Olio & Ivy
Italian Neighborhood Gem With a Wednesday Secret
Park Avenue · Rochester · Italian
Reviewed April 13, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Olio & Ivy lands with the comfortable warmth of a neighborhood Italian spot that actually cares about its wine list — at least regionally. The focus on Italy, Finger Lakes, Sicily, Tuscany, and Piedmont signals real intention, even if the execution leans toward crowd-pleasing labels over genuine discovery.
Selection Deep Dive
The regional anchoring is the strongest thing going here — Italian and Finger Lakes wines are a smart pairing for Rochester, and leaning into Sicily, Tuscany, and Piedmont gives the list some backbone. The problem is the bottles we can verify skew heavily toward big American commercial names: Cakebread, La Crema, Meiomi, Duckhorn. That's not a wine list with a point of view, that's a wine list with a distributor. We'd love to see the Italian side carry more of the load and push past the safe harbor of familiar labels.
By the Glass
We don't have a confirmed glass pour count or rotation, which is frustrating for a restaurant that markets itself on its wine program. What we can say is that with a list leaning this commercial, the by-the-glass program is unlikely to surprise you — but Wednesday changes the math entirely, which we'll get to.
Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Napa Valley 2021 — $65
At 71% over retail, this is the most fairly priced bottle we can verify on the list. It's a crowd-pleaser, sure, but it's a well-made one — and on a Wednesday, that $65 becomes $32.50, which is a genuinely good deal for Napa Chardonnay.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2021
Most people overlook Washington State on an Italian restaurant list, and that works in your favor. At $42 it's the lowest price point on the verified list, and Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Cab punches well above its weight — structured, dark-fruited, and a better match for a rich pasta or wood-fired meat than most people expect.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2023
A 100% markup on a bottle you can grab at any grocery store for $18 is a tough ask. Kim Crawford is fine wine — nobody's saying otherwise — but there's no reason to pay $36 for it at a restaurant when the list presumably has more interesting Italian whites at similar prices.
La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022 + Wood-fired pizza
La Crema's Sonoma Coast Pinot is bright and acid-forward with enough red fruit to hold up to tomato sauce and char from the wood fire without overpowering the pizza. It's a safe call that actually works.
Wednesday — Half-price bottles of wine all day and night every Wednesday.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Olio & Ivy is a genuinely pleasant neighborhood Italian spot with a wine list that leans too commercial for its own good — but Wednesday half-price bottles all day long makes almost any bottle worth ordering. Go on a Wednesday, order Italian if they have it, and enjoy Park Avenue.
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