Safe Harbor for the Chardonnay Crowd
· Alpharetta · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed May 29, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Kona Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The Kona Grill wine list reads like a greatest hits album for the suburban dining set — Rombauer, Whispering Angel, Caymus, The Prisoner. You've seen this list before, probably at three other restaurants in this zip code. That's not necessarily a knock, but don't come here expecting any surprises.
Thirty-five bottles, heavily skewed toward California with a few token international appearances — Craggy Range from New Zealand, Terrazas de los Andes from Argentina, and that's about as far as the passport gets stamped. The Caymus family has practically colonized this list: Bonanza, Sea Sun, Conundrum, and full-fat Caymus Cabernet all show up, which tells you a lot about the positioning. There's no Old World presence to speak of, no Burgundy, no Rhône, no Italian reds beyond Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio on the white side. It works for the crowd it's built for, but serious wine drinkers will feel the ceiling quickly.
Twenty pours by the glass on a 35-bottle list is a genuinely solid ratio — more than half the cellar is accessible without committing to a bottle. The range covers the expected bases from La Marca Prosecco through Caymus Cab, which means groups with mixed preferences can actually all get what they want. There's no evidence of a formal rotating program, so what you see is likely what you get season after season.
Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc — $13
In a list dominated by California comfort picks, this Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc punches well above its glass-pour price — bright, precise, and a genuine alternative to the Kim Crawfords of the world.
Chimney Rock Iconoclast Cabernet Sauvignon
Sandwiched between the Bonanza and the Caymus on the list, most tables skip right past Chimney Rock's Stags Leap District Cab — which is exactly why you should order it. It's the most terroir-expressive red on an otherwise regional-agnostic lineup.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is already ubiquitous at 3x retail on most lists, and Kona Grill is not the exception. You're paying a premium for a brand name that shows up everywhere from TGI Fridays to fine dining — the Stag's Leap Artemis nearby is a better spend for the category.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay + Macadamia Nut Chicken
Sonoma-Cutrer's Russian River Ranches brings enough richness and stone fruit weight to hold its own against a butter-forward, nut-crusted chicken preparation without overwhelming the dish's lighter Pacific Rim notes.
The Bottom Line
Kona Grill Alpharetta delivers a perfectly functional wine list for its audience — crowd-pleasing brands, decent by-the-glass depth, and nothing that will confuse or disappoint a table of casual drinkers. It's not a destination for wine, but it's also not a disaster, and that's more than you can say for plenty of places in this category.
· Alpharetta · Wine and Cigar Bar
Wine Me Down earns points for carving out a genuinely different kind of night out in Alpharetta — cigars, hookah, and wine together in one stylish room is not a combination you find everywhere in the suburbs. But until we can get a real look at the wine list with actual bottles and prices, we can't send you here specifically for the wine. Go for the atmosphere, bring cash for the cigars, and keep your wine expectations flexible.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Wine tasting bar
Fermented Flight Club is doing something genuinely unusual in the Atlanta suburbs: building a wine program around obscurity as a feature, not a flaw. If you've ever wanted to try Nascetta, Marzemino, or a co-fermented red-white without flying to Italy or paying fine-dining prices, this is your spot. We'd send a curious friend here without hesitation — and tell them to let the Four Blind flight humble them a little.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Modern Italian
Colletta's wine list punches well above its suburban strip-mall expectations — an all-Italian program with genuine depth in whites and a sparkling section worth lingering over. The markup is honest, the by-the-glass count is generous, and the producers skew toward the interesting rather than the obvious. If you're eating here, skip the red and let the white Italian side of the list do the work.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian Steakhouse
Luci's isn't going to win any wine destination awards, but the by-the-glass program is unusually broad, markup is fair across most of the list, and there are a few genuinely good picks tucked in among the crowd-pleasers. If you're eating here, you can drink well — just know what to order and what to skip.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Restaurant
Cooper's Hawk is a wine club experience dressed up as a restaurant, and if you're already a member, you'll feel right at home — everyone else is essentially a captive audience for a single producer's full catalog. We'd send a friend here for the club experience, not for the wine list.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Halcyon · Alpharetta · Upscale farm-to-table steakhouse / wine bar
Cattle Shed won't rattle any cages or win wine list awards, but it delivers a fair, well-rounded program with a by-the-glass setup that most restaurants twice its size can't match. If you're eating steak in Alpharetta and you care about what's in your glass, you could do a lot worse.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Atlanta · Atlanta · American
Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta's wine list is a Lazy List by every measure — grocery store brands, steep markups, no specials, and a rotating staff with little incentive to know what's in the glass. If you're here for the memorabilia and the atmosphere, lean into a cocktail or a beer. If wine is non-negotiable, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling or Columbia Crest Cab will get you through the night without regret.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Cumming, GA · American
The real headline here is Friday: half-price bottles under $250, which is a legitimately good deal in any zip code. Add a sommelier in a neighborhood grill context and Tin Cup earns a look that most Cumming restaurants don't. We'd go in on a Friday, ask for a recommendation, and let the staff do their job — that's what they're there for.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Acceptable
· Wichita · American
Dave & Buster's Wichita is not a wine destination — and the list makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. Fourteen labels of grocery-store standbys, no pricing transparency, and a venue where the primary business is flashing screens and redemption tickets means the wine program is essentially decorative. Order the cocktail, feed the machine, save the bottle for literally anywhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
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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