Breadsticks Get More Attention Than This List
Aurora City Center · Aurora · Italian
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 20, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant – Aurora Mall’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Olive Garden Aurora arrives laminated, sandwiched between the pasta promos and dessert photos, and it shows exactly as much ambition as that sounds. We're looking at a tightly curated roster of brands you already know from the grocery store aisle — no surprises, no risks, no rewards. This is a wine program designed to not get in the way.
The list leans on Italian and California standbys that require zero explanation to anyone who's ever been to a Total Wine. Ruffino Chianti and Cavit Pinot Grigio are doing the heavy lifting on the Italian side, while Il Fornaio Pinot Noir waves the California flag. Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio shows up like it does on every mid-tier chain list in America, because it does. There's no depth here by region, no exploration of southern Italy, no Barbera, no Vermentino — just the familiar faces that corporate approved years ago and nobody's revisited since.
Eight to fourteen options by the glass sounds reasonable until you realize they're all pulling from the same short bench of mass-market producers. The pours exist to check a box, not to excite anyone. Rotation appears to be a concept this program has not yet encountered.
Ruffino Chianti — $28
It's the most honest wine on the list — a real Italian region, a recognizable producer, and it actually holds up next to a tomato-forward pasta dish. It's not exciting, but at the lower end of the bottle range it's the safest spend on the menu.
Cavit Pinot Grigio
Nobody's ordering this hoping to be moved, but as a cold, simple, food-friendly white it does its job without complaint. It's the kind of wine that disappears pleasantly with a bowl of zuppa toscana and doesn't ask you to think too hard. Underrated for exactly that reason.
Il Fornaio Pinot Noir
California Pinot Noir at chain restaurant markup is almost never a good deal, and this one is no exception. You're paying a premium for a label that punches below its price point — save yourself the disappointment.
Ruffino Chianti + Chicken Parmigiana
Chianti's bright acidity and tomato-friendly character were practically engineered for this dish. It's not a revelation, but it's the one moment on this list where the wine and the menu actually feel like they were meant to meet.
❌ The Bottom Line
Olive Garden's wine program is an afterthought dressed up in a laminated sleeve — it won't ruin your dinner, but it won't add anything to it either. Order the cocktails, drink the water, save the bottle of wine for a restaurant that cares.
Stanley Marketplace · Aurora · Oyster Bar / New American
Traveling Mercies is a Wild Card in the best way: an oyster bar inside a marketplace that built a wine list with actual conviction. It's not deep, but it's smart, and smart beats deep when you're eating shellfish in Aurora.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Gaylord Rockies / Gateway Park · Aurora · Steakhouse, American
Old Hickory is a reliable, well-run resort steakhouse wine program — sommelier on staff, proper glassware, wines stored correctly — but it's built for comfort, not discovery. Send a friend here if they want a guaranteed good glass with a great steak; send someone else if they're looking to find something new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Meadow Hills / South Parker Road · Aurora · New American
Cody's isn't a wine destination and it has no interest in being one — but the list is priced fairly, the pours are recognizable, and there's just enough personality (Baja Tanga, we see you) to keep it from being completely forgettable. Send a friend here if they want wine with dinner, not wine as the reason for dinner.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Southlands · Aurora · American
BJ's Southlands is a perfectly fine place to drink a craft beer, and we mean that sincerely — lean into the thing they actually care about. The wine list is a national chain template on autopilot, marked up past its worth, with zero local character and no sign of anyone tending the program with any intention.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Aurora City Center · Aurora · Pizza / American
Old Chicago Aurora is a perfectly fine place to watch a game and eat pizza — just order a beer like everyone else. The wine list exists to check a box, not to enhance your meal, and no amount of J. Lohr is going to change that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southeast Aurora · Aurora · Italian-American
Olive Garden's wine program exists to check a box, not to enhance your dinner. Order the Chianti, eat the breadsticks, and save your wine budget for somewhere that's actually trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Vail Village · Vail · Italian
La Nonna brings a legitimately serious Italian cellar to a town where most restaurants are content to coast on their ski-town captive audience — and that deserves real credit. The markups are steep across the board, but the bones of the list are strong enough that the right bottle makes the whole evening.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mountain Road · Stowe · Italian
Trattoria La Festa is not a destination for the wine list — it's a destination for the atmosphere, the pasta, and crucially, Wednesday night, when every bottle under $100 goes half-price and suddenly a $50 Antinori feels like a very smart midweek decision. Go on a Wednesday, order the Bramito, and stop overthinking it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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