California Cabs Meet Turkish Reds in Alpharetta
· Alpharetta · Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed November 2, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Efendi Mediterranean Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Efendi leans hard into recognizable California names — Prisoner, Duckhorn, Stag's Leap — with a small but genuinely interesting cluster of Turkish wines tucked in at the bottom. It's a list built to reassure, not surprise. That said, the pricing is reasonable enough that you won't feel penalized for ordering a bottle.
Forty-two labels sounds like a lot until you realize most of the real estate is owned by California Cabs and Pinot Noirs that you've seen on every steakhouse menu from here to Scottsdale. The Leviathan Red Blend 2022 at $85 and the Stag's Leap Artemis Cab 2021 at $110 give the list some ambition, and the lone French outlier — Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2013 at $220 — is a legitimately serious bottle that has no business being on the same list as Canyon Road Moscato. The Turkish section, featuring Kavaklidere Yakut and Villa Doluca, is small but it's the most distinctive thing here and deserves more attention than it probably gets. White wine options are limited and largely unspecified in depth, which is a missed opportunity given the Mediterranean menu.
Twenty by-the-glass options is a strong count for a restaurant this size, and the pricing stays between $10 and $16 per glass, which is genuinely approachable for Alpharetta. The range skews red and recognizable — Elouan Pinot Noir at $12/glass and Rodney Strong Cab at $14/glass are crowd-pleasers that do the job — but don't expect anything adventurous or rotating out of the BTG program.
The Bottom Line
Efendi's wine list is a competent, fair-priced selection that plays it safe with California heavyweights while quietly sneaking in a few Turkish bottles that are the most compelling things on the menu. If you're here, do yourself a favor and skip the Prisoner, grab the Kavaklidere Yakut, and let the kitchen do what it does. It's not a destination wine list, but it won't let you down either.
42 wines captured from the source list, including wines not yet matched to our catalog. Availability, vintages, and prices can change. View source wine list.
ELOUAN Pinot Noir, Oregon, 2023 Glass 12 / Bottle 45
REDS
$12.00 / glass · $45.00 / bottle
MEIOMI Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, 2022 Glass 15 / Bottle 55
REDS
$15.00 / glass · $55.00 / bottle
FIRESTONE Merlot, California, 2023 Glass 11 / Bottle 40
REDS
$11.00 / glass · $40.00 / bottle
ROTH ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, 2023 Glass 11 / Bottle 40
REDS
$11.00 / glass · $40.00 / bottle
RODNEY STRONG Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, 2022 Glass 14 / Bottle 55
REDS
$14.00 / glass · $55.00 / bottle
SEPTIMA Malbec, Mendoza, 2024 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
REDS
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
JUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, 2022 Bottle 75
REDS
$75.00 / bottle
WAGNER FAMILY "QUILT" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2022 Bottle 80
REDS
$80.00 / bottle
LEVIATHAN Red Blend, California, 2022 Bottle 85
REDS
$85.00 / bottle
PRISONER Red Blend, Napa Valley, 2021 Bottle 90
REDS
$90.00 / bottle
BELLE GLOS "CLARK & TELEPHONE" Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, 2023 Bottle 90
REDS
$90.00 / bottle
DUCKHORN Merlot, Napa Valley, 2022 Bottle 95
REDS
$95.00 / bottle
DARIUSH CARAVAN Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2021 Bottle 95
REDS
$95.00 / bottle
AUSTIN HOPE Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, 2022 Bottle 100
REDS
$100.00 / bottle
STAG'S LEAP "ARTEMIS" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2021 Bottle 110
REDS
$110.00 / bottle
LE CLOS DU CAILLOU Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France, 2013 Bottle $220
REDS
$220.00 / bottle
DARIOUSH Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2022 Bottle 250
REDS
$250.00 / bottle
KAVAKLIDERE YAKUT Red, Eastern Anatolia, 2023 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
TURKISH REDS
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
VILLA DOLUCA Red Blend, Anatolia, NV Glass 10 / Bottle 38
TURKISH REDS
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
CANYON ROAD Moscato, California, 2020 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
WHITES
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
WILLAMETTE VALLEY Riesling, Oregon, 2023 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
WHITES
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
HAYES RANGE Pinot Grigio, California, 2024 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
WHITES
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
WENTE Chardonnay, Central Coast, 2023 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
WHITES
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
RAEBURN Chardonnay, Sonoma County, 2023 Glass 13 / Bottle 50
WHITES
$13.00 / glass · $50.00 / bottle
WHITE HEAVEN Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, 2021 Glass 12 / Bottle 45
WHITES
$12.00 / glass · $45.00 / bottle
CLOUDY BAY Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, 2025 Bottle 60
WHITES
$60.00 / bottle
