Seven Bottles, Zero Ambition
· Roswell · Japanese · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed November 2, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Tanaka Japanese Restaurant’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 Tanaka is exactly seven bottles long — the same number of days in a week, and about as much thought as someone put into curating it. It reads less like a wine program and more like a placeholder while someone figures out whether wine is worth the effort. The pricing, at least, is honest.
Seven labels total, split between a handful of whites and two reds, plus the Choya Umeshu for anyone who wants something a little different. The whites lean safe — a Chardonnay from Time Place, a Pinot Grigio from Zaccagnini, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Astrolabe, and the lone splurge, an Ojai Chardonnay at $50. On the red side, it's a Kumusha Cabernet Sauvignon and a Duck Hunter Pinot Noir, which together cover the two grapes that appear on approximately every casual restaurant list in America. There are no wines from Japan, no sake-adjacent curiosities beyond the Umeshu, and no regional personality to speak of. For a Japanese restaurant, the absence of any Japanese wine or even a nod to the cuisine's actual flavor profile is a missed opportunity.
Every bottle on the list is also available by the glass, so the entire program is essentially a by-the-glass menu with bottle upsells. Prices run $11 to $16 per glass, which is reasonable for Roswell, and the Choya Umeshu plum wine is glass-only — a small and welcome nod to something different. Beyond that, the rotation is nonexistent; what you see is what there is.
The Bottom Line
Tanaka's wine list is functional in the same way a vending machine is functional — it technically dispenses what you need, but no one's excited about it. The pricing is fair and the Umeshu is a genuine bright spot, but seven bottles at a sit-down Japanese restaurant in 2024 signals that wine just isn't a priority here. Order the sake, or bring your own if corkage allows.
7 wines captured from the source list, including wines not yet matched to our catalog. Availability, vintages, and prices can change. View source wine list.
Time Place Chardonnay (California) $11.00 Glass / $38.00 Bottle
White Wine
$11.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
Zaccagnini Pinot Grigio (Italy) $11.00 Glass / $38.00 Bottle
White Wine
$11.00 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) $11.50 Glass / $39.00 Bottle
White Wine
$11.50 / glass · $39.00 / bottle
Ojai Chardonnay (California) $16.00 Glass / $50.00 Bottle
White Wine
$16.00 / glass · $50.00 / bottle
Kumusha Cabernet Sauvignon (South Africa) $11.50 Glass / $38.00 Bottle
Red Wine
$11.50 / glass · $38.00 / bottle
Duck Hunter Pinot Noir (New Zealand) $12.00 Glass / $40.00 Bottle
Red Wine
$12.00 / glass · $40.00 / bottle
Choya Umeshu Plum Wine (Japan) $11.00 Glass
Plum Wine
$11.00 / glass
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Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
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Glassware
Staff
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