Hotel wine list that doesn't embarrass itself
Downtown Franklin · Franklin · Hotel Restaurant / Southern · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 7, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails, you get the distinct sense that cocktails are doing the heavy lifting on this drinks program — the name basically says it out loud. The wine list reads like it was assembled to check boxes rather than spark conversation, leaning global with a California tilt that won't surprise anyone who's eaten at a hotel restaurant in the last decade.
The list covers the familiar global bases — California, probably some French stalwarts, maybe a token Argentinian Malbec — without venturing anywhere particularly interesting. It's a wine list built for the broadest possible approval, which means it's inoffensive and largely forgettable. There's nothing here that would make a wine-curious diner lean in and say 'oh, interesting.' That said, it's not a disaster — just a list that's doing the minimum rather than reaching.
By-the-glass specifics aren't well documented, but a hotel restaurant at this price point typically offers a handful of crowd-pleaser pours. Expect the usual suspects — a Chardonnay, a Cab, maybe a rosé — without much rotation or surprise. If you're hoping for a glass of something unexpected between bites of shrimp and grits, temper those expectations.
The Bottom Line
1799 is a solid option when you're already staying at The Harpeth or dining for the atmosphere — the Southern food looks genuinely good and the room earns its upscale-casual reputation. But if wine is your reason for going out, Franklin has better options; this list is there to serve the food, not the other way around.
· Franklin · Steakhouse
Char is a genuinely enjoyable steakhouse with a wine list that does the job without doing much more. The room earns its keep; the wine program is still a passenger rather than a co-pilot. If you're coming here for the Prime beef and the atmosphere, you'll eat well — just don't expect the list to take you anywhere the food isn't already going. Worth a visit, but bring your own expectations in check at the wine menu.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Asian Street Food
Hawkers Franklin is doing more with twelve bottles than most casual chains do with thirty. The white-heavy, aromatic-leaning list is clearly built with the food in mind — even if it was done at the corporate level rather than by someone in this specific kitchen. If you're eating here, lean into the Gamay or Vinho Verde and skip the impulse to order Cab. It won't change your life, but it'll make dinner better.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Seafood
If you're here for wine, you're at the wrong restaurant — but the pricing is honest and the Sauvignon Blanc won't ruin your dinner. Order a cocktail and save your wine energy for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Italian
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do — keeping it safe, keeping it recognizable, and marking it up just enough to pad margins. Drink here because you're having dinner, not because you're having wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Italian
Pelato Franklin isn't going to make wine pilgrims drive down from Nashville, but it's doing more than the Italian-suburban average — an orange wine, some solid regional Italian whites, and a few California names that earn their spot. Come for the food, stay curious about the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse
Perry's Cool Springs is a reliable night out if someone else is paying, but the wine list is doing the bare minimum — crowd-pleasing producers, steep markups, and a noticeable lack of anything that earns its price on merit alone. Stick to Social Hour if you want to drink well without the sticker shock.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
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