Chain Comfort, Chain Wine, No Surprises
· Franklin · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Carrabba's Italian Grill Franklin’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Carrabba's Franklin is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain — laminated, predictable, and designed to offend no one. It reads less like a curated program and more like a catalog of brands your aunt already knows by name. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing to get excited about either.
Fifty-two labels sounds ambitious until you realize the list is essentially a greatest hits of grocery store staples — Kendall-Jackson, Kim Crawford, Clos du Bois, and a parade of Pinot Grigio bottles that could have been pulled off a Kroger shelf. The Italian representation is thin and largely performative: Gabbiano Chianti and a couple of TerraMare house pours aren't exactly a deep dive into the Boot. There's no serious regional exploration here, no smaller producers, no interesting outliers — just the reliable, inoffensive brands that move volume in chain dining rooms across America. If you're hoping to discover something new, this is not your list.
Forty-four by-the-glass options sounds impressive, but when the price ceiling is $11.59, you're firmly in commodity wine territory. The pours skew heavily toward sweet whites and approachable reds — this list is built for guests who find their wine by color and sugar level, not by region or producer. Rotation appears to be essentially nonexistent; this is a static, corporate-approved program that doesn't change with the seasons.
TerraMare Bianco — $27
It's the cheapest bottle on the list and probably the house wine in everything but name — but at $27, it's the only price point here that doesn't feel like you're being squeezed. If you're splitting a bottle with pasta, start here and save the rest of your money.
Joel Gott Unoaked Chardonnay
Most Carrabba's guests are reaching for the Kendall-Jackson out of habit, but the Joel Gott Unoaked is actually a cleaner, brighter pour — no buttery oak bomb, just crisp fruit. It's still a chain list pick, but it's the most honest Chardonnay on this roster.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
At $46 a bottle, Santa Margherita is the most expensive white on the list — and it's a brand that peaked in the 1990s and has been coasting on name recognition ever since. You're paying a significant premium for a label, not quality. The wine is fine; the price is not.
Gabbiano Chianti + Chicken Bryan
Gabbiano Chianti is a crowd-pleasing, high-acid red that cuts through the goat cheese and lemon butter sauce in Carrabba's signature Chicken Bryan better than anything else on this list. It's not a serious Chianti, but it does the job here.
The Bottom Line
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.
Downtown Franklin · Franklin · Hotel Restaurant / Southern
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Franklin is a reliable wine execution at a chain price point — nobody's going home unhappy, but nobody's going home with a story either. Go on a Wednesday, hit the half-price bottle promotion, and drink better than the menu's markup would otherwise allow.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Cool Springs · Franklin · Italian Chain
The wine list at Olive Garden Franklin is a corporate checklist, not a wine program — the markups are steep for what you're getting, the selection hasn't taken a risk in its life, and the best move is honestly to order a cocktail or just lean hard into the breadsticks. If you're committed to wine, grab the Chianti and don't look back.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse Chain
Outback Franklin's wine list is competent in the way a rental car is competent — it gets you where you're going, but you're not going to talk about it later. Order the steak, consider a cocktail, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Fort Wayne · Italian
Biaggi's Fort Wayne is a safe harbor for anyone who wants a glass of California Cab with their chicken parmesan and doesn't want any surprises. If you dig past the obvious picks, there's a short but legitimate Italian selection worth your attention — but the list as a whole isn't why you're coming here.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Daytona Beach · Italian
The Garlic is punching above its weight class for a Daytona Beach Italian spot — 105 labels and 33 by-the-glass options is real effort, and the pricing is mostly honest. It's not a wine destination, but it's absolutely the right place to drink well if you're already there for pasta.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Redmond · Redmond · Italian
Zio Sal isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's doing the work to make sure wine-curious diners in Redmond don't have to settle. Solid Italian focus, fair pricing, and enough depth to reward someone who actually looks at the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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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