Suburban wine bar punching well above its zip code
Avalon District · Johns Creek · Wine Bar / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 22, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Cru Food & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
A wine bar inside a manicured mixed-use development in Johns Creek isn't exactly where you expect to find Taittinger, Trimbach, and Ceretto sharing a menu. But here we are. The list is tighter than the name implies — 45 labels — yet whoever put it together clearly gave a damn about what goes on it.
The list is organized around flights — Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Riesling, and Bubbles — which tells you this place is built for exploration, not just bottle-grabbing. The white wine coverage is genuinely solid: you've got Loire representation via J de Villebois, Alsace via Trimbach, Italian whites like Ceretto Arneis and Benvolio Pinot Grigio, Galician Albariño from Terras Gauda, and proper Chablis from La Chablisienne. Red wine coverage is not included in the extracted data, which is either a gap in our research or a gap in the list — something to ask when you arrive. The bubbly section earns points for including real Champagne (Taittinger) alongside accessible Napa sparklers.
Every bottle on the list is also available by the glass, which is the whole point here — this is a by-the-glass program with a capital B. Pours range from $12 (Echo Bay, Bieler Rosé) up to $32 for the Taittinger, giving you room to explore without committing to a bottle. The flight format is where the real fun is, assuming the staff can walk you through it.
The Bottom Line
Cru is doing something genuinely uncommon for suburban Atlanta — a thoughtful, explorable by-the-glass program with real producers and fair pricing. We'd send a friend here specifically to work through the Riesling flight (Trimbach, Eroica, August Kessler all on one menu is not nothing). Just go in knowing the food program is an open question from a wine-review standpoint.
· Johns Creek · Mediterranean/Greek
Santorini Johns Creek isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its all-Greek list is focused enough to actually teach you something about the country's grapes — and at $45 across most of the board, you can experiment without stress. If you've never had Moscofilero or Agiorgitiko, this is a low-stakes place to start. Send a curious friend; skip it if they insist on Malbec.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Asian
ARI is a genuinely fun wine wildcard — a Korean BBQ spot that takes its beverage program seriously enough to include both Twomey and Omija berry wine on the same list. The markups get steep in spots, but the by-the-glass selection is wide and the Korean wines are worth exploring. If you're going for the BBQ, start with the Bokbunja or grab a bottle of The Show Malbec and let the grill do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Asian
Le Mekong clearly puts its energy into the kitchen, not the wine cellar — and that's probably the right call. If you're eating here, grab the Cono Sur Pinot Noir or the J Lohr Riesling and focus on the food. Don't come here for the wine list; come here despite it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern
Persian Basket has put together a wine list that respects both its guests and its cuisine — fair pricing, real producers, and a by-the-glass selection that gives you options beyond the obvious. It's not a destination wine list, but it's the kind of list that makes a neighborhood restaurant genuinely better. If you're heading there for food, the wine won't let you down.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Johns Creek · Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern
Noosh Kitchen's wine list is competent, fairly priced, and built for the broadest possible audience — which means it won't thrill anyone looking for something interesting, but it won't embarrass you either. The markup is honest and the by-the-glass selection is generous. Go for the Chehalem Chardonnay or the Barone Fini, eat the food, and don't expect the list to do anything unexpected.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Avalon · Johns Creek · Wine Bar / New American
CRÚ is doing something right in the sparkling department — a Champagne and bubbly selection this broad is rare in Johns Creek, and it earns the place real credit. The markups run steep across the board and the still wine list plays it very safe, but if you're meeting friends for a bottle of bubbles before dinner, this is a legitimate destination. Go in with the sparkling list in mind and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bridgeport · Wine Bar / New American
Scena has the bones of a genuinely good wine bar — a focused regional philosophy, a room that respects wine as a centerpiece, and a kitchen sending out dishes that should pair well with what's in those displays. The catch is the pricing sits at the high end for Fairfield County, and without a transparent, accessible wine list, you're leaning on the staff to guide you. Go with curiosity, ask a lot of questions, and don't be afraid to push back if a recommendation feels like an upsell.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Sedona · Wine Bar / New American
Vino Di Sedona earns the Wild Card badge by doing what few tourist-destination wine bars bother to do: stocking skin-contact pours, Arizona locals, and genuinely interesting worldly whites at prices that don't punish you for being in a scenery hotspot. If you're in Sedona and want a real glass of wine — not just something red in a big glass — this is the move.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Champaign · Wine Bar / New American
Sun Singer is punching well above its weight for central Illinois — the sparkling program alone makes it worth a detour, and the bottle list has enough personality to reward anyone willing to look past the house pours. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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