Pasta's Great. Wine List Called In Sick.
Wolf Ranch / I-35 Corridor · Georgetown · Italian Chain · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant – Georgetown’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 at Olive Garden Georgetown is exactly what you expect: a laminated corporate insert tucked next to the breadstick basket. There's nothing here that surprises, challenges, or excites — it's a wine program designed by committee to offend no one and inspire no one.
Twelve to sixteen labels, split between Italian names you recognize from the grocery store aisle and California mass-market staples. Ruffino Chianti and Cavit Pinot Grigio are the closest things to legitimate Italian producers on this list — and both are solidly bottom-shelf at retail. The California contingent (Josh Cellars Cab, Barefoot Moscato, Robert Mondavi Private Selection) reads like a Total Wine endcap. There are no regions of interest, no small producers, no discovery — just safe, familiar labels that will never make you feel anything.
Eight pours by the glass, ranging from $7 to $11, which sounds approachable until you check the markup math. Most of these bottles retail for under $12, meaning you're paying 150–190% over retail on the bottle — that's not a restaurant premium, that's a penalty for convenience. The by-the-glass rotation doesn't rotate; this list is set-and-forget at the corporate level.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon — $9.50/glass, $29.00/bottle
Marked up the least aggressively of anything on this list at roughly 107% over retail — still not a deal, but it's the least bad option if you're committed to a bottle of red and want something with actual structure.
Ruffino Chianti
It's not exciting, but it's honest. Ruffino is a real Chianti producer with actual Sangiovese character, and it holds up better against a plate of pasta than anything else on this list. Most tables reach for the House Red without realizing this is a step up.
Moscato Primo Amore
At a 189% markup over a $9 retail bottle, this is the worst value on the list. Sweet, one-dimensional, and priced like it's doing you a favor. Order the Bellini instead.
Ruffino Chianti + Tour of Italy
The Chianti's acidity cuts through the lasagna's richness and doesn't fight the chicken parm — it's the only wine on this list with enough backbone to handle a plate this heavy.
The Bottom Line
We're not here to kick Olive Garden — the pasta is the point, and everyone knows it. But the wine program is pure corporate filler: overpriced grocery-store labels, no rotation, no effort. Order the frozen sangria and move on.
Georgetown · Georgetown · Tex-Mex
Dos Salsas is a genuinely fun Tex-Mex spot, and we'd happily eat here — but we're ordering the frozen margarita, not opening the wine list. The pricing is fair enough that it won't hurt you, but the selection won't excite you either.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Historic Square · Georgetown · Winery / Tasting Room
Georgetown Winery isn't trying to be a destination wine experience — it's a casual, zero-markup pit stop on the historic square where the drinks are honest and the prices are shockingly fair. Send a friend here if they want to relax with Texas wine without being lectured about it.
Plays It Safe
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Georgetown · Georgetown · Wine bar / tasting room
Grape Creek Georgetown is a one-portfolio show, but when that portfolio is priced at retail and the setting is this good, that's not a complaint — it's a reason to go. If you want Texas wine without the drive to the Hill Country, this square is your shortcut.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Square · Georgetown · Wine Bar / Cocktail Bar
Golden Rule Annex is a cocktail bar that happens to have wine, and that's fine — especially when Friday and Saturday bring 50% off bottles. Don't come here expecting a deep list; do come here expecting a good time at a fair price.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
I-35 North · Georgetown · Steakhouse
Saltgrass Georgetown is not a wine destination — not even close — but it's one of the rare chain steakhouses where the wine program won't leave you feeling cheated. If you're here for the steak and want something decent in your glass at a fair price, you're covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
I-35 Corridor · Georgetown · Seafood
Red Lobster's wine list is a corporate afterthought dressed in a laminated menu, and the Georgetown location is no exception. Order the Riesling, enjoy the biscuits, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that shares it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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
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