Carrabba's Italian Grill
The Chain That Actually Tries With Wine
Unknown · Charleston · Italian-American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walk in expecting a laminated two-pager and you get something a little more considered. The list runs 40-plus bottles with a clear Italian lean — Chianti, blends from Veneto, a nod or two to California — and the prices won't make you flinch. It's not exciting, but it's not embarrassing either.
Selection Deep Dive
California and Italy split the real estate pretty evenly, with New Zealand sneaking in via the obligatory Kim Crawford. The Italian side is the more interesting half — Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, Ruffino Ducale, and the Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre are legitimately solid picks that punch above a chain's typical ambition. California fills the gaps with J. Lohr, Coppola Diamond, and the usual suspects. The Gaja Ca' Marcanda Promis at the top of the list is a genuine surprise — it's the one bottle here that makes you do a double-take and wonder how it ended up next to Dark Horse Cab.
By the Glass
Twelve to eighteen options by the glass, priced between $6.79 and $16.59, which is honest for this market. You're mostly choosing between Chloe Pinot Grigio, Kim Crawford, and Ecco Domani Merlot — competent, forgettable, and exactly what the table next to you is probably drinking. Rotation appears nonexistent; this list was set and left alone.
J. Lohr 'Seven Oaks' Cabernet Sauvignon — $27
Seven Oaks is a reliably well-made Paso Robles Cab that typically retails around $16-18. At $27 a bottle you're paying a fair markup and getting a wine that drinks well above its price point — dark fruit, soft tannins, no rough edges. Best bottle deal on the list.
Allegrini 'Palazzo Della Torre' Red Blend
Most tables will order the Chianti or drift toward a California Cab. Skip both and go here. This Veronese blend — Corvina-dominant with a ripasso-style treatment — brings dried cherry, tobacco, and a savory depth that the rest of the list can't match. It reads expensive and it isn't.
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon
This is a $10 grocery store bottle. Whatever they're charging for it here, you're overpaying. It exists to fill a price point, not to impress anyone. Spend a few dollars more and land the J. Lohr instead.
Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva + Chicken Bryan
The sun-dried tomato and lemon butter sauce on the Chicken Bryan has enough acidity and richness to clash with a heavy red, but Chianti Classico Riserva's bright cherry fruit and food-friendly acid cut right through the butter and echo the tomato. It's the most Italian thing you can do at this table.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Carrabba's isn't a destination for wine, but it's not a disaster either — the Italian selections show some genuine care, the pricing is fair, and a couple of bottles here would hold up at a much fancier table. If you're eating here anyway, don't default to the Merlot; there's better on this list.
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