Italy's Deep Bench, No Pinot Grigio Apologies
Decatur · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed BoccaLupo’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at BoccaLupo reads like it was curated by someone who actually travels through Italy — not someone who Googled 'Italian wine list template.' Forty-five labels, nearly half of which pour by the glass, and the usual suspects are largely absent. This is a list that has opinions.
The white-heavy orientation makes total sense for an Italian kitchen — we're talking Gavi, Soave Classico, Verdicchio, Greco, Friulano, and a Tokaji Furmint that has no business being this affordable. The sparkling section alone earns respect: Borgoluce Prosecco, Ferrari Brut Rosé, and La Scolca's Sparkling Cortese give you real options beyond the usual Aperol Spritz fodder. The list ventures outside Italy without losing the plot — a Savennières Chenin Blanc from Domaine Laffourcade and an Ott Am Berg Grüner Veltliner keep things interesting. Bottle prices run $28 to $190, but the sweet spot is firmly in the $32–$55 range, which is where most of the best drinking lives.
Eighteen by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a neighborhood Italian spot, and the range spans $8 to $14 — a spread that doesn't punish curiosity. The Poggiotondo Vermentino/Ansonica/Malvasia blend at $8/glass is the kind of pour that makes you order another without checking the bill, and the Andrea Felici Verdicchio at $11/glass punches well above its price.
The Bottom Line
BoccaLupo is the kind of Italian wine list that makes you realize how lazy most Italian restaurant wine lists are. Fair pricing, genuine range, and a by-the-glass program that rewards exploration over habit — this is a list worth your attention. If you're the kind of person who orders Verdicchio or Furmint on a Tuesday night in Decatur, this place already knows you're coming.
Decatur · Decatur · Italian
Sotto Sotto is a genuinely Italian wine list in a city that usually settles for Italian-American approximations — the Timorasso, the Lambrusco di Sorbara, the Franciacorta all signal real intent. The glass program is accessible, markups are reasonable, and the bubbles section alone justifies a visit. If you want depth across all of Italy, you'll hit the edges fast at 68 labels, but what's here is well-chosen. Send a friend who likes to drink something they've never heard of.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Seafood and New American
Wahoo! Grill isn't going to make a wine obsessive rearrange their calendar — but if you're in Decatur on a Wednesday, the half-price bottle deal on wines under $45 makes this one of the better casual wine nights in the neighborhood. Show up for the Sesame-crusted Ahi Tuna, let someone at the table pick a bottle, and don't overthink it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · French and Alsatian
Café Alsace earns the Wild Card badge because it's doing something genuinely unusual in metro Atlanta — serving Alsatian food with a wine list to match, in a neighborhood bistro that doesn't take itself too seriously. We'd love to report more specifics on bottles and pricing, but the concept is sound and the food-wine alignment is real. If you're sitting down to a plate of choucroute garnie, you're probably drinking the right thing — and that's more than most restaurants in this city can say.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · New American
Miller Union is doing something unusual: a wine program with no fat on it, just four deliberate producers matched to a meal's arc. We don't have pricing data to grade the value, and the fixed structure won't satisfy anyone looking to explore freely — but the bones of this list are genuinely good. If you trust the kitchen, trust the wine program too.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · French and New American
The Select is doing honest, competent work on its wine list — fair markups, a generous by-the-glass program, and enough European depth to keep things interesting. It's not going to make a wine obsessive rearrange their calendar, but if you're eating French-leaning food in Decatur and want a glass that actually makes sense with your plate, this place will not let you down.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Oakhurst · Decatur · New American
Scout is punching above its weight class for a neighborhood spot in Oakhurst — a white-wine-forward list built with actual curiosity, fair pricing, and enough depth to reward guests who look past the obvious pours. If you care even a little about what's in your glass, this is worth a detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Henderson · Italian
Trattoria Italia is clearly a restaurant that cares about its food and its room — the vodka rigatoni and seafood linguine have fans, and the vibe earns its date-night reputation. But the wine program is an afterthought at best, and at a price point where you'd expect at least a thoughtful Italian-focused list, four labels feels like a real missed opportunity. Order a cocktail or bring your own if corkage is an option — and check before you go.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Italian
No. 246 is pulling off something quietly impressive: a short, all-by-the-glass wine list that still manages to surface obscure Italian grapes and quality producers without charging for the privilege. The $14–$21 glass range is honest, the Italian focus is genuine, and the Cincinnato Nero Buono alone earns a visit. If you're in Decatur and want to drink well without doing homework, this is a reliable place to let the list do the thinking.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Italian
Pasta Vino isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a neighborhood Italian with a list that actually makes sense for the room. Pricing is fair across the board, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the Italian selections (especially the Chianti duo and the Lugana) show some genuine thought. Send a friend here for dinner knowing they'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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