Sagra, a neighborhood wine bar, opened on Gresham Avenue in East Atlanta Village last month. Founded by Eric Di Nardo (Bacchanalia), Sagra brings the neighborhood a new hangout spot focused on Italian wines paired with sourdough pizzas, focaccia, and cicchetti (Italian snacks).
Di Nardo, who grew up in an Italian-American household in Conyers, began working in restaurants during high school. He bartended while attending the University of Georgia. After college, he moved to Verona, Italy, to teach English. Di Nardo met his future wife in Italy, learned how to make pizza from a master, and immersed himself in the country’s wine communities.
“I never really expected [restaurants] to be my career. Then I moved to Italy. When I first moved to Italy, it became really evident that the way they interacted with food and drink was completely different,” Di Nardo explained.
In Verona, food and beverage felt omnipresent.
“Everything important happened at a table. I can’t count how many times I had an interview, or some type or business meeting, or anything around at least a coffee, if not a glass of wine and snacks, or a full dinner. And I was really taken by that,” Di Nardo said of Italian food culture.
Living in a historic city like Verona gave Di Nardo context for what he consumed.
“I began to really appreciate the fact that I was drinking wine from a place that had been regarded as important for making wine since Roman times,” he added.
Since leaving Italy, Di Nardo and his wife have lived in Brazil, Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, Di Nardo has worked for renowned chefs like José Andrés and Michael Schlow, and was involved in the openings of more than two dozen restaurants. Being fluent in Italian eventually landed him a job at a Boston wine seller.
The couple moved to East Atlanta Village in 2021 to start a family. Di Nardo continued in wine, working as a sommelier at Bacchanalia, owned by Chef Anne Quatrano. It was here where he began devising a plan to open a wine bar.
Di Nardo kept an eye out for properties that suited his vision, including the Gresham Avenue building that would become home to Sagra. When the building came under new ownership, Di Nardo negotiated a lease, along with a few upgrades to the space, like adding a tasting room and fenced-in back patio.
The wine
Named for local food and wine festivals in Italy, the vibe and menu at Sagra are inspired by Venetian bacaros — small, neighborhood wine bars that serve a selection of cicchetti.
Wines by the bottle and glass lean into vintages made from Italian grapes. Look for all “the usual suspects” on the menu, with wines from Italy, the U.S., and Australia. To keep wine approachable and affordable for the neighborhood, some glasses come priced as low as $9.
Sagra also offers a small selection of Italian spirits, cocktails, and beer, as well as non-alcoholic drinks and Lavazza espresso.
The food
Sagra is currently BYOB while it awaits the approval of a liquor license from the city. But the permitting delay gives Di Nardo and his team time to dial in the food.
The menu revolves around a PizzaMaster and an induction burner. Expect four types of sourdough pizza and cicchetti, like meatballs and eggplant involtini. People can order a two- or four-person focaccia loaf served with a rotating selection of cicchetti. Right now, focaccia services features zucchini alla scapece, a cannellini salad, and melty Taleggio accompanied by cremini mushrooms and thyme.
To keep it local, Di Nardi sources culatello and guanicale from The Spotted Trotter in Reynoldstown and serves cannolis from pop-up Vinny’s Mutual Aid Bakery.
Like the wine, Di Nardo wants the food to be both approachable and familiar. As a neighborhood hangout, Sagra is meant to be low key and casual.
“We don’t want anyone to be scared [to come here],” Di Nardo said. “I think there has been an expectation of [Sagra] being a bit higher end. So, I’m really excited for the neighborhood to be pleasantly surprised.”
Sagra, 535 Gresham Ave., East Atlanta Village. Open Thursday-Monday. BYOB until liquor license acquired. Outdoor seating available.
