350 Wines and Structured Flights at Avalon
Alpharetta (Avalon) · Atlanta · Wine Bar & Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · February 10, 2026
RagingWine reviewed CRU Food & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
With over 350 wines on the list, CRU demystifies wine in a casually elegant setting at Avalon. Their signature experience is wine flights organized by varietal, region, or style, which makes it easy to compare and learn. Wines range from moderately priced everyday drinkers to rare finds, all handpicked to pair with shared appetizers, gourmet pizzas, lamb lollipops, and cheese fondue. Originally founded in Dallas in 2002, CRU brings over two decades of wine-bar expertise.
Regular events include Pizza Monday, Champagne Thursday, and Sunday Brunch with wine pairings. The rooftop patio overlooking The Plaza at Avalon is ideal for a long evening of sipping. For the north Atlanta suburbs, this is the most serious wine program available without driving into the city.
CRU is reliable and well-established. 350 wines, structured flights, and a rooftop patio at Avalon. If you live in Alpharetta or north Fulton, this is your wine home base.
The Bottom Line
CRU Food & Wine Bar brings 350 wines and two decades of wine-bar expertise to Alpharetta. Structured flights, rooftop patio, and the most serious wine program in the north Atlanta suburbs.
· Atlanta · New American / Tasting Menu
Choose your courses, then choose your glasses. Bacchanalia's posted pairings give you concrete options: Carl Loewen Riesling at $24 with crab, or Ca' La Bionda Ripasso at $27 with duck. Ask which suggestions match tonight's menu before committing to the wine bill.
Midtown · Atlanta · Southern European
Start with the $14 Vostinic-Klasnic Ikons if you want to explore beyond familiar grapes, or the $16 chilled La Galoche Gamay if that's your lane. Lyla Lila's posted glass list makes trying something different a one-glass decision, not a whole-bottle commitment.
· Atlanta · New American
Siren has a wine list that punches above its weight in a few key areas — particularly the by-the-glass whites and the Champagne bottle program — but the markup structure means you're spending real money to access it. If you're the kind of diner who wants to order Furmint on a Tuesday night in Atlanta, this is one of the few places that makes that possible, and that alone earns it a spot on the shortlist.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Regional Italian
Make Monday your bottle night at Indaco: half off bottles priced up to $100, then $50 off above that. Ask for the current bottle list before choosing; the discount has a ceiling, even if your wine budget doesn't.
Atlanta · Atlanta · Vietnamese
NAM Kitchen is doing something genuinely unexpected: running a thoughtful, fairly priced 68-label wine list inside a Vietnamese restaurant, anchored by a strong sparkling section and some legitimately food-smart white wine choices. If you're the kind of person who wants a real glass of wine with your bún bò Huế, this is worth knowing about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Il Premio is a steakhouse that took its wine list seriously enough to skip the obvious plays, and the result is one of the more interesting Italian-focused lists in Atlanta right now. It's compact, priced fairly across the board, and built for exploration — whether you're going glass by glass through the Italian regions or just need a solid bottle of Chianti Classico at $72 to make a steak dinner feel right. We'd send a friend here specifically for the wine.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Kennewick · Wine Bar & Bistro
Wine & More isn't trying to be a destination list — it's trying to be your friendly neighborhood pour at a price that doesn't sting. For a low-stakes wine night in Kennewick, it delivers exactly what it promises.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Columbia · Wine Bar & Bistro
Cherry Street Cellar is doing something genuinely uncommon for Columbia — an Old World-focused wine program in a space that actually feels like it belongs in a bigger city. We'd send a curious friend here on a Tuesday at 5:59 p.m. without hesitation.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Roanoke · Roanoke · Wine Bar & Bistro
Well Hung Vineyard Roanoke is a genuinely fun, no-pretense stop for anyone curious about what Virginia wine is doing right now — the branding is a lot, but the pours back it up. Send a friend here if they think Virginia wine is a punchline; they'll leave thinking otherwise.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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