Music City's Upscale Safe Bet for Wine
Downtown Nashville · Nashville · Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed March 2, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Etch’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Etch's wine list reads like a downtown Nashville upscale restaurant playing it safe — crowd-pleasing regions, recognizable producers, nothing that would scare off a convention crowd. The list does the job without taking risks, which tracks for a place that needs to appeal to tourists and locals alike. You won't find any surprises here, but you won't get burned either.
The selection leans heavily on California and French standards with predictable representation from Napa, Sonoma, and Bordeaux. There's a workable Burgundy section with mid-tier producers and enough Italian coverage to handle pasta pairings, though nothing ventures into natural wine territory or obscure appellations. The list feels like it was built five years ago and hasn't evolved much since — functional but dated. Oregon Pinot Noir gets some shelf space, and there's a token nod to Spanish Tempranillo, but the overall vibe is "what corporate wine buyers think fine dining should look like."
By-the-glass options likely run around 8-12 pours, hitting the usual suspects — a Sancerre, a Napa Cab, maybe a Malbec for the steak crowd. The pours rotate seasonally at best, and staff knowledge varies wildly depending on who's working that night. Expect standard 6-ounce pours at downtown Nashville pricing, which means you're paying $14-18 for wines that retail around $20-25.
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie Bourgueil — $52
Loire Cabernet Franc that drinks above its price point with enough structure for red meat but won't drain your wallet like the Napa section
Pico Cuadro Mencía
If they've got Spanish reds beyond Rioja, this Bierzo producer offers savory complexity that most people overlook in favor of Tempranillo
Rombauer Chardonnay
Probably marked up to $80+ for a wine that's $35 retail and tastes like butter and oak had a baby in a vanilla factory
J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-Aged Ribeye
Paso Robles Cab with enough tannic grip to stand up to char and fat without the Napa price tag — straightforward pairing that works
The Bottom Line
Etch delivers a competent wine program that won't wow you but won't disappoint your out-of-town client either. It's the reliable choice when you need wine to be present but not the star of the show — just expect to pay downtown Nashville premiums for the privilege.
· Nashville · Restaurant
The Palm Nashville's wine list is six bottles long and somehow more interesting than lists ten times its size at comparable restaurants. The Sancerre alone is worth the visit if it's still priced at $23. Just know what you're walking into: this is a focused, opinionated micro-list, not a deep cellar — and by-the-glass options remain a mystery until you ask.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Nashville · Nashville · Steakhouse
STK Nashville is a nightclub that serves steaks and has a wine list to match the energy — loud, familiar, and not particularly interested in your education. Come for the scene, order the bottle that sounds good to you, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Nashville · American Grille
Del Frisco's Grille Nashville is coasting hard on brand recognition with a wine list that a decent gastropub would be embarrassed by. Swing by for happy hour, grab a $10 pour, and don't expect anyone to help you think about what you're drinking.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Nashville · Nashville · American, French
Gannons is a reliable, well-curated wine destination dressed in hotel restaurant clothing — the sommelier team knows the list, the glass pour selection is strong, and the Italian and French highlights give it more personality than the Napa-heavy surface suggests. The markups lean steep, but the execution earns its Wine Spectator badge. We'd send a friend here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Nashville · Nashville · Southern American, Steakhouse
Deacon's won't expand your wine horizons, but if California Cabernet with your steak is the plan — and in Nashville, it often is — Andrew Lizardo's program delivers with confidence. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is earned, even if the list plays it safe.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West End · Nashville · Seafood
Halls Catch is the right call for a Nashville seafood dinner when you want a wine list that won't embarrass you — just don't come looking for adventure outside the California zip codes. Send a friend here if they love Napa and know what they're ordering; send them somewhere else if they want to explore.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Vinings · Atlanta · Contemporary American
So has a wine list built to please a suburban dinner crowd without ruffling any feathers, and it largely succeeds at that narrow goal. The markup is real — most bottles sit at 3–4x retail — but the by-the-glass breadth gives you options to keep the tab reasonable. If you're a wine-first diner, this isn't your destination; if you're here for the scene and the food, you'll find something perfectly fine to drink.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Toledo · Contemporary American
Sabira has built something genuinely worth noticing for Toledo: a compact, mostly European list that takes real swings with appellations like Grasparossa di Castelvetro and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Pricing data isn't available to us, and the BTG program is unclear — so call ahead or ask on arrival. If the staff knows this list as well as whoever curated it seems to, this is an easy recommendation for anyone tired of the same regional Chardonnay-and-Cab circuit.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Sarasota · Sarasota · Contemporary American
A one-page list that mixes Greek, Italian and French bottles with Cristal, Taittinger and Laurent-Perrier Champagnes, and posts many prices as two unlabeled numbers. Start with the Gai'a Assyrtiko (70 / 17) alongside the wood-fired octopus, or take the Les Girelles Picpoul (48 / 12) on a Tuesday, when the list says bottles at $99 and less are half off (bubbles and Champagne excluded). This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups, and the list carries no printed date, so confirm current availability and ask which number is the glass.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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