Scarlet Knife

Walking into a fine-dining restaurant housed in a former Kmart is exactly the kind of origin story that makes you root for a place. The wine list arrives and it's California front to back — which, for a farm-to-table steakhouse in upstate New York, is a deliberate call rather than an oversight. Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2024, and you can see why: the list is curated, consistent, and hits the notes its crowd is looking for.

This is an unapologetically California-forward list with the marquee names dialed in: Caymus, Jordan, Duckhorn, Stag's Leap, Rombauer — the kind of lineup that reads like a greatest-hits album for American wine drinkers who know what they like. DAOU rounds things out on the Cab side with solid QPR credentials. What's missing is any real depth outside California — no Burgundy, no Barolo, no Willamette Pinot to break the pattern — so if you came hoping to explore, you're going to hit a wall fast. For the steakhouse crowd this restaurant is clearly courting, though, the list does exactly what it needs to do.

With 12-18 pours available by the glass in the $10-$18 range, there's enough to work through a meal without committing to a bottle. Expect the usual California suspects represented here — Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay almost certainly anchors the white side. The range is decent for a non-wine-bar, though rotation appears minimal; don't expect to find something new on your third visit.