Breadsticks Win, Wine List Does Not
East Casper · Casper · Italian-American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 15, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here reads like it was assembled by someone whose only brief was 'names people recognize.' You get the hits — Ruffino, Santa Margherita, Meiomi — and absolutely nothing else. It's a corporate document masquerading as a wine program.
Thirty to fifty wines sounds like a reasonable list until you realize it's the same thirty to fifty wines at every Olive Garden in America, chosen by a committee in Orlando. Italy is represented by safe, mass-market labels — Ruffino Chianti and a trio of interchangeable Pinot Grigios from Bolla, Ecco Domani, and Santa Margherita. California fills the rest of the card with crowd-pleasing names like Meiomi. There's no depth, no discovery, and no reason to explore beyond the first page.
You'll find somewhere between ten and fifteen pours by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize they're rotating the same airport-lounge suspects. The Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is the most requested pour and is priced accordingly — you're paying for the brand, not the wine. Don't expect any surprises or seasonal rotations; this list hasn't changed in years.
Ruffino Chianti — $9
It's not exciting, but Ruffino Chianti is at least honest about what it is — a serviceable, food-friendly Italian red that won't embarrass itself next to a plate of pasta. Of everything on this list, it earns its place most legitimately.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
We're reluctant to call anything here a gem, but Meiomi Pinot Noir is at least a crowd-pleaser that delivers on its promise — soft, fruity, and easy to drink. Most people overlook it for the Grigio default, but it actually holds up better against the richer pasta dishes.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
You're paying a significant premium for a label, not a wine experience. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is a perfectly adequate bottle that retails for around $20 — whatever Olive Garden charges for it by the glass makes the math ugly fast. Order the Chianti instead.
Ruffino Chianti + Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Chianti and tomato-based meat sauce is one of the more reliable combinations in Italian-American dining — the acidity in the wine cuts through the richness of the sauce and the two just get along. It's not a revelation, but it works, and at this restaurant that counts for something.
The Bottom Line
If you're at Olive Garden, you're here for the breadsticks and the company — and that's fine. Just don't come expecting the wine list to add anything to the evening beyond basic functionality.
Casper · Casper · Steakhouse, American
Silver Fox isn't destination wine drinking, but it's honest, affordable, and a few smart picks deep — which is more than most steakhouses in Wyoming (or anywhere) can claim. Send your friends here for a steak; just steer them toward the Craggy Range.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Casper · Casper · Casual American
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do — minimum effort, maximum margin, zero adventure. Order a beer or a cocktail and save your wine spending for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Casper · Casper · Sports Bar
Buffalo Wild Wings Casper is not a wine destination and has no interest in becoming one — the list is overpriced, understocked, and assembled by a corporate algorithm, not a person who cares. Order the craft beer, order a cocktail, order a Pepsi — just don't come here expecting the wine to do anything for you.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ocean Casino Resort · Atlantic City · Italian-American
Superfrico is a reliable wine program in a setting designed to get you to spend money — and it mostly delivers without being a total shakedown. Send a friend here for a fun night, not a wine education.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / Broadway · Saratoga Springs · Italian-American
Come to Wheatfields for the house-made pasta — it earns its reputation. But the wine list is a lazy lineup of commercial brands at steep markups, and no one on staff is going to steer you toward anything interesting. Grab a glass of Prosecco during happy hour (50% off Monday through Friday, 3-7pm) and redirect your wine energy somewhere else in town.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Broadway · Idaho Falls · Italian-American
This is the wine list equivalent of unlimited breadsticks — comforting, familiar, and not something you'd brag about to anyone. Come for the pasta, order a cocktail, or bring your own bottle if they'll let you.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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