Smoke, Fire, and Wines You Won't Expect
Downtown · Raleigh · Wood-Fired American · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed March 17, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a downtown Raleigh room built around fire and smoke, and then the wine list hands you a Schiava from Alto Adige and an orange Chardonnay from Mendoza. That disconnect is exactly what makes this place interesting. Ashley Christensen's team clearly has opinions, and they're not keeping them to themselves.
The list skews natural-wine-adjacent without going full hipster farmer co-op — there's a Loire Cab Franc rosé from Guiberteau sitting next to a Novelty Hill Viognier from Washington's Columbia Valley, which tells you these folks are mixing Old World instincts with genuine American curiosity. France and Italy anchor the list, but the real character comes from the outliers: a Carignan-Valdigue blend from Mendocino, a Grillo from Sicily, and that Santa Julia orange Chardonnay from Argentina that most restaurants wouldn't touch. The gaps show — no dedicated Burgundy reds, thin on Spain, and the bottle list depth remains a question mark. But for a hearth-focused restaurant, the wine program punches well above the expected.
Fourteen options by the glass is genuinely generous, and the range covers sparkling, orange, rosé, white, and red without padding the list with filler. The Beaujolais Nouveau from Chermette and the Muscadet from Louis Métaireau both feel like active, deliberate choices rather than afterthoughts. What we don't know is how often the list rotates — and at these price points, that matters.
Louis Métaireau Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet, France 2023) — Unknown
Muscadet at a wood-fire restaurant is a quiet masterstroke — bright acidity, saline edge, and enough structure to cut through charred anything. Métaireau is a reliable name in the appellation, and if this is priced anywhere near fair, it's the most food-friendly glass on the list.
Cantina Tramin Schiava (Alto Adige, Italy 2023)
Nobody orders Schiava. It's pale, light, and slightly floral — basically the anti-Cabernet — but it's exactly what you want with smoky, slightly fatty wood-fired meat. Most diners skip right past it for something they recognize, which means there's more for the rest of us.
Brea 'Margarita Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles, California 2023)
Paso Robles Cab is a reliable crowd-pleaser, but it's also the most predictable thing on a list that's otherwise trying hard to be interesting. In a room with Nebbiolo and Carignan on offer, ordering this is like skipping the menu and asking for a burger.
Lioco 'Indica' Carignan/Valdigue (Mendocino, California 2023) + Wood-fired chicken
Lioco's Indica is a low-intervention, juicy red with enough acidity and grip to stand up to smoke and char without overpowering a lighter protein. The earthy, fruit-forward profile of Carignan-Valdigue is basically built for fire-kissed chicken.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Death & Taxes earns its Wild Card badge — it's a fire-cooking restaurant with a wine list that's actually trying, and that's rarer than it should be. The pricing isn't a bargain, but the selection is thoughtful enough that we'd steer a friend straight to the glass pours and tell them to order something they've never heard of.
Glenwood South · Raleigh · Mediterranean
Vidrio isn't trying to reinvent wine lists, and it doesn't need to — solid French selections, fair pricing, and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you options make this a dependable wine destination in Raleigh. Send a friend here and they won't come back disappointed.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · American, Seafood
The Players Retreat is the Wild Card because nobody walks in expecting a legitimate wine program at a beloved Raleigh neighborhood bar — and yet, here we are. Matt Fern keeps things credible, the California and French anchors are well-chosen, and as long as you steer past the grocery-store staples, you're drinking better than the room suggests.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Raleigh · Raleigh · Italian
Cucciolo Terrazza is a genuine surprise in Raleigh's dining scene — a neighborhood Italian with a wine list that earns its Wine Spectator badge and actually makes you want to explore beyond the first familiar name you recognize. Send your friends here and tell them to skip the Napa Cab.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brier Creek · Raleigh · Indian
Azitra is doing something genuinely unusual — running a Wine Spectator-caliber list at an upscale Indian restaurant in Raleigh — and largely pulling it off. The Wednesday half-price program alone makes it worth putting in your rotation; the Bollinger and the Drouhin make it worth telling your friends about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
Unknown · Raleigh · Pizza
Ruckus Pizza is a solid spot for a casual pizza night — just don't come for the wine. Order a beer or a cocktail, or grab a bottle from the shop next door if they'll let you bring it in.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Apex · Raleigh · Winery (BYOF or charcuterie)
Cloer is a Wild Card in the best sense: it's a real working vineyard producing honest North Carolina wine at fair prices, and the vibe alone is worth the trip out of Raleigh. Bring food, bring friends, and give the Muscadine a real shot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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