Italian soul with a Buckhead price tag
Buckhead · Atlanta · Italian and Global · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sauce Buckhead’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Sauce Buckhead is short — 24 labels — but it knows what it is: an Italian-leaning card with enough global reach to keep the table happy. There's real intention here, anchored by Tuscany and Veneto, and it doesn't feel like an afterthought.
The Italian core is genuinely solid. You've got two Chianti Classicos (Carpineto and Le Corti Principe Corsini), a Brunello di Montalcino from Caparzo at $120, a Vino Nobile Riserva from Carpineto, a Cesari Amarone at $120, and a Ripasso Valpolicella for $54 — that's a respectable Tuscan and Venetian spine for a 24-bottle list. The Il Borro labels (Ferragamo's Tuscan estate) add a quiet prestige angle, though the celebrity wine detour into Mary J. Blige's Sun Goddess line feels more like a conversation starter than a serious program choice. The American side leans on crowd-pleasers — Decoy Cab, Cakebread in two iterations, Wente Chardonnay — which are fine but priced above where they should be for the brand recognition alone.
Seven by-the-glass options running $10–$13 per glass give you a workable range. The Pighin Pinot Grigio ($10/glass) anchors the white side, the Ferragamo Sangiovese Rosé ($10/glass) is the most interesting pour on the list, and the Decoy Cab and Carpineto Chianti Classico hold down the reds. Not a rotating program — this looks set-and-forget — but at least the selections are coherent.
The Bottom Line
Sauce Buckhead brings a focused, Italy-first wine list that punches above its size — 24 labels, done with some care. The markups on American brands like Cakebread and Decoy are steep enough to sting, but the Italian selections are priced more reasonably and the by-the-glass program is coherent. If you stick to the Tuscan and Venetian bottles, you'll eat and drink well here.
Norcross · Atlanta · Steakhouse / Seafood
A compact steakhouse list that bets on Cabernet, with seven of its 24 wines from Mendoza to Napa. Start with the Carnivor Cabernet at 9/12/36 next to your steak, and ask what the three numbers mean before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Midtown · Atlanta · American Tavern
A 39-wine Georgia list, 21 white and 18 red, with a red group built mostly on Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and no prices posted. Start with the Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde from Portugal, or the Belle Glos Balade Pinot Noir if you want red, and ask your server for prices and glass sizes before you order. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Vinings · Atlanta · New Southern
A long bottle list that climbs to $1,850 Grand Cru Burgundy, with a 26-wine glass file from $12 to $25 as the easier way in; both change often. Order the $15 Famille Vincent Bourgogne Chardonnay by the glass, or the $23 Hartford Court Pinot Noir with the Maple Brined Duck Breast, and confirm vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and glass file, not service, storage or markups.
Atlanta · Atlanta · New American
Trade Root plays it safe and charges for the privilege — markups lean steep and the list won't surprise anyone who's eaten at a mid-to-upscale American restaurant in the last decade. That said, 24 by-the-glass options anchored by a Coravin program gives you genuine flexibility, and the August Kesseler Riesling and Louis Latour Mâcon-Lugny are legit finds in an otherwise predictable lineup. If you need wine that won't cause a debate at the table, Trade Root delivers — just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Avondale Estates · Atlanta · Wine Bar / Listening Room
A compact wine list for a room that is mostly about music, with four glass pours and a bottle list that starts at $48 and stops at a $175 Champagne. Start with the $48 Martha Stouman Blanc, or the $65 Ziereisen Chasselas if you'd rather try something unusual, and confirm what's available since the menu is undated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
· Atlanta · Mediterranean
Knife Modern Mediterranean's wine list does exactly what it sets out to do: give every table a glass option without friction. If you're here for the food and just want something drinkable alongside it, the Domaine Bousquet Malbec or Nik Weis Riesling will serve you well at fair prices. Don't come expecting discovery — but don't worry about getting gouged either.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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