Serious Wine Hiding Inside a Brewpub
Inman Park · Atlanta · American Brewpub · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 1, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a brewpub famous for its craft beer program and find Carl Loewen 1896 Mosel Riesling and DuMol Russian River Chardonnay on the wine list. That's not an accident — someone here actually cares. The beer menu may be the headline act, but the wine list is a quiet overachiever that deserves its own spotlight.
At 37 labels, this isn't trying to be a wine bar, but the curation is sharp where it counts. The white wine section punches well above its weight with a run of German Rieslings — Dönnhoff, Koehler-Ruprecht, Robert Weil, and Carl Loewen all represented — plus a Kelley Fox Grüner Veltliner from Oregon that shows genuine range. Burgundy and Loire get nods via Jean-Luc Joillot Crémant and Laporte Sancerre Silex. The red side of the list (we only see Domaine du Pegau A Tempo Châteauneuf-du-Pape peeking through the data) feels lighter on depth, but what's here suggests real intentionality. The Archery Summit Pinot Gris and Gönc Pinot Blanc round out a whites-forward program that clearly reflects someone's personal palate.
Twelve pours by the glass in the $8–$14 range is a solid commitment for a brewpub — most places in this category phone it in with four forgettable options. We'd expect the glass program to lean on the more accessible labels like the Yllera blend and Casa Rojo Sauvignon Blanc, but there's enough intrigue in the range to reward exploration. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority, but the baseline selection is genuinely above average for the format.
Dönnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Nahe Kabinett Riesling 2018 — $29–$49 (bottle est.)
A six-year-old Dönnhoff Kabinett at a brewpub price point is almost unfair in a good way. This is one of the Nahe's benchmark producers and that wine has been quietly developing in bottle — you're getting mature, complex Riesling for what most places charge for a basic Pinot Grigio.
Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Kabinett Trocken Riesling 2021
Most tables here are ordering beer or reaching for something safe. But Koehler-Ruprecht is a fiercely traditional Pfalz producer making wines that age for decades — their Saumagen site is a Grand Cru equivalent. This bottle will be invisible to 95% of the room, which means more for you.
Bishop's Peak SLO Coast Chardonnay 2023
Nothing wrong with Bishop's Peak — it's a perfectly decent Tolosa-adjacent Chardonnay — but it's also the most grocery-store-visible bottle on this otherwise interesting list. In a lineup that includes DuMol and Koehler-Ruprecht Chardonnay, this one is the filler. Spend a little more and drink better.
Laporte Sancerre Silex Les Boursicottes 2023 + Brewpub Burger
A flint-driven Sancerre with a properly built pub burger sounds like a provocation but it works — the high acid and citrus cut of the Silex handles fatty beef better than most people expect, and ordering Sancerre at a brewpub is exactly the kind of chaotic good energy this list was built for.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Wrecking Bar is proof that a serious beer program and a thoughtful wine list aren't mutually exclusive — this is one of the more interesting 37-bottle lists in Atlanta, full stop. If you're eating here, skip the obvious and dig into the Riesling section.
· 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
· Atlanta · Wine shop / bottle shop
Elemental Spirits Co. is doing something genuinely rare in Atlanta: a small-format bottle shop with actual conviction behind every label. If you care about drinking something interesting — Jura oddities, Columbia Gorge naturals, old-world Loire — this shelf is worth the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Southern
The Southern Gentleman isn't here to win wine awards, and it doesn't pretend to be. But fair prices, a full glass pour program, and a couple of genuinely smart picks buried in a short list make it more than serviceable — come for the food, order a glass, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · Winery Restaurant / American
City Winery Atlanta is a genuine wildcard: a one-producer list shouldn't work this well, but between the Finger Lakes whites, the Rhône-inspired reds, and the live music backdrop, it earns its place on your rotation. Go in curious, not skeptical.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Decatur · Atlanta · Bakery / Café
B-Side at the Bakery is the best argument we've seen for what a café wine list can be when someone actually cares. If you're in Decatur, this is a mandatory stop — come for the coffee, stay for the Morgon.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Atlanta · Bottle Shop / Market
Savi Provisions is a Wild Card because nobody expects to find Quilceda Creek and Joseph Phelps Insignia next to the olive bar — but the narrow focus and market-tier markups mean this is really a stop for collectors on a grocery run, not a destination for curious drinkers. Worth a browse; approach the register with caution.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Newberry Road / Oaks Mall · Gainesville · American Brewpub
BJ's is a brewhouse, full stop — the wine program is an afterthought wearing a price tag. Come for the beer, stay for the Pizookie, and save your wine curiosity for literally anywhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown Jackson · Jackson Hole · American Brewpub
Come here for the craft beer — seriously, that's the move. If your table insists on wine, the Santa Margherita won't embarrass anyone, but there's no version of this wine list that earns a recommendation on its own merits.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Columbus · American Brewpub
Gordon Biersch is a beer destination — full stop. The wine list exists to check a box, not to excite anyone, and the pricing doesn't do it any favors. Come for the lagers, and if you must have wine, keep your expectations as low as the list's ambition.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.