Breadsticks Won, Wine Lost Badly
Whittlesey / Retail Corridor · Columbus · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list arrives looking exactly like what it is — a laminated insert tucked into a menu that's really about the pasta. There's no ambition here, no surprises, just a curated selection of names you've already seen at every grocery store checkout. It's functional, not interesting.
About 20-30 bottles, give or take, split between familiar California workhorses and a thin nod to Italy via the house Porta Vita label. Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Meiomi — these are supermarket staples dressed up in a restaurant context. The Italian representation is largely cosmetic; don't come expecting a Sangiovese deep-cut or a well-chosen Vermentino. The list doesn't evolve, doesn't take risks, and doesn't need to — this isn't the point of Olive Garden, and everyone involved seems fine with that.
Eight to twelve options by the glass, priced between $8.25 and $11.75, covering the basic red-white-rosé bases. Rotation is essentially nonexistent — what's on the list today is what was on it six months ago. It's a grab-and-go situation, not a program anyone has put real thought into.
Rocca delle Macìe Chianti Classico — $29.25
At roughly 95% over retail, it's still the least brutal markup on the list and at least comes from a real Chianti Classico producer with an actual track record. If you're drinking wine here, this is the least painful way to do it.
Rocca delle Macìe Chianti Classico
Most tables default straight to the Meiomi or the Mondavi out of habit. The Chianti Classico is easy to overlook on a list like this, but it's the only bottle that actually makes sense with Italian food — and it's the one play that at least gestures toward where the cuisine is from.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
This bottle retails for around $10. At $27.75, you're paying nearly 180% over retail for a mass-market Cab that asks nothing of you and gives back even less. Walk into any gas station and you're getting the same experience for a fraction of the price.
Rocca delle Macìe Chianti Classico + Tour of Italy
The Tour of Italy — lasagna, chicken parmigiana, fettuccine Alfredo on one plate — is a lot of sauce and richness. The Chianti's acidity and light tannin structure are built for exactly this kind of tomato-and-cheese situation. It's not a revelatory pairing, but it's a logical one, and logic is in short supply on this list.
❌ The Bottom Line
If you're at Olive Garden, you're not here for the wine, and the wine list has fully internalized that fact. Drink the Chianti, enjoy the breadsticks, and save the serious bottles for somewhere that cares.
North Columbus / Whittlesey Boulevard · Columbus · Modern American
Ivory & Oak is a reliable wine stop in a city that isn't exactly crawling with serious lists — the room is great, the pours are familiar, and the markup is the main thing holding it back from something better. Go for the steak, order the Merlot, and don't expect to be challenged.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Airport / East Columbus · Columbus · Hotel Restaurant
If you're stuck at the DoubleTree and the flight is delayed, Houlihan's will keep you fed and adequately watered — but don't mistake that for a wine program worth seeking out. Order the Etude Pinot or the Malbec, skip the sangria, and manage your expectations accordingly.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
Airport / East Columbus · Columbus · American Bar & Grill
This is airport-adjacent chain wine, full stop — familiar labels at inflated prices for a captive audience that mostly wants something cold and wet after traveling. Order a cocktail instead, or hit the hotel bar and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Uptown · Columbus · Pub
The Rail Pub is not here to advance your wine education, and that's fine — it's a pub, it sells beer, and the wine list exists as an afterthought for the table that didn't want beer. Order the J. Lohr if you need a glass of something real; otherwise, get a pint and stop looking at the wine menu.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown · Columbus · Upscale American Sports Bar
The Office is a solid sports bar with a real food program, but the wine list is an afterthought at best — two house pours do not constitute a program. Come for the pork chops and live music, order a cocktail or a beer, and don't expect anyone on staff to talk you through a vintage.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Columbus · Columbus · American and Tex-Mex chain restaurant
Chili's Columbus is not a wine destination — it's a margarita destination that happens to stock two anonymous house wines for guests who forgot to order a cocktail. Drink accordingly.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Whittlesey / Bradley Park · Columbus · Italian Chain
This is a wine list that was designed by committee to offend no one and excite no one, priced to extract maximum margin from people who aren't paying close attention. Enjoy the Chicken Bryan, drink water, and save the wine for somewhere that actually tried.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East / North Stockton · Stockton · Italian Chain
This is the wine list equivalent of the Never Ending Pasta Bowl — familiar, functional, and not trying to be anything more than it is. If you're here for the food and want something reasonable to drink with it, the Ruffino Chianti does the job; just don't expect the wine to be the reason you came.
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.