Breadsticks Win. Wine List Does Not.
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 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 at Olive Garden Hot Springs is exactly what you expect before you even open it — a laminated insert tucked inside the menu, heavy on Italian brand names your aunt recognizes and California crowd-pleasers that haven't changed in a decade. There's no surprise here, and the list isn't trying to give you one.
Twenty-five to thirty-five bottles covering Italy and California, with the Italian side leaning on reliable workhorses like Ruffino Chianti and Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio rather than anything with actual regional character. California is represented by the Kendall-Jackson and Meiomi contingent — wines you can find at any grocery store, priced accordingly. There's no depth to speak of: no Barolo, no Brunello, no Ribolla Gialla sneaking onto the list for fun. What you get is a safe, inoffensive range built to move volume alongside pasta dishes, not to make anyone think too hard.
Ten to fifteen options by the glass, and the pours run $7–$12, which is genuinely not gouging anyone. The selection mirrors the bottle list — Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio, Meiomi Pinot Noir, Risata Moscato d'Asti — nothing rotates, nothing surprises, but the prices keep it accessible for a table of four splitting carafes with their Chicken Alfredo.
Ruffino Chianti NV — $7.50/glass
At 63% markup over retail, this is one of the gentler margins on the list. It's a simple, fruit-forward Chianti, but it does the job with a plate of pasta and doesn't insult your wallet.
Risata Moscato d'Asti NV
Most people overlook the Moscato because it reads as a dessert wine afterthought, but a lightly sweet, low-alcohol Moscato d'Asti is genuinely good with spicy or cream-heavy dishes — and at these prices, the risk is low.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is the wine that taught a generation of Americans to overpay for Pinot Grigio. It's fine, but you're paying a brand premium for a wine that doesn't outperform the Ruffino Lumina sitting right next to it on the list for less.
Ruffino Chianti NV + Lasagna Classico
Tomato-heavy meat sauce wants something with enough acidity and red fruit to stand up to it without fighting. Chianti — even an everyday one — has that structure built in. It's the least wrong choice on this list for that dish.
❌ The Bottom Line
Olive Garden's wine list is the automotive equivalent of a rental car: it gets you where you're going, nobody's excited about it, and you return it without a second thought. Come for the breadsticks, drink the Chianti, and keep your expectations appropriately parked.
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Sports Bar Chain
Buffalo Wild Wings Hot Springs is a place to drink beer and watch sports — the wine list exists to technically have one, not to be used. Order a beer, order a cocktail, or bring your own if they allow corkage, but don't let the wine list be the reason you're here.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / Commercial Strip · Hot Springs · Mexican / Tex-Mex
This is a margarita restaurant with a wine list that exists only so no one has to say there isn't one. Come for the fajitas and the frozen drinks — the wine is strictly last resort.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 7 North / Outskirts · Hot Springs · Southern Country Restaurant
We wouldn't send anyone to Cracker Barrel for wine, and neither should you — the food is the point, the wine is a footnote. If you need a glass with dinner, grab the Gambino sparkling and move on with your life.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Casual American
The wine list at Cheddar's Hot Springs exists because a restaurant has to have one, not because anyone gave it a second thought. Order a cocktail, enjoy the scratch kitchen, and save the wine conversation for somewhere else.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Seafood Chain
Red Lobster's wine program is exactly what it is — a chain afterthought with recognizable labels and pricing that won't actively insult you. Come for the biscuits, drink the Kim Crawford with your shrimp, and don't expect anything more.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Hamilton / Highway 7 South · Hot Springs · Steakhouse
You're not coming to Outback Hot Springs for a wine revelation, but the pricing is so surprisingly honest that ordering a glass feels less like a tax on your dinner and more like an actual choice. Lower your expectations on selection, keep them reasonable on value, and you'll leave fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Atherton · State College · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance a meal — it's corporate, static, and marked up past the point of good value. Order the Chianti Classico if you must, but honestly, grab the cocktail menu instead.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mesa Mall / Rimrock Avenue · Grand Junction · Italian Chain
The wine list at Olive Garden Grand Junction is a corporate afterthought dressed up in Italian branding — fair prices save it from being a total disaster, but there's no ambition, no discovery, and no reason to think hard about what you order. Stick with the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Bismarck · Bismarck · Italian Chain
Olive Garden Bismarck is a fine place to eat breadsticks and catch up with family. It is not a fine place to drink wine — the list is predictable, the markups are punishing, and nobody here is losing sleep over the cellar. Order the Riesling or the Chianti Classico, skip everything else, and save the serious bottle for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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