Nana's
Old-School Durham Charm, Quietly Decent Pours
Rockwood · Durham · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Nana's wine list feels like the restaurant itself — unpretentious, a little dressy, and rooted in classic taste. It doesn't try to impress you with esoteric producers, but it's also not phoning it in with a wall of Kendall-Jackson. There's genuine care here, even if the list isn't going to make anyone's heart race.
Selection Deep Dive
The sparkling and white section alone clears 30 bottles, anchored by a credible Champagne lineup — Henriot, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot — plus some smart Italian picks like Gini Soave Classico and Botega Vinaia Pinot Grigio that go well beyond the usual suspects. Oregon shows up with Soter Brut Rosé, which is a nice nod to domestic bubbles. The gaps are real though: we're working from a partial menu, and what's missing (reds, presumably) is the unknown variable that keeps this from being a stronger recommendation.
By the Glass
By-the-glass options aren't confirmed from available data, which is a frustrating blind spot — at a casual-elegant neighborhood spot in this price range, you'd expect a reasonable pour program. If they're running a tight BTG selection, they're leaving money and goodwill on the table. Worth asking your server before you commit to a bottle.
Gini Soave Classico — $35
Gini is a benchmark Soave producer — this isn't the watery supermarket stuff. At $35, it's a genuinely interesting white from Veneto that drinks more like a $55 bottle anywhere else. Order it and feel smart.
Soter Brut Rosé
Most people at a Durham neighborhood restaurant are reaching for Champagne or skipping bubbles entirely. Soter's Oregon Brut Rosé is a sleeper — earthy, precise, and made by one of the Willamette Valley's most serious producers. It earns its $75 price tag.
Veuve Clicquot Brut MV
At $81, you're paying a full restaurant premium for a Champagne that retails around $55 and has become something of a status-symbol brand rather than a quality benchmark. The Henriot Brut NV at $58 is a better bottle and a better deal — spring for that instead.
Elena Walch Sauvignon Blanc + Twice-Baked Grits Soufflé
Elena Walch's Alto Adige Sauvignon has enough brightness and herbal snap to cut through the richness of the soufflé without steamrolling the dish's savory depth. It's the kind of pairing that just makes sense on a plate.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Nana's won't wow the wine obsessives, but it's a solid, fairly priced list with a few genuinely good picks buried inside. If you're eating there anyway — and you probably should be — you won't struggle to find something worth drinking.
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