Not confirmed on the official site and details may change — call ahead to verify before you plan your evening around it.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
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