Cocktails win; the wine list forfeits
Downtown · Tuscaloosa · Craft cocktail bar with small plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 9, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Session Cocktails’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Session Cocktails is less a list and more a footnote — five labels, mostly half-bottles, tucked behind a genuinely impressive cocktail program. This place knows exactly what it is, and wine is clearly not part of the identity. If you came here hoping to drink well from a bottle, recalibrate fast.
Five labels does not a wine program make. You've got Josh Cellars, La Crema, Santa Margherita, and Joel Gott — the Mount Rushmore of airport Hudson News wine shelves. There's no regional story here, no independent producers, no attempt at curation beyond stocking recognizable names that won't confuse a crowd more focused on craft cocktails. The half-bottle format is a curious choice that keeps spend low but also signals the restaurant isn't expecting anyone to linger over wine.
One option by the glass: a Prosecco pour at $8, which exists primarily to fuel the DIY Mimosa situation on weekends. That's it. One glass pour. If you want anything else in a glass, you're committing to a half-bottle.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige (half-bottle) — $24
At just 20% over retail, this is the least punishing markup on the list. Santa Margherita is a name people actually trust, and at $24 for a half-bottle in a cocktail bar, it's the one option here that doesn't feel like a consolation prize.
La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (half-bottle)
At 33% over retail, this is the second-fairest markup on the list and La Crema's Sonoma Coast Pinot is legitimately solid for what it is — not exciting, but consistent. Most people in a cocktail bar will walk right past it, which means you can actually get a decent glass poured at a table without much competition.
Generic Prosecco (by the glass)
140% markup on a glass of unnamed Prosecco is a hard no. At $8 it doesn't sound like much, but you're paying nearly triple what the wine is worth. If you want bubbles, this is where the math goes worst for you.
La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (half-bottle) + Charcuterie or small plates
Session's small plates skew toward snackable, shareable bites. A Sonoma Coast Pinot — light enough not to overpower, with enough structure to complement cured meats and cheese — is the most versatile wine on this list for grazing.
The Bottom Line
Session Cocktails is a legitimately good bar that has no business being reviewed for its wine program — and it knows it. Order a Manhattan, enjoy the atmosphere, and leave the half-bottle of Josh for someone who doesn't know better.
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Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
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Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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