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 →
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.
· Franklin · Steakhouse
Char is a genuinely enjoyable steakhouse with a wine list that does the job without doing much more. The room earns its keep; the wine program is still a passenger rather than a co-pilot. If you're coming here for the Prime beef and the atmosphere, you'll eat well — just don't expect the list to take you anywhere the food isn't already going. Worth a visit, but bring your own expectations in check at the wine menu.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Asian Street Food
Hawkers Franklin is doing more with twelve bottles than most casual chains do with thirty. The white-heavy, aromatic-leaning list is clearly built with the food in mind — even if it was done at the corporate level rather than by someone in this specific kitchen. If you're eating here, lean into the Gamay or Vinho Verde and skip the impulse to order Cab. It won't change your life, but it'll make dinner better.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Seafood
If you're here for wine, you're at the wrong restaurant — but the pricing is honest and the Sauvignon Blanc won't ruin your dinner. Order a cocktail and save your wine energy for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Italian
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do — keeping it safe, keeping it recognizable, and marking it up just enough to pad margins. Drink here because you're having dinner, not because you're having wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Franklin · Franklin · Hotel Restaurant / Southern
1799 is a solid option when you're already staying at The Harpeth or dining for the atmosphere — the Southern food looks genuinely good and the room earns its upscale-casual reputation. But if wine is your reason for going out, Franklin has better options; this list is there to serve the food, not the other way around.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Franklin · Italian
Pelato Franklin isn't going to make wine pilgrims drive down from Nashville, but it's doing more than the Italian-suburban average — an orange wine, some solid regional Italian whites, and a few California names that earn their spot. Come for the food, stay curious about the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Shreveport · Italian Chain
This is a chain wine list doing exactly what chain wine lists do: safe brands, predictable pricing, no real curation. The markups are real — Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay at $41 a bottle isn't the restaurant doing you any favors — and the selection never ventures beyond what you'd find at a supermarket. If wine matters to you, this isn't where you're going to find anything to talk about; if you just want a glass of something with your Chicken Bryan, it'll do the job.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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