Breadsticks Win, Wine List Does Not
Cool Springs · Franklin · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Franklin’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 arrives looking like it was designed by the same committee that approved the Never Ending Pasta Bowl — safe, familiar, and engineered to offend no one. You'll recognize every name here from the grocery store aisle, which is either comforting or damning depending on your mood. Mostly damning.
There's a thread of Italian identity running through the list — Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico, house Principato wines from Trentino, and producers like Cecchi and Bertani give it at least a nominal passport. But the bulk of the selection is American mass-market product: Meiomi Pinot Noir, Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet, Beringer Merlot — wines you can grab at Kroger on the way home. The sweet end of the spectrum gets disproportionate shelf space, with multiple Moscato options including Primo Amore, Confetti, and Castello del Poggio, which tells you something about who this list is actually written for. There are no surprises, no small producers, and nothing that requires even a second of curiosity.
The by-the-glass program is broad at 15-plus options, which sounds impressive until you realize the range runs from sweet pink Moscato to Meiomi Pinot Noir with almost nothing in between worth getting excited about. Cavit Pinot Grigio and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling are inoffensive and at least regionally coherent given the Italian theme. Rotation appears to be non-existent — this list is parked.
Chianti Classico Rocca delle Macie — $29.25
At 83% over retail it's still not cheap, but Rocca delle Macie is a legitimate Chianti Classico producer and this is the one bottle on the list with actual regional roots and some backbone. Relative to everything else here, it's the clearest win.
Riesling Chateau Ste. Michelle
Most people at Olive Garden are reaching for Pinot Grigio or Moscato, but the Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from Washington State is the sleeper. It has enough acidity to cut through creamy pasta sauces and enough residual sweetness to keep the table happy — and it's a brand that actually earns its reputation.
Porta Vita Rosso House Red
A 254% markup on a $7 retail bottle is the kind of math that should make you put the menu down. This is Olive Garden's private-label house red and it shows — there is no reason to pay $24.75 for something you could buy at a gas station for less than the cost of dessert.
Chianti Classico Rocca delle Macie + Chicken Parmigiana
Chianti Classico's high acidity and savory cherry character cut through the tomato sauce and hold their own against the breaded chicken — this is the pairing that most resembles what you'd actually order in Italy, which at Olive Garden counts as a minor miracle.
The Bottom Line
The wine list at Olive Garden Franklin is a corporate checklist, not a wine program — the markups are steep for what you're getting, the selection hasn't taken a risk in its life, and the best move is honestly to order a cocktail or just lean hard into the breadsticks. If you're committed to wine, grab the Chianti and don't look back.
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse
Perry's Cool Springs is a reliable night out if someone else is paying, but the wine list is doing the bare minimum — crowd-pleasing producers, steep markups, and a noticeable lack of anything that earns its price on merit alone. Stick to Social Hour if you want to drink well without the sticker shock.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Franklin is a reliable wine execution at a chain price point — nobody's going home unhappy, but nobody's going home with a story either. Go on a Wednesday, hit the half-price bottle promotion, and drink better than the menu's markup would otherwise allow.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Proper
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse Chain
Outback Franklin's wine list is competent in the way a rental car is competent — it gets you where you're going, but you're not going to talk about it later. Order the steak, consider a cocktail, and save the serious bottle for somewhere that actually cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Steakhouse, Classic American
Sperry's Cool Springs is a dependable steakhouse wine list that doesn't ask much of you — and doesn't ask much of itself either. Come on a Monday, grab a bottle at half price, order the ribeye, and you'll have a genuinely good night without overthinking it.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Asian fusion / Chinese-inspired chain restaurant
P.F. Chang's Cool Springs is here to feed a crowd, not to impress a wine drinker. The list is fine the way an airport moving walkway is fine — it gets you somewhere, but nobody's excited about it. If you're eating here, pick something by the glass, keep it simple, and save the serious wine for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse, American, Seafood
Stoney River is doing exactly what it set out to do — give Cool Springs diners a comfortable, recognizable wine experience alongside their steaks. If you want discovery, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable Cab with your filet and zero fuss, this delivers.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
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
Central Avenue / South Hot Springs · Hot Springs · Italian Chain
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.
Crowd Pleasers
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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