California Comfort in the Heart of Germantown
Germantown · Germantown · American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 24, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Southern Social’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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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.
West Truckee · Truckee · American
Sunnyside is a casual lodge restaurant wearing a serious wine list under its flannel — the markup is steep and it won't win any awards for staff expertise, but the producer lineup is legitimately impressive for where you're sitting. If you're already at the lake, this is absolutely worth ordering a real bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Chamblee · Atlanta · American
Lagarde's wine annex isn't going to show up on any must-visit wine destination lists, but it's doing the honest work of making good-enough wine accessible at fair prices with a few genuine bright spots buried in the lineup. Send a friend here who wants to try something a little off the beaten path without getting a lecture about it.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Lake Como / The Ridge Hotel · Lake Geneva · American
Crafted Americana's wine program is resort-standard in the fullest sense: recognizable, priced for convenience, and unlikely to generate any complaints or any real excitement. If you're at The Ridge for the weekend and want a solid glass of Cab with your prime rib, you'll be fine — just don't come expecting a discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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