Crowd-Pleasing Cuts, Crowd-Pleasing Pours
Cool Springs · Franklin · Upscale Steakhouse, American, Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Stoney River Cool Springs reads exactly like you'd expect from a polished suburban steakhouse — familiar California names, a few French gestures, and nothing that's going to make you think too hard. It's curated for comfort, not discovery. That's not a knock, exactly, but you're not going to find any surprises tucked between the Duckhorn and the Veuve.
The 80-120 bottle list leans heavily on California, which makes sense when your menu is built around hand-cut ribeyes and filet mignon. You've got the usual suspects — Rombauer Chardonnay, Quilt Cab, Austin Hope, Flowers on both the Chard and Pinot front — all solid producers but assembled more like a greatest-hits playlist than a curated cellar. Italy shows up with Marco Felluga and Barone Fini Pinot Grigio, and France gets a nod via Chateau Minuty rosé and Veuve Clicquot. Oregon sneaks in with Elouan Pinot Noir. The gaps are real: no Rhône, no Spain, no real Burgundy presence, and nothing that would excite anyone already past their "discovering Napa" phase.
Fourteen to twenty pours by the glass is genuinely generous for a steakhouse at this level, and there's enough range to navigate a full dinner without feeling stuck. The glass program covers the bases — sparkling with La Marca Prosecco, white with Honig Sauvignon Blanc and Rombauer Chardonnay, red with Elouan Pinot and Austin Hope Cab. No rotation program we could confirm, which means what you see is what you get, week after week.
Honig Sauvignon Blanc — Unknown
Honig is a Napa Valley benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc — clean, focused, and actually well-made — and it tends to be one of the more fairly priced options on lists like this one. At a steakhouse where whites are often an afterthought, this is your move if you're starting with seafood or a salad before the main event.
Chateau Minuty 'M de Minuty' Rosé
Most people at a steakhouse aren't ordering Provence rosé, which means this bottle is probably sitting underordered and underappreciated. Minuty is a legitimate estate making serious rosé, and in a room full of Cabs and Chardonnays, this is the confident left-field move — especially on a warm Nashville evening or with the salmon.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne
Veuve Clicquot is fine Champagne, full stop. But it's also the most marked-up bottle on lists like this one — restaurants know people recognize the yellow label and will pay a premium for the brand comfort. You can almost certainly find it for significantly less at retail, and here you're funding the logo as much as the wine.
Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon + Ribeye
Austin Hope is a big, extracted Paso Robles Cab — lots of dark fruit, enough structure to stand up to a well-marbled ribeye, and crowd-friendly enough that your tablemate who 'doesn't really drink wine' will also think it's great. This is the reason this bottle exists.
The Bottom Line
Stoney River is doing exactly what it set out to do — give Cool Springs diners a comfortable, recognizable wine experience alongside their steaks. If you want discovery, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable Cab with your filet and zero fuss, this delivers.
· 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
· Franklin · Italian
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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