FLOWERS VINEYARD & WINERY Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, 2024 Bottle 120
WHITES
$120.00 / bottle
VILLA DOLUCA KLASIK White Blend, Turkey, 2023 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
TURKISH WHITES
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
CANKAYA White Blend, Central Anatolia, 2023 Glass 10 / Bottle 38
TURKISH WHITES
$10.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
UMURBEY White Blend, Tekirdag, 2024 Bottle 45
TURKISH WHITES
$45.00 / bottle
SANTA MARINA Prosecco, Italy, 2023 Glass 10 / Bottle 35
SPARKLING
$10.00 / glass · $35.00 / bottle
LAMARCA Prosecco, Italy, NV Glass 12 / Bottle 45
SPARKLING
$12.00 / glass · $45.00 / bottle
KORBEL Brut Champagne, Sonoma County, NV Bottle 70
SPARKLING
$70.00 / bottle
VEUVE CLICQUOT Champagne, France, NV Bottle 100
SPARKLING
$100.00 / bottle
VEUVE CLICQUOT ROSE Rose, France, NV Bottle 120
SPARKLING
$120.00 / bottle
VEUVE CLICQUOT Champagne, France, NV Bottle 100
Champagne
$100.00 / bottle
VEUVE CLICQUOT ROSE Rose, France, NV Bottle 120
Champagne
$120.00 / bottle
LOUIS ROEDERER Champagne, France Bottle 120
Champagne
$120.00 / bottle
BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVEE Brut Champagne, France, NV Bottle 250
Champagne
$250.00 / bottle
DON PERIGNON Champagne, France, 2015 Bottle 700
Champagne
$700.00 / bottle
GERARD BERTRAND Cote des Rose, France, 2024 Glass 16 / Bottle 60
Rosé
$16.00 / glass · $60.00 / bottle
FLEURS DE PRAIRIE Rose, France, 2024 Glass 13 / Bottle 50
Rosé
$13.00 / glass · $50.00 / bottle
Downtown Alpharetta · Alpharetta · American Comfort / Bar
Sunset Alpharetta is a genuinely fun night out in Downtown Alpharetta, and the wine list won't ruin it — but it also won't be the reason you come back. The regional focus on California and Italy keeps things familiar, pricing appears to lean steep for the area, and there's no evidence of a wine program with ambition beyond the basics. Go for the vibe, order what sounds good, and don't overthink the list.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Steakhouse
Coalition's wine list won't excite the adventurous drinker, but it delivers what a Alpharetta steakhouse crowd actually wants: familiar names, fair prices, and the ability to pour by the glass across almost the entire list. The Comte Sancerre and Hito Tempranillo show there's at least some ambition beyond the Caymus comfort zone. If you're eating steak here, you'll drink well without overpaying.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Wine Bar
The Velvet Note is one of Alpharetta's most genuinely distinctive nights out — a close-up jazz listening room that happens to serve wine, not a wine bar that happens to have music. The wine program leans Italian and Californian but isn't documented well enough for us to make specific bottle calls; pricing trends steep for the area. Come for the experience, order what sounds good, and let the music do the heavy lifting.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · New American/Southern
UP on the Roof may have a great view and a solid brunch menu, but the wine program isn't a reason to visit — it's barely a reason to look up from the cocktail list. If wine matters to you even a little, order something bubbly and move on; there's nothing here to chase.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern
Royalz is a lounge first and a wine destination never. The flat $12-a-glass pricing hides a list where most bottles cost less than a movie ticket at retail, and the Josh Cellars takeover makes it feel like no one is steering this ship. If you're here for the atmosphere, stick to cocktails — or order the Maison L'Envoyé and don't look too hard at anything else.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Gastropub/Tavern
Taffer's Tavern Alpharetta isn't trying to impress wine people, and that's fine — it's a gastropub with a crowd-pleasing list built for guests who want a bottle they already know. If you're with a table full of Caymus fans, everyone goes home happy. If you're hoping for something interesting or fairly priced, the Greywacke is your best play and then let it go.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Buckhead · Atlanta · Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern
Pasha is a genuinely fun night out — the atmosphere is lively, the food lands well, and the crowd is into it. But the wine program is operating in the background rather than earning its place on the table. Until there's a public list with real prices and identifiable producers, we'd recommend asking the server what's open and ordering a glass of whatever they're excited about — or just start with a cocktail and see where the night takes you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
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
Sandy Springs · Sandy Springs · Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern
Zafron isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — the list exists to support the food, not steal the spotlight. Markups are fair, every bottle pours by the glass, and there are a few genuinely solid picks if you know where to look. Send a friend here for the Persian food and tell them to order the Allegrini.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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