California Comfort in the Heart of Germantown
Germantown · Germantown · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 24, 2026
Wingman Metrics
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.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $65
Jordan is one of those bottles that punches well above its price in a restaurant setting — structured, reliable, and instantly recognizable as quality without tipping into the Silver Oak premium. If the bottle price lands in the mid-$60s here, it's the smart order for a table that wants to impress without overthinking it.
Antinori Tignanello
Most tables at a Southern comfort spot are reaching for California Cab and never looking back — which means Tignanello, one of the great Super Tuscans, sits quietly on this list waiting for someone to notice. A Sangiovese-Cabernet blend from a family that's been making wine since 1385, it's a completely different texture and energy than anything else on the list and worth every penny.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is the Pinot Grigio that taught a generation of Americans what Pinot Grigio was — and then stopped evolving. It's fine, it's safe, and it's almost certainly marked up well beyond what the wine earns. There are better uses of your glass budget here.
Grgich Hills Chardonnay + Gulf Shrimp and Grits
Grgich Hills makes a Chardonnay that's rich and textured without going full butter-bomb — exactly the weight you want against creamy shrimp and grits. The wine's natural acidity cuts through the richness of the dish and keeps every bite feeling fresh rather than heavy.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Southern Social is doing something right — a Wine Spectator-credentialed list in an upscale-casual Southern restaurant that doesn't use the award as an excuse to gouge you. Send your friends here for dinner; just steer them toward the California Cabs and away from the Pinot Grigio.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.