Tuesday Half-Price Nights Are Not A Drill
Queen Anne · Seattle · Italian, Pacific Northwest · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 15, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed How To Cook A Wolf – Queen Anne’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at How To Cook A Wolf is short enough to actually read before your bread arrives — and that's a feature, not a bug. It's curated with a clear point of view: Italy first, Pacific Northwest second, with a quiet lean toward natural and minimal-intervention producers that doesn't feel like a trend-chasing gimmick. This is a neighborhood restaurant that actually thought about its wine program.
The list runs 50-80 bottles and stays firmly in its lane — Italian regionals (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Vermentino) anchor the core, with Washington and Oregon Pinot Noir holding down the Pacific Northwest flank. The natural wine presence is real but restrained; these aren't funky-for-funky's-sake pours, they're minimal-intervention bottles that fit the seasonal small-plates format. The gap, if there is one, is depth beyond the Italy-PNW axis — if you're hunting for Rhône or Burgundy, you're at the wrong restaurant. But within its scope, the list earns its choices.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is generous for a room this size, and the price range of $12-$18 keeps things accessible without feeling like a dive bar free-for-all. The glass program appears to rotate with the seasonal menu, which means the Vermentino you loved in April might be gone by July — annoying if you're a creature of habit, exciting if you trust the kitchen's instincts.
Vermentino (Italian regional selection) — $12–$15/glass
Vermentino at this price point in a sit-down Italian spot is almost always a steal — it's bright, saline, and cuts right through the richness of the housemade pastas without demanding your full attention. Order it early, order it often.
Barbera (Italian regional selection)
Most tables walk right past Barbera for something more recognizable, which is a mistake. It's got enough acidity to handle anything on this menu and enough fruit to keep non-wine-nerds happy — a crossover pick that rarely gets the credit it deserves.
Pacific Northwest Pinot Noir (bottle, top end)
At $90-$120 a bottle, the upper-tier PNW Pinots here push into territory where you could do better at a dedicated wine bar down the street. The lower-priced pours on this list are where the value lives — don't let the high end distract you.
Nebbiolo (Italian regional selection) + Housemade tagliatelle
Nebbiolo's high acid and grippy tannins are basically engineered to cut through a rich, slow-cooked meat ragu. The tagliatelle here is the obvious landing spot — the wine's structure keeps the dish from going heavy, and the dish softens the wine's edges. Classic for a reason.
Tuesday — All glasses, bottles, and nonalcoholic drinks are half price on Tuesdays — a standing weekly promotion marketed to neighborhood regulars. No exclusions specified. Confirm current availability before you go.
The Bottom Line
How To Cook A Wolf is doing something quietly right: a focused, fairly priced wine list that actually matches the food, in a room that makes you want to stay for another glass. Show up on a Tuesday and it becomes one of the better wine deals in the city.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp