Small Italian list, big curatorial swagger
· Atlanta · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Sixteen bottles, all by the glass — No. 246 is playing a different game than your standard Italian spot. This isn't a list that's trying to impress you with length; it's trying to impress you with choices, and mostly it works. There's genuine intention here, which is more than we can say for most neighborhood Italian joints.
The list leans Italian without being myopic — you've got Nada Dolcetto d'Alba, Antoniolo Nebbiolo, and Cincinnato Nero Buono anchoring the reds, while the whites make a case for northern Italy with Via Alpina Pinot Grigio and the genuinely interesting Idlewild Arneis+. California shows up via Routestock Chardonnay and Breaking Bread Zinfandel, which feel like menu obligers more than passion picks, but they're not offensive. The real standout is the Produttori di Manduria Fiano — a southern Italian white from a co-op producer that most restaurants wouldn't bother hunting down. There's also a Zero Spirit section, which signals that someone here is paying attention to the full beverage experience, not just the wine list checkbox.
Every single bottle on the list is available by the glass, ranging from $11 to $21 — that's the whole program, no bottle-only gatekeeping. The range is genuinely solid for a 16-option list: sparkling, white, rosé, and red are all covered, with price points that don't punish you for exploring. Rotation data isn't clear, but the vintage specificity (multiple 2024s and a 2025 already listed) suggests this list gets updated with some regularity.
Nada Dolcetto d'Alba 2023 — $21
Nada is a respected Piedmontese producer, and Dolcetto d'Alba rarely gets the credit it deserves — it's food-friendly, approachable, and typically underpriced relative to its Barolo and Barbaresco neighbors. At $21 a glass for a legit northern Italian red from a quality house, this is where we'd start.
Idlewild Arneis+ 2024
Idlewild makes California wine inspired by northern Italy, and their Arneis+ is the kind of thing that makes Italian wine nerds do a double take. Arneis is already a niche grape; Idlewild's version adds even more intrigue with their plus-blending approach. Most tables at an Italian restaurant will default to Pinot Grigio and never see this on the list — their loss.
Routestock Chardonnay 2024
Nothing wrong with Routestock exactly, but it's the most generic pick on an otherwise thoughtful list. In a room full of Italian-leaning and adventurous options, ordering a California Chardonnay here feels like going to a great ramen shop and asking for the plain broth. Save your glass for something you can't get anywhere else.
Cincinnato Nero Buono 2023 + Pasta with braised meat ragù
Nero Buono is a rustic Lazio red with enough dark fruit and structure to stand up to a rich, slow-cooked meat sauce without bulldozing it. It's the kind of old-world pairing that feels inevitable once you try it — earthy grape, earthy dish, everyone wins.
🎲 The Bottom Line
No. 246 does more with 16 bottles than most restaurants do with 60, and the all-by-the-glass format means you're free to wander. Send your adventurous friends here and tell them to skip the Chardonnay.
· Atlanta · New American
Seven Lamps isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — it's a solid neighborhood-caliber list with fair prices, full BTG access, and a couple of genuinely good picks hiding in plain sight. Send a friend here for dinner and tell them to skip the Mouton Cadet and go straight for the Barbera.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Pasta da Pulcinella isn't trying to be a wine destination, but its list is thoughtful enough that you don't have to settle. Stick to the Italian whites, skip the Veuve, and you'll leave happy.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Rosso isn't trying to be a wine destination, but they've built a short list with enough personality — hello, orange wine — to earn a second look. Fair prices, real producers, and no obvious phone-ins outside the house pours.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Seafood / Cajun-Vietnamese
Bon Ton built a wine list that takes the food seriously — it's small, focused, and full of wines that actively work with a spicy, acidic, umami-heavy kitchen. If you show up expecting a standard restaurant list, you'll be pleasantly thrown off.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · French Brasserie
Brasserie Lundi's wine list does what it promises: it complements a French-leaning kitchen without getting in the way or gouging you. It's not a destination wine program, but it's an honest one — and in Atlanta, that counts for more than you'd think.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Midtown · Atlanta · Alpine / European
Avize is doing something genuinely rare in Atlanta: building a short wine list with actual conviction, pointed straight at the corners of Europe that deserve more attention. If you eat here and don't order something you've never heard of, you're doing it wrong.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Baton Rouge · Baton Rouge · Italian
The Little Village isn't your wine destination, but Tuesday happy hour from 5–7 PM flips this into a genuinely good deal — half-price bottles on a $40–$140 list changes the math entirely. Come for the veal, order early, and let Tuesday do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
South Baton Rouge / Airline Highway · Baton Rouge · Italian
The Little Village Airline is not a destination for wine — it's a destination for lasagna, and the wine list knows it. Come on a Wednesday, order a bottle of La Crema at half price, and you'll leave happy enough.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Siegen Lane / South Baton Rouge · Baton Rouge · Italian
La Contea has a genuinely good Italian wine list that gets kneecapped by markups that would make a New York steakhouse blush — but Wine Wednesday at 50% off bottles flips the script completely and turns this into one of the best wine deals in Baton Rouge. Go on a Wednesday, order the Vino Nobile, and tell everyone.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.