Hotel List Phoning It In From The Minibar
Downtown · Atlanta · Hotel Restaurant / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Drafting Table Cocktails & Kitchen’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Drafting Table reads like someone handed a hotel F&B manager a distributor's greatest hits catalog and said 'just pick twenty.' You're not going to find anything surprising here — this is a list built for the path of least resistance, designed to reassure convention attendees, not inspire anyone. Twenty bottles into the research and we're already tired.
Twenty-one labels with almost no regional ambition. The whites lean heavily on safe California Chardonnay (William Hill, Proverb, Elouan — all three making an appearance somehow), and the reds are a parade of grocery store staples: Josh Cellars Cab, Liberty School Cab, Proverb Cab. There's a token nod toward Europe with Banfi Centine and Maso Canali Pinot Grigio, but neither exactly screams adventurous programming. Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc is the lone bright spot that suggests someone, somewhere, once cared about this list.
Nearly the entire list — 20 of 21 bottles — pours by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize you're being offered the same safe crowd-pleasers at $13–$19 a pop. Glass pours at those prices for Josh Cellars and Proverb feel like a stretch. There's no visible rotation happening here; this list has the energy of something laminated two years ago and never revisited.
Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc — $16/glass
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from a producer that actually has a reputation — Craggy Range makes legitimately good wine. In a list full of filler, this one earns its glass price and then some.
Banfi Centine Super Tuscan Red Blend
Most people scrolling past Josh Cellars aren't going to stop at Centine, but this Tuscan blend — Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot — drinks well above its hotel-list station and offers actual character in a lineup that otherwise lacks it entirely.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
This bottle retails for $13–$15 at your local grocery store. Paying hotel restaurant prices for Josh Cellars is a deal that only works in Josh's favor.
Kung Fu Girl Riesling + Any spicy or Asian-inflected dish on the menu
Charles Smith's Kung Fu Girl is an off-dry Washington Riesling with enough acidity and a touch of sweetness to handle heat. If the kitchen is running anything with chile or a bold sauce, this is the move — it's one of the few wines here with enough personality to actually respond to food.
The Bottom Line
This is a hotel wine list that knows it's a hotel wine list and isn't embarrassed about it. If you're eating here because your conference badge requires it, grab the Craggy Range and move on — but don't make a special trip.
· Atlanta · Sushi / Omakase
Sushi By Bou is clearly here to serve great fish — and the wine list confirms that wine is very much an afterthought. Order the Dom if you're feeling flush or the Hampton Water if you're being sensible, and let the food do the heavy lifting.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Mediterranean / New American
Rose & Rye isn't a destination for wine nerds, but it's a perfectly functional list for a date night where the wine is supporting the evening, not headlining it. Order the Crémant, avoid the Caymus markup, and you'll do just fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Hal's delivers a competent, Napa-forward bottle list that does exactly what a steakhouse wine program is supposed to do — just without much surprise or value mercy. Send a friend here if they want a reliable big-red experience; warn them to leave the credit card breathing room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Fast Casual
Nando's is here for the chicken, and the wine list knows it — eight uninspired labels that exist to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Vinho Verde, enjoy your peri-peri, and don't overthink it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Stemless Casual
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Southern
SouthernNational is doing something genuinely unusual — running a tight, Europe-forward wine list inside a Southern kitchen, and mostly pulling it off. If you're tired of the same Sonoma Pinot and overpriced Malbec at every restaurant in town, this list is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Napa Valley · Napa · Hotel Restaurant / New American
The Elene is doing something genuinely uncommon for a Napa hotel restaurant: it's built a wine list with a real perspective. Pricing is fair, the whites and sparkling section is worth the visit on its own, and if you're tired of being handed the same Napa Cab lineup every time you sit down, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Eugene · Hotel Restaurant / New American
The Wheelhouse is a perfectly fine place to drink Oregon wine if you're already at the Gordon and don't feel like walking. As a destination for wine specifically? There are better reasons to be somewhere else in Eugene.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
New Castle · Portsmouth · Hotel Restaurant / New American
Salt Kitchen & Bar is a perfectly adequate place to drink wine if you're already staying at the Wentworth, but we wouldn't recommend driving out to New Castle for the list. Order the local seafood, pick something coastal to drink, and enjoy the view — that's the real value here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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