Italy-first wine list done right in Alpharetta
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 17, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Rena's Italian Fishery and Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Rena's reads like someone actually cares about Italy — not just the tourist-trap Pinot Grigio version of it, but the real stuff. You're greeted with names like Gaja, Antinori, and Banfi before you've even looked at the food menu, which sets a certain expectation. For a relatively new restaurant in downtown Alpharetta, this is a confident opening move.
The list runs 80-120 bottles and stays firmly planted in Italian territory, which is exactly the right call given the kitchen concept. You've got serious representation across the north — Barbaresco from Gaja, Barolo from Marchesi di Barolo, Amarone from Masi — alongside Tuscan heavyweights like Tignanello and Banfi's Brunello. The gaps show up when you push beyond Italy: the rest of the world feels like an afterthought, which is fine if you're here for the pasta and fish. Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2024, and the Italian depth earns it.
Twelve to eighteen pours by the glass at $10-$18 is a respectable range for suburban Atlanta, and the pricing doesn't feel punitive. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the crowd-pleaser anchor you'd expect, but the list has enough range to give you options beyond the obvious. We'd like to see more rotation here — right now it reads more like a permanent fixture than a living program.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva — $45
Chianti Classico Riserva from Ruffino punches above its weight at this price point — Sangiovese-driven, food-friendly, and capable of standing up to the bolder dishes on the menu without costing you a second mortgage.
Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio
Most tables reflexively order Santa Margherita, but Livio Felluga's Pinot Grigio from Friuli is a cut above — more texture, more complexity, and it actually tastes like a wine someone thought about rather than a brand someone recognized.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Look, it's not bad wine — it's just $22 at Costco and whatever they're charging here isn't the revelation it was in 1985. With Livio Felluga on the same list, there's no reason to default to the marketing budget.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella + Fregola with Seared Scallops
Amarone's richness and dried-fruit depth against the nutty, toasted fregola and the caramelized crust on seared scallops is a genuinely compelling contrast — big wine, big flavors, and the dish has enough body to hold its own.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Rena's is a reliable Italian wine destination for Alpharetta — focused, fairly priced, and serious enough about Italy to earn its Wine Spectator credential. If you're in the neighborhood and want a bottle that actually matches the food, this is your spot.
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Restaurant
Cooper's Hawk is a wine club experience dressed up as a restaurant, and if you're already a member, you'll feel right at home — everyone else is essentially a captive audience for a single producer's full catalog. We'd send a friend here for the club experience, not for the wine list.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Halcyon · Alpharetta · Upscale farm-to-table steakhouse / wine bar
Cattle Shed won't rattle any cages or win wine list awards, but it delivers a fair, well-rounded program with a by-the-glass setup that most restaurants twice its size can't match. If you're eating steak in Alpharetta and you care about what's in your glass, you could do a lot worse.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Alpharetta · American
Kona Grill Alpharetta delivers a perfectly functional wine list for its audience — crowd-pleasing brands, decent by-the-glass depth, and nothing that will confuse or disappoint a table of casual drinkers. It's not a destination for wine, but it's also not a disaster, and that's more than you can say for plenty of places in this category.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Italian
Casa Nuova is the rare strip-mall Italian that earns its Wine Spectator credential — with Pepe Fundora on staff and a focused Italy-California-France list, it punches well above its Alpharetta zip code. Make a reservation, skip the wine list anxiety, and just ask the sommelier what to drink.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · American
Ray's at Killer Creek won't blow your mind with adventurous picks, but it's a dependable, well-maintained California-focused list in a setting that knows exactly what it is. If you're taking a client to dinner in Alpharetta and need a bottle that won't embarrass anyone, this is your spot.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Alpharetta · Alpharetta · Thai
Nahm is the rare suburban Thai restaurant that treats wine as a genuine extension of the dining experience rather than an afterthought — the French focus isn't random, it's the right answer to a hard pairing problem. If you're anywhere near Alpharetta and haven't thought to order wine at a Thai spot before, this is the place to start.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Canton · Canton · Italian
Lucca Downtown is doing more with wine than most restaurants in Canton, and the Italian backbone of the list gives it a coherent identity. It's not a destination wine program, but it's a solid companion to a well-priced dinner — just steer clear of the California detours.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Overlake / SE Redmond · Redmond · Italian
Tropea is the kind of neighborhood Italian spot where the wine list does its job without breaking any new ground — reliable, Italian-focused, and slightly overpriced in spots. Send a friend here who wants a solid Brunello with their pasta, not a friend who wants to be surprised.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Sugo's all-by-the-glass format is a genuine differentiator in Atlanta's Italian dining scene — fair prices, thoughtful Italian regionality, and enough variety to reward the curious without overwhelming the table. Send a friend here if they want to explore Italian wine without the commitment of a bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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