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.
Downtown Atlanta · Atlanta · Sports Bar / American
Stats is a brewpub — drink the beer. But if you need a glass of wine while watching the game, the Whitehaven or the rosé will get you through the night without embarrassing anyone. Just don't come here expecting the wine list to be the point.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Buckhead · Atlanta · Cocktail Lounge / Small Plates
The Garden Room isn't a wine destination, but it's a respectable place to drink if you know what to order. Come for the bubbles, the Boscarelli, or the Riesling — and manage your expectations on the markup.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Bar & Restaurant
Bottle Rocket ATL isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but $10–$15 a glass for Cupcake and Coppola is asking a lot of goodwill. Order the Casanova di Neri, appreciate the one good decision someone made, and don't expect more than that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian Fusion
Tenku Avenue gets the format right — all glass, no bottle minimums — but the list itself plays it too safe for a kitchen that presumably takes more risks than this. Go in knowing what you want, grab the Acrobat or the Blank Stare, and don't let anyone upsell you into the Belle Glos.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Taiwanese / Asian
Lucky Star proves you don't need a long wine list to have a good one — just a clear point of view and the restraint to stick to it. If you eat here and skip the wine, you're doing it wrong.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Mexican / Mezcal Bar
Patria is a mezcal bar doing something genuinely unexpected with its wine list — an all-Mexican lineup that earns your attention even if the pricing occasionally tests your patience. If you're curious about what Mexican wine actually tastes like, this is your best classroom in Atlanta.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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
Downtown / East Superior Street · Duluth · Hotel Restaurant / New American
Restaurant 301 is where wine goes to coast on name recognition and hotel captive-audience pricing. If you're staying at the Sheraton and need a glass of something familiar with dinner, it's fine — but we wouldn't cross the street for this list, let alone plan a night around it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Allentown · Allentown · Hotel Restaurant / New American
The Dime is a competent hotel wine program — reliable, inoffensive, and priced for the room rather than the wine. If you're staying at the Renaissance or grabbing dinner before a show, you'll find something drinkable; just don't come here expecting to geek out.
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.