Chain Italian, but the wine tries hard
Midtown · Anchorage · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 22, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Carrabba's Italian Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Carrabba's reads like a greatest hits album you've heard a hundred times — Santa Margherita front and center, some Chianti, a Super Tuscan to make it feel fancy. It's not embarrassing, but it's not trying to surprise you either. You're in a chain, and the list knows it.
The Italian focus is real and at least coherent — Tuscany anchors the list with Cecchi Chianti Classico and a couple of Il Borro bottlings giving the menu a little muscle. Beyond that, expect the usual suspects: broad-appeal whites, familiar reds, nothing that required a hard conversation with an importer. The list tops out around 40-70 bottles, which is respectable for a chain, but depth is thin and adventurous drinkers will hit the ceiling fast. If you live and breathe Barolo or Etna Rosso, you're eating at the wrong place tonight.
Ten to eighteen by-the-glass options is a solid count for this format, and Carrabba's leans on it well enough to keep a table of mixed drinkers happy. Don't expect anything rotating or seasonal — what's on the board is what's been on the board. It gets the job done without any drama.
Cecchi Chianti Classico — $38
Cecchi is a reliable Chianti Classico producer and this bottle drinks above its station at a chain price point. Order it with the wood-grilled salmon or the spaghetti and you're in good shape.
Il Borro Borrigiano Toscana
Most people at this table are going to reach for the Chianti or the Pinot Grigio and ignore this one. Il Borro is a serious Tuscan estate and the Borrigiano is a genuinely structured red that belongs on a list twice as ambitious as this one. It's the quiet overachiever on an otherwise safe menu.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is fine wine. It's also one of the most marked-up bottles in the American restaurant industry, and Carrabba's is not breaking that tradition. You're paying a premium for brand recognition that peaked in 1995. Skip it.
Il Borro Pian di Nova Super Tuscan + Chicken Bryan
The sun-dried tomato and lemon butter in the Chicken Bryan want acidity and some fruit weight — the Pian di Nova's Syrah-forward blend delivers both without bulldozing the dish. It's the most interesting wine meeting the most interesting entrée on this menu.
The Bottom Line
Carrabba's Anchorage isn't a wine destination — it's a chain doing a decent-enough job so you don't have to drink bad wine with your pasta. Lean toward the Il Borro bottles, steer clear of the Santa Margherita markup, and you'll leave satisfied.
Downtown · Anchorage · New American
The Marx Brothers Café is the kind of place that makes you reconsider your assumptions about where serious wine lives. In a historic Anchorage bungalow, they've built a list that would hold its own in San Francisco — and that earns every bit of the Wild Card badge.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / G Street corridor · Anchorage · Wine Bar / Bistro
Crush earns its Wild Card badge not by being perfect, but by being genuinely surprising — a 600-bottle cellar and 40+ glass pours in Anchorage is an achievement worth acknowledging out loud. If you're passing through or living here, this is where you go when you actually care what's in your glass.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Girdwood · Anchorage · Winery Restaurant / Taproom
Bear Creek Winery Loft earns its Wild Card badge honestly — it's not trying to be a serious wine destination and doesn't need to be. If you're in Girdwood and you skip this in favor of a hotel bar pour, you've made a mistake you'll regret when you're back home explaining why you didn't try the rhubarb wine made in Alaska.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Anchorage · Modern Mexican / Latin Fusion
Tequila 61° is a genuinely fun downtown Anchorage spot — but the wine list is not the reason to come. Order the tequila, drink the margaritas, and if someone at the table insists on wine, steer them toward the Pinot Grigio and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Anchorage · Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria)
Texas de Brazil Anchorage is a reliable enough wine stop if you calibrate expectations to match the format — this is a chain steakhouse, not a wine destination, and the list behaves accordingly. Grab the Catena, eat a lot of picanha, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown / Spenard · Anchorage · Mexican / Pub / Pizza
Bear Tooth Grill is a legitimately great spot for beer, margaritas, pizza, and a movie — the wine list is just a formality. Order a craft beer, skip the wine entirely, and you'll have a fantastic time.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · Italian
Palermo isn't a wine destination, but it's a genuinely solid neighborhood Italian with a list that respects the cuisine and won't punish your wallet. Send a friend here if they want a good bottle with dinner — just steer them toward the Italian side of the list.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Randolph · St. Paul · Italian
Luci Ancora isn't here to dazzle wine geeks, but it earns its keep as a thoughtful neighborhood Italian with a list that respects the kitchen. If you're after a quiet dinner and a well-chosen Italian bottle, you're in the right place.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Galleria · Irving · Italian
North Italia isn't a destination wine list, but it's a genuinely respectable one — fair prices, regional Italian whites worth ordering, and enough variety to reward curious drinkers. Send your friends here knowing they won't be stuck choosing between Pinot Grigio and nothing.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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