Italian Soul, Orange Wine, and a Few Surprises
· Franklin · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 6, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Pelato Franklin’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
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.
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 · Italian Chain
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
· Duluth · Italian
Va Bene is presumably doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is a two-item afterthought that tells you this place doesn't take wine seriously. Order a glass, enjoy your pasta, and don't expect anything more.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Plano · Italian
Palato is doing more with wine than anyone in its neighborhood is giving it credit for — the Enomatic system, the Italian label selection, and fair-to-reasonable pricing make this a genuine find in the Plano dining scene. If you're going for Italian food in the suburbs, this is where you want to drink.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Boca Raton · Italian
Josephine's is the kind of place where the wine list exists to complement a very good meal, not to be the reason you showed up — and that's fine, because it does its job without embarrassing itself. Send a friend here for a date night, just tell them to skip the obvious Napa Cab and dig a little deeper.
Solid Range
Steep
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
