Small list, big personality, zero pretense
Inman Park · Atlanta · Wine bar / tapas · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · August 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Kevin Rathbun's Krog Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Seventeen bottles, all pourable by the glass — Krog Bar isn't trying to overwhelm you with options, it's trying to make sure you actually drink something good tonight. The list reads like someone sat down with a sharp palate and a budget and made deliberate choices. That alone puts it ahead of half the wine lists in Atlanta.
The list punches across all the right regions without spreading itself thin — you've got Italian depth (Lambrusco, Barbera, Montepulciano, Chianti Classico), a nod to the Pacific Northwest with the Illahe Pinot Noir and Willamette Valley Pinot Gris, and proper Old World anchors like the Chateau Les Glories Sancerre and Viña Alberdi Reserva Tempranillo. The sparkling section earns its keep with the underrated Treveri Brut Blanc de Blanc alongside a crowd-pleasing Montinore Prosecco. Gaps exist — there's no Burgundy, no Bordeaux, no serious Riesling — but the picks that are here feel intentional rather than lazy. For a tapas spot, this is exactly the kind of list you want: versatile, food-friendly, and not trying to be a wine encyclopedia.
Every single bottle on the list is available by the glass, which is the whole point here and we respect it fully. Prices run $12–$25, which is honest money for Atlanta, and the range covers enough ground that you can build a casual tasting flight without asking anyone's permission. Rotation appears slow — this looks like a set list rather than something that shifts with seasons — but the quality floor is high enough that you won't feel stuck.
Viña Alberdi Reserva Tempranillo — $14
La Rioja Alta's entry-level Reserva is a legitimately serious wine with real aging behind it — you're getting a producer that plays in the same sandbox as wines costing three times as much. At this price by the glass, it's the easiest call on the list.
Treveri Brut Blanc de Blanc
Washington State sparkling wine still gets eye-rolls from people who haven't tried it, and that's their loss. Treveri makes clean, precise bubbly from Columbia Valley and it consistently outperforms its price point. Most people reach for the Prosecco. Don't.
Hill Family Estate Chardonnay
Nothing wrong with it exactly, but in a list full of more interesting white options — Sancerre, Pinot Gris, Gavi — a California Chardonnay at the top of the price range is the safe, boring pick that makes us sad. You came here for tapas, not a Napa tasting room.
Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco + Charcuterie board
Fizzy, slightly tannic, bone dry Lambrusco against cured meats and aged cheeses is one of the great low-key food pairings in wine. It cuts fat, refreshes the palate, and costs you almost nothing. This is the move.
The Bottom Line
Krog Bar isn't trying to win awards for its wine program — it's trying to make sure you have a great glass while you eat well, and on that count it delivers consistently. Send your friends here, point them toward the Tempranillo or the Lambrusco, and stop overthinking it.
Virginia-Highland · Atlanta · Butcher Shop / Tasting Menu Pop-up
Kinship is the Wild Card badge in its purest form: a butcher shop and sandwich counter moonlighting as a legitimate wine destination, with a sommelier on staff and a tasting menu that'll run you $325 a head. Come for the meat, stay because the wine list earned it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Atlanta · Atlanta · Spanish
Buena Vida doesn't have the deepest list in Atlanta, but they've done real work curating twenty bottles that actually match the food and the spirit of the place — and with 18 pours available by the glass at fair prices, it's one of the more inviting wine setups on the tapas scene. Send your friends here.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· 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
· Niagara Falls · Wine bar / tapas
Wine on Third is a genuinely solid neighborhood wine bar doing a lot of things right for the price — 41 by-the-glass options at $9–$12 is hard to argue with. Don't come looking for discovery; come looking for a good pour with your small plates and you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Wine bar / tapas
Krog Bar is the rare spot where a short list feels like a feature, not a limitation. If you want to drink well by the glass without committing to a bottle or decoding a 12-page novel of a wine list, this is your place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
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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