Decatur's Most Adventurous Wine List, Full Stop
Decatur · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 3, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Deer and The Dove’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The Deer and The Dove reads like it was curated by someone who actually drinks wine — not someone who just ordered the safe Italian and French standards from a distributor catalog. Forty-one labels across sparkling, white, orange, rosé, and red, with a genuine effort to seek out the unfamiliar. You are not in Applebee's territory.
The range here leans hard into the old world with genuine curiosity: Jura Savagnin from Bénédicte et Stéphane Tissot, Friulano from Borgo San Daniele, Vidiano from Douloufakis in Crete, and an Orvieto Classico Superiore from SanGiovanni della Sala. There is an orange wine slot filled by Florian Mathieu's 'La Nature Au-Dessus' Vin Orange 2023, which signals that this list has a point of view. On the red side, you get Tissot's Trousseau 'Carbo' from Jura, a Maysara Pinot Noir 'Jamsheed' 2015 from Oregon, and a Santenay Pinot Noir from Domaine Paul Pillot — three very different takes on the grape. The top end is anchored by Billecart-Salmon 'Sous Bois' Champagne at $195 and Tissot's Savagnin at $145, which are premium but not egregious for what they are.
Twenty-two by-the-glass options is a serious commitment — most restaurants half-heartedly offer six. The glass range runs $13–$19, which is honest for this level of wine. You can pour the Carafoli Lambrusco at $13/glass, the Florian Mathieu orange at $16/glass, or step up to the Borgo San Daniele Friulano at $19/glass without feeling like you are being squeezed.
The Bottom Line
The Deer and The Dove is running one of the most genuinely interesting wine lists in the Decatur–Atlanta area. The markup is fair, the by-the-glass selection is unusually strong at 22 options, and the producers skew toward the kind of stuff you have to seek out. We do not have enough on staff knowledge or glassware specifics to call this a Rager, but the Wild Card badge fits perfectly — this is the kind of list that surprises you, and that is worth showing up for.
Decatur · Decatur · Seafood and New American
Kimball House is doing something genuinely interesting for a neighborhood seafood spot in Decatur — the regional focus alone (Jurançon, Jerez, Loire) tells you there's a thoughtful hand behind this list. We'd send a wine-curious friend here without hesitation, especially if they're ordering oysters and want something more interesting than Chablis to wash them down. Just ask your server what's open — the staff reportedly knows the list well enough to actually help.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Decatur · French Steakhouse
Marcel's wine list punches well above its weight for a steakhouse — the Urbina Rioja 2000 at $19/glass alone is worth the trip, and the broader list shows real taste and range across 16 well-chosen labels. We don't have enough intel on the food menu or service to make a full dinner call, but if you're eating here, this is a wine list worth paying attention to.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Decatur · Steakhouse
Kevin Rathbun Steak has built a by-the-glass program that takes wine seriously enough to include Chablis, Oregon Pinot, and Realm Cellars on the same list — that's not nothing. Markups trend steep at the top end, and without verified dish information we can't tell you what to order with what. But if you're eating here and skipping the wine list entirely, you're leaving the best part of the menu alone.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Seafood / Oyster Bar
Dorothy's is the Wild Card in the best possible sense — a Decatur oyster bar with a wine list that would embarrass half the dedicated wine bars in Atlanta. The by-the-glass program is deep, the pricing is honest, and the selection skews toward exactly the kind of lean, acidic, mineral-driven wines that belong next to oysters. Send your wine-curious friends here without hesitation.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Wine bar / European small plates
Fawn is the Wild Card badge in its purest form — a wine bar that made genuine curatorial decisions and stuck with them, from the Assyrtiko to the pet nat rosato to the Tokaji. Bottle prices are fair across the board, the by-the-glass program is unusually deep, and the list rewards anyone willing to order something they can't pronounce. If you're in Decatur and you actually care about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Decatur · Decatur · Italian, Mediterranean
Café Lily is your dependable Decatur neighborhood restaurant that happens to take its wine seriously enough to earn a Wine Spectator nod — nothing flashy, but never a disappointment. Go on a Tuesday, order the lamb, and let the half-price wine night do the rest.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Aurora · New American
The Common Good is doing more with its wine list than its Aurora zip code might suggest — 73 labels, a thoughtful Chardonnay section spanning California to Western Australia, and 24 pours by the glass gives you real options. Markup runs a bit steep across the board, and we don't have enough intel on staff knowledge or red selections to call this anything more than a reliable neighborhood overachiever. If you care about wine and you're eating in Aurora, this is the room.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Smyrna · Atlanta · New American
Muss & Turner's isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — and that honesty is oddly refreshing. If you're in Smyrna on a Tuesday, the reported wine-focused night is reason enough to show up early, grab a seat, and let the shrimp and grits do the heavy lifting while you figure out what's on the list.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
Soho's wine list is built for people who already know what they like — California reds, recognizable labels, no curveballs. The markup is real (Faust at $132/bottle and Moët at $138 are tough to justify), but the by-the-glass depth gives you flexibility to stay in a reasonable range. If you're here for the food and want a no-drama pour, you'll find it — just don't come expecting discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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