A Solid Midtown List That Gets the Job Done
Midtown · Atlanta · Modern American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Saints + Council’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 Saints + Council is compact — 33 labels — but it reads like someone actually thought about it. You're not staring at a wall of Kendall-Jackson and calling it a day. There's some European ambition here tucked between the expected California crowd-pleasers.
The list splits its attention between France, Italy, and California with reasonable success. On the white side, you've got Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc sitting next to a Fevre Chablis and a Hugel Gentil — that's a legit trifecta of French whites that suggests someone cared. The reds lean into Pinot Noir pretty hard, with Stoller and Domaine Dubois both represented, which gives you both a reliable Oregon option and a French angle. The Italian presence — Fattoria dei Barbi Sangiovese and Famiglia Rivetti Nebbiolo — is a nice touch, though the list could use more depth in that lane. Leviathan Red Blend is there for the bold-red crowd, and the Bodegas Ontañon Crianza is a quietly interesting Rioja-adjacent pick that most tables will walk right past.
By-the-glass specifics aren't published, which is a minor frustration — you shouldn't have to flag down a server to know your options before sitting down. Based on the list structure, expect a handful of pours covering the basics: a white, a red, maybe the Hecht & Bannier Rosé. Nothing that suggests a rotating or curated glass program.
Bodegas Ontañon Crianza Tempranillo/Garnacha — null
Rioja Crianza at a restaurant is almost always underpriced relative to what's in the glass — aged in oak, food-friendly, and consistently underrated by tables chasing Cabernet. Price unknown, but this is the move if you want the most wine for your dollar.
Hugel Gentil White Blend
Alsatian white blends don't get ordered enough at restaurants, and Hugel is a reliable name. The Gentil is aromatic, slightly off-dry, and interesting in a way that the Sauvignon Blancs flanking it just aren't. Most tables skip it. Don't be most tables.
Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc
Stoneleigh is a perfectly fine grocery-store Marlborough SB, but it has no business being on a restaurant list next to Pascal Jolivet. You're paying restaurant markup on a bottle that retails for under $15. Spend a few dollars more for the Jolivet and actually enjoy yourself.
Fevre Fevre Chablis + Any seafood or light fish preparation on the menu
Unoaked Chablis and anything from the sea is one of the most reliable combinations in wine. The mineral, citrus-driven character of Fevre's Chablis cuts through richness and doesn't fight the kitchen. If there's a crudo, oyster, or white fish dish running, this is your bottle.
The Bottom Line
Saints + Council isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's not phoning it in either. The list has enough personality to reward someone who digs past the obvious picks — just expect to do that work yourself.
· Atlanta · Sushi / Omakase
Sushi By Bou is clearly here to serve great fish — and the wine list confirms that wine is very much an afterthought. Order the Dom if you're feeling flush or the Hampton Water if you're being sensible, and let the food do the heavy lifting.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Mediterranean / New American
Rose & Rye isn't a destination for wine nerds, but it's a perfectly functional list for a date night where the wine is supporting the evening, not headlining it. Order the Crémant, avoid the Caymus markup, and you'll do just fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Steakhouse
Hal's delivers a competent, Napa-forward bottle list that does exactly what a steakhouse wine program is supposed to do — just without much surprise or value mercy. Send a friend here if they want a reliable big-red experience; warn them to leave the credit card breathing room.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Fast Casual
Nando's is here for the chicken, and the wine list knows it — eight uninspired labels that exist to check a box, not to enhance your meal. Order the Vinho Verde, enjoy your peri-peri, and don't overthink it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Stemless Casual
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Italian
Bici's wine list won't knock you sideways, but it's honest, Italian-focused, and fairly priced — a reliable partner to the food. We'd send a friend here and tell them to skip the Sauvignon Blanc and go straight for the Greco.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Southern
SouthernNational is doing something genuinely unusual — running a tight, Europe-forward wine list inside a Southern kitchen, and mostly pulling it off. If you're tired of the same Sonoma Pinot and overpriced Malbec at every restaurant in town, this list is worth your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Healdsburg · Sonoma · Modern American
Valette is the wine country restaurant experience done right — deeply local, properly staffed, and serious about what's in the glass, even if the markups ask you to pay for the zip code. Send your friends here if they're already in Healdsburg; just tell them to skip the Phelps.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Annapolis Towne Centre · Annapolis · Modern American
Cooper's Hawk Annapolis is exactly what it is — a well-run, corporate winery restaurant where the wine list exists entirely in-house and the experience is built for people who want wine to be easy, not educational. Send your parents here without hesitation; send your wine-obsessed friend somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Penn Square · Lancaster · Modern American
Plough isn't a destination wine list, but it's a fair and functional one — honest pricing, decent glass selection, and just enough global range to keep things interesting. If you're in Lancaster for the food and the vibe, the wine program won't let you down; just don't come expecting to be surprised.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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