Red Sauce, Red Wine, No Complaints
East Parkway / Elks Plaza · Gatlinburg · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 29, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Best Italian on Elks Plaza’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Thirteen labels isn't a wine list — it's a wine suggestion. But for a casual red-sauce spot in tourist-heavy Gatlinburg, the list is honest about what it is: a short, approachable menu built for people who want something decent with their pasta without overthinking it. No pretense, no cellar brag.
The list splits its attention between Italy and California, which tracks for the cuisine. On the Italian side you get the Straccali Chianti in its classic basket bottle, a Fratelli Ponte Barbera d'Asti, and the Donna Laura Cabernet-Sangiovese blend — nothing rare, but all recognizable and food-friendly. California gets the heavy hitters: Caymus Cab in a 1-liter format and Austin Hope, both clear nods to the Smoky Mountains crowd that skews toward big, approachable reds. The Ferrari-Carano Pinot Grigio covers white wine duty adequately. There are real gaps — no Nebbiolo, no Vermentino, nothing from Southern Italy — but this list isn't pretending to be Enoteca Pinchiorri.
Eight pours by the glass at $8–$12 is a reasonable spread for the format, and the pricing is refreshingly not punishing. The Roscato Rosso Sweet Red will move volume here — the Gatlinburg tourist trade loves a soft, low-tannin red — but the Fratelli Ponte Barbera d'Asti is the quietly better glass if you're eating anything with tomato sauce. No obvious rotation or seasonal swaps in sight.
Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml — $58
Austin Hope retails around $35–$40, so the markup here is real but not egregious for a restaurant. It's a plush, full-bodied Paso Robles Cab that outdrinks its price point on most menus — and at $58 in a tourist-zone Italian spot, you're still doing reasonably well.
Fratelli Ponte Barbera d'Asti
Everyone around you is ordering the Caymus or the Roscato sweet red, and that's a shame. Barbera has the bright acidity and dark fruit that makes it one of the best food wines on the planet, and it's criminally underordered. With a bowl of pasta in tomato sauce, it's the right call every time.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 1L
At $125 for the liter format, you're paying for the brand recognition more than anything else. Caymus has coasted on its reputation for years while the quality case for it has gotten thinner. That's a lot of money on a wine list this size — order the Austin Hope and put the difference toward dessert.
Straccali Chianti Basket + Pizza
Chianti and pizza is not a revolutionary thought, but it's correct. The Straccali is a simple, food-forward Sangiovese with enough acidity to cut through cheese and enough earthiness to complement a tomato-forward sauce. Sometimes the classic answer is the right answer.
The Bottom Line
The Best Italian's wine list does exactly what it needs to do: keep casual diners happy, not drain wallets, and get out of the way of the garlic knots. We wouldn't drive to Gatlinburg for the wine, but if you're already there and want something decent with dinner, you'll be fine.
· Gatlinburg · Brewery and Pub
Smoky Mountain Brewery is a beer destination that happens to have a functional wine list — and that's not a knock. The pricing is fair across most of the menu, the by-the-glass selection is broad, and the familiar producers mean no one at the table is guessing. If you're here for wine first, you're in the wrong building. If you're here with a group and need something other than a pint, you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Winery and Tasting Room
Hillside Winery earns its Wild Card badge because it's doing something genuinely unexpected in the middle of Gatlinburg's tourist corridor — making Italian-style wines in Tennessee and inviting you to taste them for free. We can't verify specific bottles, pricing, or how deep the cellar actually goes, so treat this as an adventure rather than a sure thing. If you're in the Smokies and curious about American regional wine outside the usual suspects, this is worth an hour of your afternoon.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Brewery and Pizza
This is a brewery that serves wine the way a steakhouse serves veggie burgers — technically available, clearly not the point. At $7 flat, the pricing is painless, but with zero producer information and a list built entirely from generic varietals, there's no reason to come here for wine. Grab one of their beers, enjoy the Smokies, and save your wine curiosity for somewhere that returns the favor.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · German
Hofbräuhaus Gatlinburg is here to sell you a liter of beer in a giant mug, and honestly, that's the right call. The wine program is six unlabeled varietals with no pricing transparency and zero evidence of anyone tending to it with care. Order the Märzen, skip the wine.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Seafood
Chesapeake's Gatlinburg isn't trying to win a wine award, and it doesn't need to — the list is honest, the pricing is fair for what it is, and the white wine depth is genuinely appropriate for a seafood restaurant. If you're in Gatlinburg and want a bottle that won't break the bank or embarrass you, you can do a lot worse than landing on that Dry Creek Chenin Blanc.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Gatlinburg · Southern American
Ole Red is a concert venue and bar that happens to have wine on the menu — and it shows. If you're in Gatlinburg for live music and cold beer, this place probably delivers. If you're looking to drink well, skip the wine entirely and order a cocktail or a local beer. There are better uses for your $10.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Marietta · Italian
LaStrada's wine list is honest about what it is: a low-friction, low-drama selection designed for guests who want a glass of something familiar with their pasta. The glass-to-bottle ratio is excellent, markups are fair across the board, and the Valpolicella is a quiet nod to Italian authenticity. Just don't arrive expecting the list to match the cuisine's ambitions — it's a reliable neighborhood companion, not a destination.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Woodstock · Italian
Tuscany Italian in Woodstock isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, and that's fine — the Italian selections are legitimate, the glass pour count is genuinely impressive, and the pricing is fair without being exciting. If you're looking for a deep cellar or a rotating seasonal program, keep driving; if you want a solid glass of Chianti with your pasta without any drama, this gets the job done.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Lafayette · Italian
Cafe' Bella looks like a genuinely pleasant place to eat Italian in Lafayette, and the atmosphere alone earns it a shot. But until we can document the wine list properly — real bottles, real prices — we can't give you the specific guidance you deserve. Go for the Eggplant Parmigiana and the room; ask your server what they're pouring by the glass and take it from there.
Plays It Safe
Fair
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.
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