Safe Harbor for Chain Wine Drinkers
North Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 1, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Bonefish Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Bonefish Grill reads exactly like you'd expect from a polished seafood chain: familiar names, nothing challenging, nothing offensive. It's the vinous equivalent of khakis — reliable, inoffensive, and you already know how this ends. If you've been to any Bonefish in any state, you've already seen this list.
The program leans hard into California and New Zealand with a smattering of Pacific Northwest representation. You're getting the greatest hits of grocery store darlings — Rombauer, Meiomi, Kim Crawford, Joel Gott — which isn't a crime, but it is a ceiling. There's no real exploration here, no interesting regional producers, and zero old-world presence to speak of. At 40-60 bottles, the list has volume but not depth; it's wide enough to cover the table without ever making you think.
Twelve to sixteen options by the glass gives you enough to work with, and the $8–$14 range keeps things accessible for a weeknight fish dinner. The rotation doesn't appear to change much — this is a set-and-forget program, not one where the kitchen and bar are having an ongoing conversation. Don't expect anything surprising on the pour list.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc — $9/glass
It's everywhere for a reason — bright, citrusy, and cuts through the sweetness of the Bang Bang Shrimp better than anything else on this list. At around $9 a glass, you're not overpaying for what you're getting.
Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people sleeping on this one because they came for seafood and think red wine is wrong. They're wrong about being wrong — the Joel Gott is a legitimately food-friendly Cab that holds up to the bolder grilled fish dishes without overpowering them.
Rombauer Chardonnay
Rombauer is a $25 retail bottle that restaurants routinely price into the $60s, and Bonefish is no exception to that pattern. The buttery, oak-bomb style also steamrolls most seafood dishes rather than complementing them. There are better uses of that money on this list.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc + Bang Bang Shrimp
The high acidity and citrus zip in the Kim Crawford slices right through the creamy, spicy sauce on the Bang Bang Shrimp and resets your palate between bites. It's not a complicated pairing — it just works every single time.
The Bottom Line
Bonefish Grill Murfreesboro isn't a destination for wine lovers, but it's a functional, inoffensive list that won't ruin your dinner. Order the Kim Crawford, enjoy your fish, and keep your expectations calibrated to the room.
· Murfreesboro · Cocktail Lounge
The Velvet Room has no business having a wine list this thoughtful for a cocktail lounge in Murfreesboro — and yet here it is. If you're coming for wine specifically, you'll be pleasantly surprised; if you're expecting a deep cellar, adjust those expectations before you walk in.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Murfreesboro · Mexican
Casa Tios is a Mexican restaurant that serves wine because people ask for it, not because anyone here is passionate about it. Order the margarita, or lean into the sangria — and save your serious wine night for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Murfreesboro · Bar and Grill
The Goat is a bar and grill, and the wine list knows it — this is an afterthought program dressed up with a price sheet. Stick to the Ste. Michelle Riesling or the Bakkanaali if you're feeling adventurous, and let the beer list do the heavy lifting.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Murfreesboro · Cocktail Lounge / Upscale Bar
One of Nineteen is a cocktail bar that quietly assembled a wine list worth taking seriously, and in Murfreesboro that's genuinely surprising. We'd send a wine-curious friend here without hesitation — just steer them toward the Italian side of the menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Rutherford Blvd · Murfreesboro · Japanese / Sushi
Wasabi is a fun spot for teppanyaki and sushi, but the wine list is an afterthought dressed up as a menu section. Order the plum wine, enjoy the hibachi show, and save the serious bottle for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro · Brewpub
Blackhorse is a genuinely good brewpub, and you should absolutely order a pint. The wine list, though, is purely functional — it exists so the person at the table who doesn't drink beer has something to order, and it doesn't pretend to be anything more than that.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Seafood
The Sea runs one of the more unexpected wine programs in the South Bay — a tightly focused list built around dessert wines and fortified pours that would feel at home at a serious wine bar, not a seafood restaurant. If you're coming for a tasting menu and want to surrender to a glass-by-glass journey through Sauternes, Port, and Madeira, this list was designed exactly for you. If you need a full-dinner wine list with something interesting at every course, you'll feel the gaps on the dry side. Come knowing what it is, and it delivers.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Diego · Seafood
The Fish Market's wine list is a workhorse, not a showpiece — it covers the basics for a seafood crowd without asking too much of anyone, including itself. If you're looking for a thoughtful wine experience to match the kitchen's seafood focus, you'll want to adjust your expectations; if you just want a cold glass of Albariño with your fish tacos, you're in fine shape. Seek out the Martín Códax and let the rest of the list do its thing for the table next to you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Seafood
Chesapeake's Gatlinburg isn't trying to win a wine award, and it doesn't need to — the list is honest, the pricing is fair for what it is, and the white wine depth is genuinely appropriate for a seafood restaurant. If you're in Gatlinburg and want a bottle that won't break the bank or embarrass you, you can do a lot worse than landing on that Dry Creek Chenin Blanc.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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