All Glass, All Night, All Italian
· Atlanta · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Sugo’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Twenty-one wines, all by the glass — that's the whole card, and honestly, it's a bold move. No bottle list to hide behind, no cellar flex, just a tightly curated lineup where every pour is available by the stem. The range runs from a non-alcoholic Oddbird Blanc de Blancs to a serious Aglianico, which tells you this isn't a lazy list slapped together by a distributor rep.
For a 21-label list, there's real geographic ambition here. Italy anchors everything — Verdicchio from Marche, Fiano from Puglia, Nero d'Avola from Sicily, Chianti from Tuscany, Aglianico from Basilicata — with enough regional variety to make an Italian wine nerd genuinely happy. The non-Italian picks are modest but smart: a Más Así Alvarinho (Portugal), a Bex Riesling (Germany), and a Spanish Tempranillo rosado fill in the white spaces without feeling random. The Brancatelli Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc blend is the one wildcard that doesn't quite fit the theme, but it's a forgivable outlier. Gaps exist — no Barolo, no Brunello, no serious Sangiovese — but for a casual Italian spot, the depth-to-size ratio punches above its weight.
Everything is by the glass, ranging from $11 to $18, which is genuinely refreshing and keeps the table flexible. That ceiling of $18 means you're not getting highway-robbed to try the Andrea Felici Verdicchio or the Felsina Chianti. The rotation appears static rather than seasonal, which is the one thing holding this program back from being truly exciting.
Vigneti del Vulture 'Pipoli' Aglianico 2021 — $18
Aglianico from Basilicata at $18 a glass is a genuine find. This grape demands patience and usually commands a premium — getting the Pipoli by the pour without committing to a bottle is exactly the kind of flexibility a smart by-the-glass program should offer.
Andrea Felici Verdicchio 2024
Most people scroll past Verdicchio like it owes them money. They're wrong. Felici is one of the benchmark producers in Marche, and this wine brings a saline, almond-edged depth that blows past the category's forgettable reputation. Skip the Pinot Grigio and order this instead.
Impero Pinot Grigio 2024
With the Alvarinho, Verdicchio, and Fiano all available at similar price points, there's no compelling reason to default to an anonymous Pinot Grigio. It's the path of least resistance on a list that's actually trying harder than that.
Fratelli Grasso Barbera 2021 + Pasta with red sauce or braised meat
Barbera's naturally high acidity and low tannin make it a textbook match for tomato-forward Italian cooking — it cuts through richness without fighting the food. On a list built around Italian cuisine, this is the most honest, utilitarian pairing on the menu.
🎲 The Bottom Line
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.
Beltline · Atlanta · Wine Bar
Hazel Jane's is the kind of wine bar Atlanta quietly needed — curious, approachable, and not afraid to put a grape you've never heard of front and center. If you're willing to let go of the wheel a little, this place will take you somewhere worth going.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Toco Hills · Atlanta · Spanish tapas
Silla Del Toro is the Wild Card of Atlanta's tapas scene — not because it's perfect, but because it's trying harder than it has to, and mostly getting it right. If you're anywhere near Toco Hills, order the Albariño, order the Tempranillo Blanco, and eat something salty.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Atlanta · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Downtown Atlanta is here for the steak, full stop — the wine list is a six-bottle shrug that treats wine as a revenue line, not an experience. Order the Trimbach, enjoy your butter-drenched ribeye, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Wine / coffee bar
Books & Brew is a charming concept let down by a wine list that stopped at 'good enough.' Come for the books and the coffee — the wine is an afterthought, priced cheaply enough that you can't really complain, but curated poorly enough that you probably should.
Grocery Store
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Asian Street Food
Hawkers isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and the list is better calibrated to the food than most casual spots bother with. Come for the street food, drink the Alvarinho or the Gamay, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · American / Cajun
Lagarde isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list reflects that honestly — fair prices, familiar pours, and just enough interesting picks (Nebbiolo, Riesling, Albariño) to reward a curious diner. Come for the Cajun food, let the wine support the meal rather than headline it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Historic Magnolia Avenue · Daytona Beach · Italian
The Cellar is one of Florida's most surprising wine lists — serious depth, marquee producers, and a genuine commitment to Italian and classic French selections that punches way above Daytona's weight class. Markup is aggressive across the board, but if you navigate toward the mid-tier Italian bottles, you'll drink very well.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Iowa City · Italian
Baroncini is a perfectly reliable Italian wine list in a perfectly reliable Italian restaurant — it won't wow you, but it won't let you down either. Send a friend here knowing they'll eat well and drink decently without getting taken to the cleaners.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Appleton · Appleton · Italian
Carmella's is the kind of place that has no business having this good a wine list — and that's meant as a compliment. The markups on the top-shelf bottles sting, but the depth and seriousness of the Italian selection alone make it worth a visit for anyone who wants to drink well in Wisconsin.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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