Apogee Wine Bar

Spent a fun evening with some of our younger cohorts here… snug little wine bar with a fairly deep variety of wines. As a reformed oenophile, I was amused to listen to the bartender (wine steward? Cellar teller?) describe one varietal as having hay overtones after rolling around in a barnyard. Curious, I asked him what his major was in college… and he told me trumpet performance.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a snug place to get cozy with a glass, dig Apogee. If your company isn’t keeping you occupied you could always trade metaphors with the bartender (cork manager?).

Absolutely wonderful experience! The ambiance was amazing, so calming and chique. The woman behind the bar was so knowledgeable and made a great recommendation for a wine based on my taste. Definitely will be back!

Stopped in on a Friday night to meet with a few friends. We first walked to the door and it was closed for a private event. BUMMER. As we walked back to our car, one of the owners came out of the side door and apologized for it being closed for the time being. He let us know that the private event would be ending in about 30 minutes and sincerely asked us to please come back.
We walked over to Hogan’s Hideaway for a drink and to wait the 30 minutes and we headed back to Apogee when we finished. We sat in the back on two comfortable leather couches. The wait staff was very attentive and the one of the owners came over to see how we all were enjoying our time.
We ordered some charcuterie, olives, and bread sticks to snack on. The wine options were nice and had a wide variety from all over the world. The ambiance was nice and the atmosphere was intimate. We will come back!

Apogee is definitely a cozy and quaint place… and maybe there’s something wrong with me, but I don’t understand the purpose of it. I must just not be the wine bar type of person. If I can drink wine on my porch in the summer or curled up on the windowseat in my apartment in the winter, why do I need to go to a wine bar?
Ambiance is nice, but the wine is spendy here. There’s not enough going on at this lil wine bar to make me want to come back. It’s not enough to get me outta my Adirondack chair/​off of my windowseat.

I took my mom here for her birthday back in the very beginning of September of this year, and we had a nice time together. We were the only ones in the bar, but it was also 4:30 in the afternoon. It was a tad boring. The bartender didn’t interact with us much, and it was very quiet. The wine selection was perfect– not too little to make you feel like you didn’t have options, but not to many to overwhelm you. If you are an inexperienced wine drinker, you will most likely not recognize any of the wines on their list. It is definitely obscure enough to make even a seasoned wine drinker ask for a recommendation, but this is all the fun of visiting a wine bar.
My only complaint was there was not an option to order any small plates. I was hoping to enjoy some nice cheese or chocolate with my wine, but sadly there was no food available. It appears from other more recent reviews below that may have changed between now and then? I may have to come back and find out.
Overall, a great classy yet whimsical wine bar, perfect to take your mom out for her birthday, a nice pre-​dinner drink with your SO, or a night out with friends.

This place is great. A nice small wine bar, small appetizers and a great selection of wine.

Visited Apogee for the first time this week. The first reason to be a fan of Apogee is the fact that they are open until 11pm on weeknights which makes it a great post dinner or show venue for a drink. I am a huge fan of wine and I was highly impressed with the variety of wines on the list. You will not find many common named wines here, but you will likely find your new favorite wine. I had a red blend that happened to be on special that evening for $ 7 and it was an incredible wine and quite the deal. I would have comfortably spent $ 10 – 12 for a glass of wine of that quality. They have a small food menu, just enough to pair with your wines that night but much higher quality than some cheese and crackers. They have amazing French truffles perfect to pair with a nice red wine.
The bar and venue is incredible. It is a small space that feels open and comfortable. A great place to go with a date. I would highly recommend a visit the next time you crave a glass (or bottle) of wine.

I FINALLY visited this fabulous wine bar! A Big thank you to Mary for telling us all about the specials. Especially that French Rose it was fabulous. We all got the cheese & meat plate some olives and had a fabulous time. It’s a small and cozy bar, sleek and modern with some old world touches. Staff is on point and Mary knows her stuff & took excellent care of this rowdy group of women. If your not sure what to have ask the people behind the bar they are very knowledgeable and oh on Thursday Scratch Bakery brings over a cake for their desert for the weekend. The wine list is small but well curated.
Sure parking is not easy but luckily it’s a residential area so you may have to walk a block but it’s well worth it. Run don’t walk! GO!

