Italian Soul, Orange Wine, and a Few Surprises
· Franklin · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 6, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Pelato Franklin’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Pelato Franklin walks in with a 32-bottle list that punches above its weight for a suburban Italian opening in 2026. It's not trying to be a wine destination — but someone with actual taste put this together. The presence of a Spiritus Terrae Malvasia Orange wine on a list that also carries Freixenet Rosé tells you everything: there's a real palate here, even if the list hasn't fully committed to a lane.
The list leans Italian but doesn't suffocate you with it — you've got Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi and Brancaia Chianti holding down the old-world credibility, while California cameos from Walt Chardonnay and Turley Rosé add some star power. The Petraluce Verdeca is a genuinely interesting southern Italian white that most Franklin diners won't recognize, and Ruvei Barbera slots in as a solid, crowd-friendly red. There are some filler picks — Placido Pinot Grigio and Stemmari Pinot Noir are grocery store territory — but they're outnumbered by the more interesting choices. The sparkling section is oddly deep with three Proseccos (Poggio Costa Rosé, Il Fuedo, and Biasiotto), which either signals a commitment to bubbles or someone who really likes Aperol Spritz.
By-the-glass options aren't confirmed in the available data, so we can't tell you how many pours are available or what's rotating. Given the 32-bottle list, we'd expect a reasonable by-the-glass program of six to ten options, but we'll update this when the restaurant opens and we can verify. For now, if you spot the Spiritus Terrae Malvasia Orange or Turley Rosé on the pour menu, don't walk past it.
Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi — null
Gavi di Gavi from Villa Sparina is a reliably classy Cortese-based white that retails around $20-25 — if this restaurant prices it anywhere near fair, it's the smart order at the table. Crisp, mineral, and versatile enough to carry you through an entire Italian meal.
Spiritus Terrae Malvasia Orange
An orange wine on a Franklin, Tennessee Italian list is not something we expected to type. Spiritus Terrae's Malvasia Orange is skin-contact, textured, and genuinely weird in the best way — the kind of pour that makes dinner more interesting. Most tables will order Pinot Grigio. Don't be most tables.
Placido Pinot Grigio
Placido is a fine enough grocery store bottle, but it has no business being your first order at a place that also stocks Petraluce Verdeca and Villa Sparina Gavi. If you're reaching for something Italian and white, there are better options on this exact list.
Brancaia Chianti + Pasta with meat ragù
Brancaia's Chianti is structured enough to stand up to a rich, slow-cooked ragù and bright enough in acidity to cut through it. It's the kind of pairing that feels obvious only after you've had it — and then you order a second glass.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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
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
· Sandy Springs · Italian
Pendolino is doing something genuinely interesting with a very short Italian wine list — prioritizing producers and regions that actually reward curiosity over safe crowd-pleasers. We don't have pricing or glass program details to fully vet the value story, but the selection alone earns our attention. If you're eating Italian in Sandy Springs and you want more than the usual suspects, this list is worth your time.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Virginia-Highland · Decatur · Italian
La Tavola deserves a real wine list — the food and the room both demand one. Right now, five bottles with no reds and no whites is a disservice to a kitchen that's clearly cooking at a higher level than the wine program suggests. Order the Ca' Del Bosco if you're drinking wine, and hope they overhaul this list before your next visit.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Harrisburg · Italian
Mangia Qui is a genuinely appealing spot — the food, the room, and the service cadence all point toward a place that takes the dining experience seriously. The Italian wine focus is the right instinct for this kitchen, and duck confit with a solid Tuscan red is exactly what this kind of room should be delivering. We just don't have enough confirmed wine list detail yet to tell you whether to come for the bottle or stick to the food. Worth a visit — ask your server what's good on the wine list and see what happens.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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