Dano's Heinen's Steakhouse
Great Steaks, Punishing Wine Prices
Pittsford · Rochester · Steakhouse
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Dano's Heinen's reads like a greatest hits compilation from a 2012 Napa wine auction — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Duckhorn — all the names your uncle name-drops at Thanksgiving. It's a list that was built to impress at a glance, not to actually deliver value. The moment you start running the numbers, the mood shifts fast.
Selection Deep Dive
The list skews heavily California red, with Napa Cab doing most of the heavy lifting and a token nod to Bordeaux and Burgundy for the classicists in the room. There's nothing wrong with the producers here — Jordan and Stag's Leap Artemis are legitimately solid bottles — but the selection is so predictable it practically selects itself. You won't find a grower Champagne, a Willamette Pinot, or anything that suggests someone on staff is actually curious about wine. Bordeaux and Burgundy get a seat at the table, but they feel like afterthoughts rather than a serious international program.
By the Glass
Ten to eighteen pours by the glass is a decent spread for a steakhouse, though without a confirmed rotation, it's hard to know if this program has any pulse or just runs on autopilot. Expect the usual suspects — a Chardonnay, a Cab, maybe a Merlot — delivered reliably but without inspiration. If Monday's half-price bottle deal is on the table, skip the glass pours entirely and go straight to a bottle.
Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 — $135
Still a 170% markup over retail, but at $135 it's the least painful option on a painful list. Artemis is a genuinely good Napa Cab — structured, age-worthy, and it holds its own next to a dry-aged ribeye. On a Monday, at half price, this is actually a legitimately good deal at around $67.
Opus One 2020
At $595 it sounds absurd, but Opus One retails around $385 — making it the lowest percentage markup on the entire list at roughly 55%. By Dano's own math, this is ironically the most fairly priced bottle they're pouring. If you're splitting a splurge with the table and want something extraordinary with the dry-aged ribeye, this is the one time the math almost works in your favor.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Two hundred percent over retail at $285 for a wine you can grab at Total Wine for $95. Caymus is fine — it's crowd-pleasing, oaky, and reliable — but it's also wildly overexposed and not worth triple the price in any zip code. This bottle exists on the list to anchor the menu with a recognizable name and pad the check. Don't let it.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 + Dry-Aged Ribeye
Jordan's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment — it's got enough structure to stand up to a heavily marbled dry-aged ribeye without the jammy overripeness that makes some Napa Cabs clash with beef fat. It's a classicist's pairing at a gouging price, but if you're ordering the ribeye anyway, this is the bottle that earns its place on the table.
Monday — 50% off select wine bottles — the one genuine reason to plan your visit around a weeknight.
❌ The Bottom Line
Dano's Heinen's is a perfectly competent steakhouse with a wine list that treats its guests like a revenue stream rather than people who actually like wine. Come on a Monday, grab the Stag's Leap at half price, and enjoy the ribeye — just don't let the list convince you that paying three times retail is the price of admission.
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