Italian-Leaning List That Gets the Job Done
· Atlanta · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Thirty-nine labels isn't a lot, but Pasta da Pulcinella's list reads like someone actually thought about it — there's a clear Italian backbone with enough domestic and regional detours to keep things interesting. It's not trying to be a wine bar, but it's not phoning it in either. For a neighborhood pasta spot, that's already a win.
The list leans predictably Italian — Gavi, Soave Classico, Falanghina, Vernaccia di San Gimignano — which is exactly what you want at a place called Pasta da Pulcinella. The Inama Soave Classico and Terredora Dipaolo Irpinia Falanghina are legitimate picks, not just filler. A Chehalem Pinot Gris from Willamette and a Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay add a Pacific Coast subplot that mostly works, though the Pinot Grigio section is a bit crowded with safe plays like Santa Margherita and Zenato. The red side of the list isn't visible in the data we have, but the sparkling and white situation here is genuinely solid for the format.
Thirteen by-the-glass options on a 39-bottle list is a healthy ratio — roughly one in three bottles makes the cut, which means you're not stuck choosing between house white and house red. The price band of $9–$17 per glass is reasonable for Atlanta, and options like the Inama Soave and the Medici Quercioli Lambrusco give you something worth ordering. No obvious rotation program, so don't expect seasonal surprises.
Inama Soave Classico — $9-$17 (glass)
Soave Classico from Inama is a serious wine — volcanic soils, Garganega grape, real texture — and seeing it on a by-the-glass list at a neighborhood Italian spot is exactly the kind of find that makes dinner better. Order it before someone else takes the last pour.
Terredora Dipaolo Irpinia Falanghina
Most people at a pasta restaurant are going to reach for the Pinot Grigio out of habit. Don't. Falanghina from Campania is a fuller, more interesting white with a saline mineral edge that most Italian whites can't match — and Terredora Dipaolo is one of the reliable producers working with the grape.
Veuve Clicquot Brut
Veuve at a restaurant is almost always a markup trap, and there's nothing here to suggest otherwise. The Gruet Brut Rosé or Piper Heidsieck on the same list will drink well for significantly less money. Save the Clicquot for somewhere that earns the premium.
Medici Quercioli Lambrusco + Fresh pasta with red sauce
Lambrusco and tomato-based pasta is one of those regional Emilian combos that just works — the wine's light fizz and dark berry acidity cut through the richness of a slow-cooked ragu or a bright marinara without fighting it. This is what the Italians have been doing for centuries and the menu at Pulcinella is the right place to let it play out.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
· Atlanta · Italian
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· 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
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.