Breadsticks Won, Wine Lost Badly
Whittlesey / Retail Corridor · Columbus · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant – Columbus’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
Uptown · Columbus · Fusion / New American
Vertigo shouldn't have a wine list this interesting — and that's the whole point. If you're anywhere near Columbus, Georgia and care even a little about what's in your glass, this place is worth the detour.
Surprising Depth
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbus · Seafood chain
This is a wine program in name only — three crowd-pleaser labels at chain markups with no soul behind the selection. Order a cocktail or a beer and spend your money somewhere it's appreciated.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbus · Rooftop American
Eighteen85 is a place to drink wine, not to drink well. Come for the view, order something cold, and set your expectations accordingly — the list won't surprise you, but at least it won't bankrupt you either.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbus · New American
For Columbus, Georgia, The Animal Farm's wine list is a genuine Wild Card — small but considered, fairly priced, and stocked with producers most local restaurants haven't heard of. We'd absolutely send a friend here with instructions to start with the Riesling and work their way through the whites.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Columbus · American / Bistro
The Loft is a great time if you're there for the music, the scene, or a solid burger — but the wine list is along for the ride, not leading the charge. Come thirsty for the atmosphere; manage your expectations on the glass.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Midtown Columbus · Columbus · Seafood
Red Lobster 13th St. is not a wine destination — it's a seafood chain where wine exists because a menu has to have one. Order the Riesling with your lobster tail, enjoy the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and make your peace with it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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
Route 9 South · Poughkeepsie · Italian Chain
Olive Garden's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain that considers breadsticks the main event — functional, safe, and completely unambitious. Come for the pasta, drink the Chianti Classico, and don't expect anything more.
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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