Historic Digs, Honest Pours, No Fuss
Downtown Franklin · Franklin · American gastropub / Southern-influenced · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Gray's on Main’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Gray's, the wine list isn't the reason you came — the live music and century-old bones of the building are — but it holds its own without embarrassing itself. Sixteen labels, all available by the glass, which tells you exactly what kind of operation this is: approachable, low-friction, designed for a crowd that wants something decent in hand without a lot of deliberation. That's not a knock. Most downtown Franklin nights call for exactly that.
The list reads like a greatest-hits tour of safe international bets — Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Chardonnay, Willamette Pinot Noir, Argentine red blend. It covers the bases without venturing anywhere near the edges. There are some genuinely good producers tucked in here: Mar De Frades is a serious Albariño label out of Galicia, and Greenwing's Willamette Pinot Noir punches above what you'd expect at this price point. The gaps are real — no sparkling to speak of, no dessert wines, and the red side of the list is thin — but for a gastropub with live music on weeknights, this is a list that does its job.
Every bottle on the list is also available by the glass, which we respect — no locked-away bottles you can only get if you commit to the whole thing. The happy hour pricing on Dark Horse Cab at $6 and Casal Garcia Vinho Verde at $8 (Tuesday through Thursday, 3–6 p.m.) is where the real value lives if you're timing your visit right. Outside of happy hour, glass pours run $13–$16, which is honest for this market.
Mar De Frades Albariño — $13
Mar De Frades is a proper, estate-grown Galician Albariño — the kind of bottle that retails for $18–$22 and shows up on serious wine bar lists. Getting it by the glass at the low end of Gray's pricing feels like a minor score.
Kate Arnold Riesling
Washington State Riesling is chronically underordered at restaurants, and this one is no exception. Most people skip past it for the Sauv Blanc without a second glance. That's a mistake — Columbia Valley Riesling at this price point is one of the better deals in American white wine, and it's a natural fit for anything spiced or smoky on the menu.
Levendi Chardonnay
Napa Chardonnay at a downtown gastropub is almost always the worst value proposition on the list, and this is no exception. You're paying top dollar for the appellation name, not the experience. The Albariño or the Riesling will run you less and drink more interestingly.
Greenwing Pinot Noir + Fried Chicken
Willamette Pinot Noir and fried chicken is an underrated pairing — the wine's bright acidity and red fruit cut right through the richness of the crust without steamrolling the dish. Greenwing is light enough to let the food do the talking, which is exactly what you want here.
Tuesday–Thursday — Happy hour runs Tuesday through Thursday from 3–6 p.m. with $6 glasses of Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon and $8 glasses of Casal Garcia Vinho Verde. A Wednesday 'Wine Down' event is also promoted, but specific discounts were not confirmed in available sources.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Gray's on Main isn't a wine destination, but it's a perfectly decent place to drink wine — fair prices, a few genuinely good producers hiding in a short list, and a happy hour that rewards the early crowd. Send your friends here for a good night out; just make sure they know to ask for the Albariño.
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
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse, Classic American
Sperry's Cool Springs is a dependable steakhouse wine list that doesn't ask much of you — and doesn't ask much of itself either. Come on a Monday, grab a bottle at half price, order the ribeye, and you'll have a genuinely good night without overthinking it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Asian fusion / Chinese-inspired chain restaurant
P.F. Chang's Cool Springs is here to feed a crowd, not to impress a wine drinker. The list is fine the way an airport moving walkway is fine — it gets you somewhere, but nobody's excited about it. If you're eating here, pick something by the glass, keep it simple, and save the serious wine for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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