A Pig in a Fur Coat
Old World ambition on a Wisconsin side street
Williamson Street · Madison · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 31, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at A Pig in a Fur Coat feels like it was curated by someone who actually drinks wine and gets genuinely excited about it — not someone filling a checklist. Thirty labels isn't a deep cellar, but when you're staring at a 2008 Vietti Barolo and a 2007 Allegrini Amarone on Williamson Street in Madison, you stop asking questions and start ordering.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into Italy — Piedmont, Alto Adige, Veneto — and it lands. Marchesi Di Gresy Barbera D'Asti and a Tramin Lagrein from Alto Adige give you regional depth that most restaurants twice this size don't bother with. Spain shows up via a Capcanes Mas Donis Grenache-Syrah from Montsant, which is exactly the kind of underdog appellation a list like this should be championing. France gets a nod with Trimbach Gewurztraminer and a Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, and a Catena Malbec from Mendoza rounds out the South American corner — it's focused, purposeful, and almost nothing feels like filler.
By the Glass
Eight options by the glass is a reasonable spread for a 30-bottle list, and the rotation suggests someone is paying attention to what's on those butcher-block tables. We'd push them to rotate more aggressively — with bottles this interesting, the glass program could be a real differentiator. For now, it's a solid if slightly static lineup.
2009 Capcanes Mas Donis Grenache Syrah, Montsant — N/A
Montsant is Priorat's overlooked neighbor — same rocky terrain, fraction of the price. The Mas Donis is a meaty, dark-fruited pour that punches well above what you'd expect to pay for it in a restaurant setting. Order this before someone else at the table beats you to it.
2011 Tramin Lagrein, Alto Adige
Lagrein is one of the most underappreciated grapes in Italy — dark, smoky, and deeply savory with a softness that surprises people who've never had it. Most diners walk right past it for something they recognize. That's a mistake. Tramin is one of the best producers in Alto Adige and this is a steal of an introduction.
NV Zardetto Prosecco Glera, Veneto
Zardetto is perfectly fine Prosecco, but it's also on the shelf at every Total Wine in America. On a list this curated, it's the one slot that feels like a concession to the crowd rather than a conviction buy. If you want bubbles, ask what they have that's more interesting.
2007 Allegrini Amarone, Veneto + Pork Belly
Amarone is built for rich, fatty meat — the concentrated dried-grape intensity cuts right through pork belly's unctuousness and gives you something to chew on between bites. The Allegrini is a serious bottle and the pork belly is the dish that can keep up with it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
A Pig in a Fur Coat is a Wild Card in the best possible way — a cozy, slightly offbeat spot that has no business having a Vietti Barolo and an Allegrini Amarone on the list, and yet here we are. Yes, send your wine-curious friends here, just tell them to look past the Prosecco.
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