Breadsticks Win, Wine List Does Not
Telshor · Las Cruces · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Las Cruces’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list here arrives laminated, sandwiched between the pasta specials and the dessert photos, which tells you everything you need to know about how seriously wine is taken. It's a corporate checklist dressed up as a wine program — Moscato, Pinot Grigio, a Sweet Red Blend — designed to move bottles, not excite anyone. If you've been to any Olive Garden in the country, you've already seen this list.
Eight to twelve bottles, all familiar faces from the value aisle: Cavit Pinot Grigio, Roscato Rosso Dolce, Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cab, Barefoot Pinot Grigio, a house Chianti, a proprietary Sweet Red Blend, and a Lambrusco. The Italian angle is real but extremely shallow — these aren't regional gems, they're the wine equivalent of airport dining. There's no old-world depth, no interesting producers, nothing that would make a curious drinker lean in. California and mass-market Italian brands do all the heavy lifting, and neither pulls its weight at these prices.
Six to eight options by the glass, pulling straight from the bottle list — so what you see is what you get, and what you get is predictable. Pours run $7–$9, which sounds reasonable until you realize you're paying chain markup on grocery store wine. Rotation is essentially nonexistent; this is a set-it-and-forget-it program that hasn't changed meaningfully in years.
House Chianti — $7/glass
It's the one wine on this list that actually makes sense with what you're eating. A basic Chianti with Chicken Alfredo or the Tour of Italy is at least contextually appropriate, and at the lower end of the glass price range, you're not losing much if it disappoints.
Lambrusco (house label)
Most people order anything but Lambrusco, which is their loss. A lightly fizzy, slightly sweet red from Emilia-Romagna is genuinely fun with heavy pasta and breadsticks — it cuts through richness in a way no Cab on this list will. It's not a great Lambrusco, but it's the most interesting thing happening here.
Barefoot Pinot Grigio
At $24 a bottle, you're paying a 243% markup on a wine that retails for $7 at every grocery store in Las Cruces. There is no version of this that makes sense. Order literally anything else, or just get a cocktail.
Roscato Rosso Dolce + Tour of Italy
The Tour of Italy — lasagna, chicken parm, fettuccine Alfredo all on one plate — is rich, saucy, and relentless. Roscato is sweet and low-alcohol, which makes it a surprisingly functional foil here; it won't fight the sauce and it won't tire you out. It's not a sophisticated pairing, but it works for what this place actually is.
The Bottom Line
The wine list at Olive Garden Las Cruces is a corporate formality, not a feature — overpriced for what it is, with zero ambition and zero discovery. Order the breadsticks, order the Chianti if you must, but don't come here expecting anything from the wine program.
· Las Cruces · Southwestern / New Mexican
Hacienda de Mesilla is clearly not trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — but two sparkling labels on a brunch menu is not a wine program, it's an afterthought. If you're here for the New Mexican food and a mimosa situation, you'll survive. If wine matters to you at dinner, look elsewhere.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Las Cruces · Winery Tasting Room
This is a Wild Card in the truest sense — a desert-state tasting room that's actually swinging for something more interesting than you'd expect, at prices that make the experiment low-stakes. If you're in Las Cruces and curious about what New Mexico wine can actually do, this is the right room to be in.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Las Cruces · New American Grill
De La Vega's isn't a wine destination, but it's a brewery that actually respects the wine drinker at the table, which is rarer than it should be. Send your beer-loving friends here and trust that the Cab won't let you down.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Las Cruces · Winery Bistro
This isn't a wine destination in the conventional sense — it's a winery that happens to have a bistro, and the list reflects that with zero apology. If you're curious about what New Mexico terroir actually tastes like, this is one of the better places in Las Cruces to find out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Las Cruces · Italian
La Bella Vita's wine list won't make a wine geek's heart race, but it's fairly priced, almost entirely available by the glass, and leans into its Italian identity in the right places. Send a friend here if they want a solid glass of Chianti without a lesson.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Telshor / East Las Cruces · Las Cruces · Italian
Mi Piaci isn't a wine destination, but it's a reliable neighborhood Italian with a list that won't let you down if you know what to order. Grab the Chianti, seriously consider the Amarone, and save room for the tiramisu.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lincoln · Italian
Lincoln Ristorante is doing something genuinely unusual: running a wine list in central Nebraska that would hold its own in most major American cities. The Italian focus is deep and well-curated, the by-the-glass program gives you real options, and the pricing — particularly on the reds — is fair enough that you won't feel punished for ordering well. If you're in Lincoln and you care about wine, this is the only room that answers that call.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Jersey City · Jersey City · Italian
Il Tavolo isn't trying to be a wine destination, and that's fine — it's a reliable Italian spot with fair pours, sensible pricing, and enough range to keep the table happy. If you're in Jersey City and want a glass of Chianti that won't cost you a car payment, this is a safe and honest bet.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Jersey City · Italian
Sorellina has done something genuinely weird here — built an all-dessert-wine list and committed to it fully, with enough range and producer credibility to make it worth taking seriously. If you are coming here expecting a broad Italian bottle list to drink through dinner, adjust your expectations before you walk in. But if you want to spend an evening exploring Italian sweet wines poured by the glass at prices that do not insult you, this is one of the more interesting niche programs in the area.
Small but Thoughtful
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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