Southern Social

The wine list at Southern Social reads like it was built by someone who actually likes to drink — California-heavy, Italian-accented, and priced without the usual suburban restaurant guilt trip. For Germantown, Tennessee, this is a step above what you'd expect walking past the pimento cheese apps and fried chicken on the menu board. Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2024, and it's easy to see why.

The list runs 150-plus bottles with a clear California backbone — Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap, and Grgich Hills anchor the big names, and they're crowd-pleasers for a reason. Italy shows up meaningfully with Antinori's Tignanello and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio holding down the Old World side. It's not a deeply adventurous list — don't come hunting for Jura or Georgian amphora wines — but within its lane of American-friendly Italian-Californian, it delivers consistent quality. The $35–$150 bottle range keeps things accessible without skimping on the good stuff.

Twelve to twenty by-the-glass options at $10–$18 is a genuinely solid spread for this type of restaurant, giving you room to match your pour to your mood without committing to a full bottle. The glass program skews predictable — expect the usual suspects — but the price ceiling is reasonable and won't make you wince when you order a second round. Rotation appears minimal, which is the one knock.