I’ve been meaning to go to Apogee for a while now. So happy I finally gave it a visit! Now that I have, I will be visiting more. The atmosphere is perfect. Dim lighting, a nicely decorated space, and the music isn’t too loud.
I tried out three different wines on my visit and a cheese plate. There was a special on a dry rose and it was the best rose I’ve ever had. Not too sweet, not too dry. I would probably want a full bottle (or two) of that to myself. I’m not too much of a fan of red wine. The bartender helped us find a red that had a nice full-​bodied taste that wasn’t too overwhelming (Gouguenheim Malbec). I also split a drier white wine that had a great fruity aroma (Chenin Blanc). I really enjoyed all three wines that I tried and it wouldn’t have been possible without the bartender. She was personable, knowledgeable, and made me comfortable while asking a million questions.
The cheese plate was also incredible. You can also get a choice of meat with it but we opted not to. The cheeses we tried were an aged Gouda and a firm goat cheese. Both were great and were served with a jalapeño jam and fresh bread.
If you haven’t had a chance to visit Apogee yet, the time is now.

I love the ambience! There are glasses that are delicious and reasonably priced ($ 8−12/glass) They had a special for 30% off a bottle when my friend and I came in. Not too shabbby! Not sure if they have happy hour specials cause if they did I would definitely come back with more of my girlfriends. Its beautiful inside and outside for a quaint little place. The girls working here are great and offered good advice when choosing. (Also gave us extra bread for that yummy fig butter!) They have food to nibble on if you’d like (cheese, meat platter, olvies, etc.) Good selection too! Definitely a place on park ave to check out if you’re out and about or just want a casual place to chill with friends/​date after work.

Lovely little wine bar on Park Avenue between Meigs and Arnold Park. I like the fact that the bar is made of white faux marble and the walls are white. I think it’s tempting to turn a cocktail or wine bar into a cozy cavern by over-​decorating and painting everything in warm colors, but sometimes that just closes the space in and makes it dark. Being on the diminutive side, keeping the décor in lighter colors helps to open up this little place and keeps it airy.
The wine selection changes frequently and is moderate but well-​curated. The wine is dispensed using a commercial wine dispenser/​preservation system, similar to Flight. I enjoy that. Helps to keep the wines fresh, especially the full-​bodied reds.
Not stretching to be too much, not throwing away quality to keep it simple, Apogee strikes the balance right by providing the perfect place to chat and escape on a not-​often-​traveled part of Park Avenue. The owner is warm and beautiful and the atmosphere is restrained. Check it out the next time you’d like an intimate date, a meet-​up with a friend or a glass of wine. There’s a small menu as well of which I haven’t partaken. Hope to go back soon to try it out!

Great wine selection and warm hospitality. Simone has a deep knowledge of her wines and is a very gracious host. Well worth a visit to this great wine bar

Apogee is unassuming from the outside, but is a warm and welcoming space that feels both cozy and spacious, thanks to the light and airy bar complemented with a dark wood ‘wall of wine’ behind it, sleek two top tables, and comfy cozy seating in the back of the bar along with the window seat booths that hug the entrance.
My friend and I braved the nasty weather last night to check out Apogee, and I’m so glad we did! It was pretty busy when we walked in around 7:30p, but we found two seats at the bar, and were greeted warmly by the owner, Simone. She was friendly and really knowledgeable, she steered my friend to a Portuguese Shiraz which he LOVED. I asked her about one of the offerings on the list, as I’m not too familiar with Italian wines. She informed me that the Sella and Mosca, Terre Rare, Carginano was the «funkiest, old world tasting» wine she had in stock. I was sold, as I love a red that has body and has forward notes of all the tannins. This one did not disappoint, it was funky, leathery, and one of the best wines I’ve had in a long time.
I agree with other reviewers, you feel like you are sitting in someone’s home drinking and chatting in their kitchen. It has such a down to earth vibe, we ended up chatting with other patrons, and having such a fun time. We split the cheese and charcuterie, which offered an aged cheddar, a truffle cow’s milk cheese (I forget the exact name), prosciutto, and soppressata. The presentation of it is elegant and I agree with Breanna B., I could eat that aged cheddar all day long.
Simone is wonderful, and I can’t wait to come back to try the other wines on the list. Check out Apogee, you will not be disappointed!

