Chain Comfort, Chain Wine, No Surprises
· Franklin · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 11, 2026 · How we review
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 →
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.
· Franklin · Steakhouse
Perry's Franklin is a reliable steakhouse wine list — fair pricing, a genuinely large by-the-glass selection, and a few smart picks scattered among the safe choices. It's not going to excite a serious wine drinker, but it's not going to embarrass one either. Send your friend here knowing they'll drink well without getting gouged.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· 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
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
· Lafayette · Italian
Cafe' Bella looks like a genuinely pleasant place to eat Italian in Lafayette, and the atmosphere alone earns it a shot. But until we can document the wine list properly — real bottles, real prices — we can't give you the specific guidance you deserve. Go for the Eggplant Parmigiana and the room; ask your server what they're pouring by the glass and take it from there.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· West Palm Beach · Italian
Santucci runs a tight, Italy-focused wine list that rewards the curious — Etna wines, a real Barolo by the glass, a Sicilian Frappato at a fair price. Markup is reasonable across the board, and the all-pours-available-by-the-glass setup is a genuine differentiator in this price range. If you're eating Italian in West Palm Beach and you want to drink something more interesting than the Chianti default, this list earns your attention.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Billings · Italian
Ciao Mambo has assembled an Italian wine list that would hold up at a serious restaurant in a much larger market — Vietti Barolo, Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco, and a Valle d'Aosta oddity on the same list in Billings is genuinely impressive. Without pricing or glass program data we can't call it a Rager, but if you're passing through Montana and want a real bottle of Nebbiolo with your pasta, this is your move.
Deep & Eclectic
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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