Solid pours without the fuss in Midtown
Midtown · Atlanta · Asian Fusion · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Poor Calvin's’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Poor Calvin's is short, approachable, and built for people who know what they like without wanting to think too hard about it. It's a 39-label list that leans on recognizable names — Rombauer, Catena, Educated Guess — the kind of bottles that sell themselves. Nothing here is going to surprise you, but nothing is going to embarrass you either.
The list skews white-heavy with a decent spread across Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, plus a nod to Albarino and a legitimate Chablis from Domaine Louis Moreau that earns its spot. The reds are workmanlike — Hahn Pinot Noir, Catena Malbec, Earthquake Zinfandel — reliable grocery-store-adjacent names that cover the bases without going anywhere interesting. There's a glaring absence of anything from Italy's red side, no Burgundy, no Rhône, and the 'eclectic' dial is firmly turned to zero. Volver Tempranillo is the one bottle that gestures toward something more interesting, and it's a pleasant outlier on an otherwise predictable red roster.
Seventeen by-the-glass options is a genuinely solid count for a restaurant of this size and type. At $14–$15 a glass, pricing is consistent if not exactly generous — you're paying Atlanta restaurant rates here, which means the math on bottles is considerably better if you're a two-glass-minimum table. The BTG selection mirrors the list's safe-harbor philosophy: familiar grapes, familiar producers, nothing that's going to start a conversation.
Burgans Albarino — $14
Albarino at a $14 pour is a solid deal — this is a food-friendly, citrusy white that punches above its price point and works hard against most flavor profiles on a fusion menu.
Dr. Loosen Blue Slate Riesling
Most diners walk right past Riesling on a list like this, which is their loss. The Blue Slate is a genuine Mosel wine with enough structure and brightness to cut through richer dishes — it's the most interesting white on the menu and almost nobody orders it.
Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay
Rombauer Chardonnay is fine, but it's everywhere, it's heavily marked up at every restaurant that carries it, and you're paying a name-recognition tax. The Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis will serve you better for less ego.
Origine Sancerre + Any citrus-forward or lightly spiced seafood dish
Sancerre's saline minerality and grassy lift are a natural counterweight to bright, acid-driven Asian fusion preparations — it keeps everything clean and doesn't fight the kitchen.
The Bottom Line
Poor Calvin's wine list is a dependable, if uninspired, companion to what's clearly a kitchen-first restaurant. We'd send a friend here knowing they'll drink fine — just don't expect the wine to be the reason you go back.
Brookhaven · Atlanta · New American/Southern
Roc South is a genuinely fun restaurant — the food sounds great and the vibe is undeniable — but the wine program doesn't give us enough to work with or get excited about. Until there's a verifiable list with real producers and fair pricing, let the bartender guide your evening instead.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American/Southern
Park 82 has a wine list in the same way a gas station has a wine selection — technically present, practically limiting. If you're a Pinot Noir devotee who doesn't mind paying restaurant markup for bottles you've seen at Kroger, you'll survive. Everyone else should probably lead with cocktails and ask what's on tap.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian
Tabla's wine list punches above its weight for an Asian restaurant in Atlanta. The white-heavy, aromatic-focused selection makes genuine sense with the food, pricing at the entry level is fair, and the BTG depth is real. We'd send a friend here for wine without hesitation — just order the Grüner first.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Other
MCK isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a bar and restaurant with a list built for toasting and crowd comfort. The sparkling program punches above the list's weight, the by-the-glass selection is generous, and the markups on still wines are steep but not outrageous. Send a friend here if they want Champagne and something easy to sip; send them somewhere else if they're chasing a wine experience.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Gastropub/Tavern
Blue Moon Brewery & Grill is a beer bar first, second, and third — the wine list exists so your friend who doesn't drink beer doesn't feel stranded. If that's the situation, the Cava at $9 or the Elouan Rosé at $10 are perfectly fine. But if wine is the reason you're going out, go somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Thai
Pink Lotus has built a wine list that takes its cues from the food — acid-forward, bubbles-heavy, and genuinely curious — which is more than most Thai spots in town bother to do. Markups are fair, the by-the-glass selection is wide, and there are real finds here if you look past the Dom Pérignon showpiece bottles at the top. If you're eating Thai in Atlanta and you want something interesting in your glass, this list deserves your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Aspen · Asian Fusion
Jing isn't a wine destination, but the list is smarter than the room gives it credit for — an Alsace and Austria-leaning selection that actually makes sense with the food is worth acknowledging. Just go in knowing the markups reflect the zip code, not the pour.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian Fusion
Tenku Avenue gets the format right — all glass, no bottle minimums — but the list itself plays it too safe for a kitchen that presumably takes more risks than this. Go in knowing what you want, grab the Acrobat or the Blank Stare, and don't let anyone upsell you into the Belle Glos.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Helena / Cedar Street corridor · Helena · Asian Fusion
Mustard Seed Helena isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't need to be — it's a solid neighborhood spot with a California-forward list that works with the food and won't wreck your bill. Send a friend here knowing they'll drink reasonably well, not remarkably well.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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