Had heard a wine bar had opened on Park Ave but forgot about that until a friend mentioned it as we drove by on our way to the opening at the MAG. Afterward we decided to check this place out.
The big downside in winter is finding parking anywhere near this place — this end of Park Ave is tougher to find parking — a big a hassle if you don’t live within walking distance. The four of us entered the warm and inviting space and tucked into one of the two window booths.
Two of us opted for that night’s special, a Spanish Rioja rose wine — it was very good. The chardonnay ordered by the third member of our group was un-​oaked and proclaimed to be excellent. We were disappointed that they did not have any chocolates on their menu just cheese… oh well, a missed opportunity given all of the great indie chocolate shops in town. The prices seemed fair.
Perhaps we will be back when the weather is warmer and we can walk to this end of Park Ave without having to search for parking.

This place is cozy chic. I really love the ambiance when you first walk in.
They turned this place over quickly, and it looks gorgeous with the counter tops, lighting fixtures, and little nooks for intimate parties.
The wines on the list are amazing, I love going to a place that has delicious, high quality wines that are reasonably priced for a glass, and aren’t something I have had at a million other places.
Recently, Bre held an event here and the owners were very friendly. The cheese spread was delicious, and the wines that were selected for tasting were great. I had to write the names down for further consumption…
This will be a perfect place for a cozy winter date, post-​work happy hour, or intimate holiday get together with friends.

I am not a huge wine enthusiast, I actually don’t drink a lot of wine at all. I went here for the Unilocal wine tasting and brought a date with me. I can’t say enough good things about this place. The owner was great. After we tasted all of the wines that were offered we sat down at the bar and had a couple (several) more glasses of wine. Since I know absolutely nothing about wine except that I am not a fan of incredibly dry wines, she let me try out a bunch more and I found a couple that I liked enough to drink an entire glass.
The prices were in line with what I would expect at a small wine bar and the staff was incredible. Its a nice cozy atmosphere, definitely a great place to take a date.

I was at Apogee last night with a two girlfriends. I am pretty pumped to see a wine bar this close to my apartment! I don’t really know anything about wines, but I do know that the 2 I tried tasted delicious! The atmosphere in there is great! I love love love the counter tops! I want my kitchen counter tops to be like that!
Simone is great and since it was a quiet night we got to chat with her and a few other people that were in there. It was like we were sitting in our kitchen tasting great wine and having great convos!
I will definitely be coming back and next time I will get a cheese board!

Apogee, you just might be my favorite new wine bar. It’s quaint, bright, and the staff is so welcoming. The owner is a sommelier and opened Apogee to fulfill a lifelong dream if hers. It’s nice to see her passion realized.
The wines on the list are top notch — most glasses between $ 8 – 10. I tried a sparkling white that was so well balanced and not too dry. Many of the wines on the list are new to me so I’m looking forward to exploring the selection here. I’m no wine expert so I need all the help I can get. They also have some light food options — cheese and charcuterie. We opted for three cheeses (~$ 12) — a hearty plate, which is good to share and paired with bread. The options they had available when we were there: goat cheese, aged white cheddar, and Gouda. All wonderful! I’d eat that cheddar all day.
We sat in the cozy window seats — good for a group of 4 – 5. They have bar seating, and more 2-​seaters in the cozy space. Dried flowers hang from the ceiling and gilded mismatched mirrors are the focus of the main wall opposite the slick wine case covering the wall behind the bar. The space is bright white and airy. The ideal environment to enjoy wine with friends after work.

Such a cute and cozy wine bar!
Simone is really personable and knowledgeable about her wine. There were some interesting wine selections on her list that I wasn’t familiar with, so she made some fantastic recommendations and the cheese offerings are awesome as well (the Gouda was my favorite)!

Apogee is Rochester’s newest and finest (in my opinion) wine bar. Simone, the owner, is a certified sommelier and her wine knowledge and passion is reflected in the diverse and interesting wine list she has created. Bottles are really well priced and they have a great cheese and meat selection– I loved the Gouda they had opening weekend! The atmosphere and décor are great, beautifully done and a place you will enjoy hanging out for the night. It’s great to have a new place in Rochester owned by locals passionate about wine. I would highly recommend!