Breadsticks Win. Wine List Does Not.
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden’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 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.
· Hot Springs · Fine dining
Vault is a genuinely charming place to spend a special evening in Hot Springs — the room earns its keep. The wine program, from what we can see, does its job without distinguishing itself: serviceable, probably priced on the steeper side, and built to please rather than provoke. Go for the atmosphere and the food; just don't plan your wine nerd moment around it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Italian
Little Italy in Hot Springs isn't pretending to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but a seven-bottle list anchored almost entirely by supermarket brands doesn't give wine drinkers much to work with. The pricing is honest and the Selbach is a genuine bright spot, but if wine matters to your evening, temper expectations before you sit down.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Hot Springs · Wine Bar
Splash Wine Bar is doing something genuinely worthwhile for Hot Springs — an almost-entirely-by-the-glass list with fair pricing and a few smart picks that go beyond the obvious. If you're rolling through town and want a real glass of wine without a lecture or a markup, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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
· Shreveport · Italian Chain
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do: safe brands, predictable pricing, no real curation. The markups are real — Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay at $41 a bottle isn't the restaurant doing you any favors — and the selection never ventures beyond what you'd find at a supermarket. If wine matters to you, this isn't where you're going to find anything to talk about; if you just want a glass of something with your Chicken Bryan, it'll do the job.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Belden Village · Canton · Italian Chain
Carrabba's Canton isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — four reds and a seasonal dinner don't make a wine program. Order the cocktail, or BYOB if they allow it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Chula Vista · Italian Chain
Romano's Macaroni Grill isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. Order a $4 house red, enjoy the pasta, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that earned it.
Grocery Store
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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