Winston-Salem's Thursday Night Wine Secret
Brookstown · Winston Salem · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 25, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Quanto Basta Italian Eatery & Wine Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The name means 'enough' in Italian, and honestly, that's underselling it. Walking into this rustic Brookstown spot, the wine list reads like someone actually cares — Italian backbone, global wandering, and prices that don't make you wince. For Winston-Salem, this is a genuinely pleasant surprise.
The list runs 40 to 80 bottles with Italy doing the heavy lifting, and rightly so — Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, and Super Tuscans anchor the reds with real ambition. Whites don't get left behind: Vermentino di Sardegna and Falanghina bring some regional credibility that most Italian-American spots in this zip code wouldn't bother with. The global picks feel intentional rather than obligatory, filling gaps without padding the list. It's not the deepest cellar in the Carolinas, but it's curated, and that counts for a lot.
Eight to sixteen pours by the glass is a solid range for a wine bar this size — enough to keep things interesting without turning it into a storage problem. The selection rotates, which suggests someone is actually paying attention to what's moving and what's not. Thursday half-price nights make the glass program absurdly good value; ordering anything by the glass at full price before Thursday feels like leaving money on the table.
Vermentino di Sardegna — $
Sardinian Vermentino is one of the most underpriced white categories in Italian wine right now — crisp, saline, and built for food. At Quanto Basta's $$–$$$ price range, and especially on a Thursday, this is the smart pour.
Falanghina
Most tables here are reaching for the Barolo and sleeping on this Campanian white. Falanghina is mineral-driven, food-friendly, and interesting in a way that Pinot Grigio will never be. It's the bottle that tells you the list was built by someone with actual taste.
Super Tuscans
The Super Tuscans on this list are fine, but they're also the most likely to be marked up for name recognition. You're paying for the category's reputation, not necessarily what's in the glass. On a list with Brunello and Barolo available, the Super Tuscans are the safe, forgettable middle child.
Barolo + Rotisserie
Barolo's tannic structure and dried cherry depth need protein and fat to really open up — and Quanto Basta's rotisserie dishes give it exactly that. It's a classic Piemontese logic: big wine, roasted meat, everyone wins.
Thursday — Half-priced bottles of wine on Thursdays. Likely applies to most bottles on the list, though exact exclusions aren't clearly documented — worth asking when you arrive.
The Bottom Line
Quanto Basta punches above its weight for a mid-size Southern city Italian spot — the Italian-focused list is thoughtful, the prices are fair, and Thursday half-price bottles make it one of the best weekly wine deals in Winston-Salem. Come hungry, come on a Thursday, and order the Falanghina.
· Winston Salem · Bakery / Cafe
Camino Bakery shouldn't have a wine list this considered, and yet here we are. Bottles top out at $29, most land between $14 and $19, and the selection skews curious rather than safe — Txakoli and orange wine at a Winston-Salem bakery is genuinely unexpected. If you're nearby and want a low-pressure bottle without the restaurant markup, this is a legitimately good stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Thai
Thai Harmony is genuinely worth visiting for the food — the khao soi and kai yang have real fans for a reason, and the downtown space is one of the better dining rooms in Winston-Salem. But come for the kitchen, not the cellar. Until the wine program shows us something specific worth recommending, you're better off ordering a Thai iced tea and saving the wine for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Modern Mexican
Alma Mexicana is a genuine wild card — a modern Mexican restaurant in Winston-Salem with a wine program that's quietly pointing at Old World Europe instead of the expected California house pour. We need the full list to give you the real numbers, but the instinct here is good enough to warrant ordering something other than a margarita.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Wine Bar / Bottle Shop
The Caviste is doing something genuinely weird for Winston-Salem — a curated, Austria-only bottle shop with prices that should embarrass most restaurant wine lists. If you're even slightly curious about Grüner Veltliner or natural-leaning reds, this is a low-risk, high-reward detour.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Winston Salem · Winery Tasting Room / Light Bites
Divine Llama is a fun, farm-genuine detour if you're exploring North Carolina wine country and want something local and unpretentious. Don't come for depth or discovery beyond the estate — come for the story, the setting, and a glass of Traminette you probably wouldn't have ordered anywhere else.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Winston Salem · American Cafe
West End Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink something decent without overpaying for it. Send a friend here if they want wine with dinner and aren't looking to make an event out of it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Dacula · Italian
Antonetas isn't a wine destination, and it isn't trying to be — it's a family-friendly neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the basics and stays out of the way. If you're after a solid glass of something red with your Lasagna in a no-fuss setting, you won't be disappointed. Just don't show up expecting to geek out over the list.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Alpharetta · Italian
Crust is a solid neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list is a supporting player, not the headliner — and that's fine. Come for the rigatoni alla vodka and garlic knots; order a glass of whatever red they're pouring and don't overthink it. We'd send a friend here for dinner without hesitation, just not for the wine list alone.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
Vespucci's isn't a wine destination, but it doesn't pretend to be — and that honesty is refreshing. The one move that earns real respect here is the Monday half-price bottle deal, which turns an ordinary weeknight into a genuinely good value. Show up on a Monday, order the Eggplant Parmigiana, grab a bottle at half price, and you've had a solid dinner without thinking too hard about it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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