Breadsticks Win, The Wine Does Not
Miller Hill · Duluth · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant – Duluth’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 here is exactly what you'd expect from a laminated insert tucked behind the appetizer section — it's a corporate document, not a wine program. Thirty-something options, most of them names you'd find at a gas station wine rack, priced like they belong at a steakhouse. There is no local flavor, no curiosity, no attempt to surprise you.
The list leans Italian in name but not in spirit — you get Roscato Rosso Dolce, Straccali Chianti, and Kris Pinot Grigio doing the heavy lifting, alongside domestic crowd-pleasers like Robert Mondavi Private Selection and Meiomi Pinot Noir. The most interesting bottle on the shelf is probably the Rocca delle Macie SaSyr, a Sangiovese-Syrah blend that at least suggests someone at corporate HQ once thought about structure. Gaps are everywhere: no skin-contact wines, no sparkling worth mentioning, no regional exploration beyond what's already in every chain Italian restaurant in America. This list was designed by a committee, approved by a focus group, and hasn't been reconsidered since.
You're looking at 10 to 15 pours ranging from $7 to $12 a glass, which sounds reasonable until you do the bottle math and realize the markup is already baked in hard. The pour selection mirrors the bottle list — safe, sweet-leaning, and largely interchangeable. There's no rotation, no seasonal thinking, no compelling reason to stray from water.
Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico — $29.25
At 83% markup it's the least egregious bottle on the list, and it's an actual wine from an actual producer with some structure — drink it with the pasta and pretend you're somewhere else.
Rocca delle Macie SaSyr (Sangiovese/Syrah)
Most tables here are ordering Roscato and calling it a night. The SaSyr is the only wine on this list that has genuine personality — dark fruit, some grip — and most people walk right past it.
Beringer Merlot
At $26.25 a bottle for something that retails at $9.99, you're paying a 163% markup on a wine that has no business being on any restaurant list, let alone at this price. Order literally anything else.
Straccali Chianti + Chicken Alfredo
Chianti's acidity cuts through the cream sauce better than anything sweet on this list — it won't blow your mind but it'll keep the dish from feeling like a brick.
The Bottom Line
Come for the never-ending pasta bowl and the breadsticks; the wine program is an afterthought that charges you for the privilege of being ignored. If you want a real glass of wine with dinner, this is not your night.
Downtown · Duluth · Italian-American and Pizza
Sammy's is a Duluth institution and the pizza earns its reputation — the wine list is just not the point, and the restaurant isn't pretending otherwise. Order a beer or grab the cheapest glass pour, eat the pizza, and be happy.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canal Park · Duluth · American, Bar, Pizza
Old Chicago Duluth isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — it's a reliable fallback for the table member who wants a glass of something decent while everyone else works through the tap list. If you stick to the Ste. Michelle Riesling, you'll leave satisfied; just don't come here expecting anything that will make you put down your pizza.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Duluth · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Saloon is a genuinely fun West Duluth institution, but the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved knows it. Order a local beer, enjoy the ribs, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miller Hill · Duluth · American, bar & grill
Grandma's Miller Hill is a beloved Duluth institution, but the wine list has never been the reason to show up — and with the location closing in May 2026, it's not getting better. Order a beer, enjoy the nostalgia, and save the wine for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Miller Hill · Duluth · Casual American steakhouse with Australian-themed branding
Outback Duluth is a perfectly fine place to eat a steak; it is not a place to think about wine. Order the Alamos Malbec, enjoy your sirloin, and save the wine exploration for somewhere that's doing the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fitger's / Waterfront · Duluth · Upscale American
Boat Club is a reliable wine room for Duluth — a sommelier on staff, a genuinely broad glass pour program, and a Monday half-price bottle deal that should be on every local's calendar. The markups keep it from being a Rager, but if you play the specials and lean into the European selections, you'll drink well with a great view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Stamford · Italian
Ernie's has no business being this interesting about wine, and that's exactly why you should go. It's a tight, weird, well-priced list in a format nobody expects — and that's the whole point of a Wild Card.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Baltimore · Italian
Facci's wine list is a quiet overachiever: all-Italian, regionally adventurous, and priced without greed. If you want to drink something you've never heard of and pay a fair price for it, this is your spot.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chicago · Italian
il Carciofo is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine list that treats Italian regional variety as the main event, not the footnote. If you're tired of the same Pinot Grigio and Chianti Classico circuit, this is exactly where you should be eating dinner.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
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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