Solid pours without the fuss in Midtown
Midtown · Atlanta · Asian Fusion · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 21, 2026
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.
· Atlanta · New American / Tasting Menu
Choose your courses, then choose your glasses. Bacchanalia's posted pairings give you concrete options: Carl Loewen Riesling at $24 with crab, or Ca' La Bionda Ripasso at $27 with duck. Ask which suggestions match tonight's menu before committing to the wine bill.
Midtown · Atlanta · Southern European
Start with the $14 Vostinic-Klasnic Ikons if you want to explore beyond familiar grapes, or the $16 chilled La Galoche Gamay if that's your lane. Lyla Lila's posted glass list makes trying something different a one-glass decision, not a whole-bottle commitment.
· Atlanta · New American
Siren has a wine list that punches above its weight in a few key areas — particularly the by-the-glass whites and the Champagne bottle program — but the markup structure means you're spending real money to access it. If you're the kind of diner who wants to order Furmint on a Tuesday night in Atlanta, this is one of the few places that makes that possible, and that alone earns it a spot on the shortlist.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Regional Italian
Make Monday your bottle night at Indaco: half off bottles priced up to $100, then $50 off above that. Ask for the current bottle list before choosing; the discount has a ceiling, even if your wine budget doesn't.
Atlanta · Atlanta · Vietnamese
NAM Kitchen is doing something genuinely unexpected: running a thoughtful, fairly priced 68-label wine list inside a Vietnamese restaurant, anchored by a strong sparkling section and some legitimately food-smart white wine choices. If you're the kind of person who wants a real glass of wine with your bún bò Huế, this is worth knowing about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Il Premio is a steakhouse that took its wine list seriously enough to skip the obvious plays, and the result is one of the more interesting Italian-focused lists in Atlanta right now. It's compact, priced fairly across the board, and built for exploration — whether you're going glass by glass through the Italian regions or just need a solid bottle of Chianti Classico at $72 to make a steak dinner feel right. We'd send a friend here specifically for the wine.
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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