Tuesday Half-Price Nights Are Not A Drill
Queen Anne · Seattle · Italian, Pacific Northwest · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 15, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at How To Cook A Wolf is short enough to actually read before your bread arrives — and that's a feature, not a bug. It's curated with a clear point of view: Italy first, Pacific Northwest second, with a quiet lean toward natural and minimal-intervention producers that doesn't feel like a trend-chasing gimmick. This is a neighborhood restaurant that actually thought about its wine program.
The list runs 50-80 bottles and stays firmly in its lane — Italian regionals (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Vermentino) anchor the core, with Washington and Oregon Pinot Noir holding down the Pacific Northwest flank. The natural wine presence is real but restrained; these aren't funky-for-funky's-sake pours, they're minimal-intervention bottles that fit the seasonal small-plates format. The gap, if there is one, is depth beyond the Italy-PNW axis — if you're hunting for Rhône or Burgundy, you're at the wrong restaurant. But within its scope, the list earns its choices.
Ten to sixteen options by the glass is generous for a room this size, and the price range of $12-$18 keeps things accessible without feeling like a dive bar free-for-all. The glass program appears to rotate with the seasonal menu, which means the Vermentino you loved in April might be gone by July — annoying if you're a creature of habit, exciting if you trust the kitchen's instincts.
Vermentino (Italian regional selection) — $12–$15/glass
Vermentino at this price point in a sit-down Italian spot is almost always a steal — it's bright, saline, and cuts right through the richness of the housemade pastas without demanding your full attention. Order it early, order it often.
Barbera (Italian regional selection)
Most tables walk right past Barbera for something more recognizable, which is a mistake. It's got enough acidity to handle anything on this menu and enough fruit to keep non-wine-nerds happy — a crossover pick that rarely gets the credit it deserves.
Pacific Northwest Pinot Noir (bottle, top end)
At $90-$120 a bottle, the upper-tier PNW Pinots here push into territory where you could do better at a dedicated wine bar down the street. The lower-priced pours on this list are where the value lives — don't let the high end distract you.
Nebbiolo (Italian regional selection) + Housemade tagliatelle
Nebbiolo's high acid and grippy tannins are basically engineered to cut through a rich, slow-cooked meat ragu. The tagliatelle here is the obvious landing spot — the wine's structure keeps the dish from going heavy, and the dish softens the wine's edges. Classic for a reason.
Tuesday — All glasses, bottles, and nonalcoholic drinks are half price on Tuesdays — a standing weekly promotion marketed to neighborhood regulars. No exclusions specified. Confirm current availability before you go.
🎲 The Bottom Line
How To Cook A Wolf is doing something quietly right: a focused, fairly priced wine list that actually matches the food, in a room that makes you want to stay for another glass. Show up on a Tuesday and it becomes one of the better wine deals in the city.
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