Poole's Diner
Southern Comfort Food, Surprisingly Adventurous Wine List
Raleigh · Durham · Southern Comfort Food · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into Poole's, you expect sweet tea and a predictable house Chardonnay — what you get instead is a tight, well-chosen list that namedrops Scribe, Villa Creek, and a Pineau d'Aunis from the Loire. Ashley Christensen's team clearly cares about what's in the glass as much as what's on the plate. This is not the wine list a diner is supposed to have.
Selection Deep Dive
Thirty to fifty bottles covering France, Italy, California, and Spain, with real intentionality behind each pick. The French side leans into the Loire and Rhône with a Patric Colin Perles Grises Pineau d'Aunis and a Domaine St. Damien VdP Le Dix Red Blend that signals someone here actually knows what they're doing. Italy shows up well with a Verdicchio from Marche and a Chiaretto di Bardolino rosé from the Veneto — both lighter, food-friendly choices that fit the menu. The California contingent is equally considered: Scribe Sylvaner and Villa Creek Farmhouse White aren't names you stumble onto by accident.
By the Glass
Eleven pours by the glass is generous for a spot this size, and the range spans bubbly (Aimery Sieur d'Arques Crémant de Limoux at $12) to a Rioja Crianza at $17 — with no obvious filler in between. Prices run $12–$17, which is honest money for Raleigh without making you do uncomfortable math mid-dinner. The non-alcoholic option, La Cantina Pizzolato Good Twin at $13, is a thoughtful inclusion that a lot of rooms still ignore entirely.
Aimery Sieur d'Arques Crémant de Limoux Brut — $12
Twelve bucks for a proper French sparkling wine from Limoux — the original sparkling wine region of France — is hard to argue with. It's the move for an opener, and it undercuts a lot of worse Proseccos at higher prices around town.
Patric Colin Perles Grises Pineau d'Aunis
Pineau d'Aunis is one of the Loire's most undersung grapes — peppery, light-bodied, and genuinely weird in the best way. Most people skip it because they don't recognize the name. That's exactly why you should order it.
Senorio De P. Pecina Crianza Tempranillo
At $17 a glass, this is the priciest pour on the list and while Pecina is a solid Rioja producer, Crianza is the entry level of their range. You're paying top-of-list money for a wine that's doing baseline work. The Domaine St. Damien at $15 is a more interesting glass for less.
Pax Alpine Red + Pork Chop
Pax's Alpine Red is built on Syrah and co-fermented with Roussanne, giving it a savory, peppery edge that cuts right through the richness of a well-seared pork chop. It's the kind of pairing that feels accidental but isn't.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Poole's is the rare diner that takes wine seriously without making a big deal about it — the list is small, smart, and priced like they want you to actually order a bottle. If you're in Raleigh and someone tells you it's just a comfort food spot, they haven't looked at the wine list.
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