Carrabba's Italian Grill
Chain Italian, but the wine tries hard
Midtown · Anchorage · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Carrabba's reads like a greatest hits album you've heard a hundred times — Santa Margherita front and center, some Chianti, a Super Tuscan to make it feel fancy. It's not embarrassing, but it's not trying to surprise you either. You're in a chain, and the list knows it.
Selection Deep Dive
The Italian focus is real and at least coherent — Tuscany anchors the list with Cecchi Chianti Classico and a couple of Il Borro bottlings giving the menu a little muscle. Beyond that, expect the usual suspects: broad-appeal whites, familiar reds, nothing that required a hard conversation with an importer. The list tops out around 40-70 bottles, which is respectable for a chain, but depth is thin and adventurous drinkers will hit the ceiling fast. If you live and breathe Barolo or Etna Rosso, you're eating at the wrong place tonight.
By the Glass
Ten to eighteen by-the-glass options is a solid count for this format, and Carrabba's leans on it well enough to keep a table of mixed drinkers happy. Don't expect anything rotating or seasonal — what's on the board is what's been on the board. It gets the job done without any drama.
Cecchi Chianti Classico — $38
Cecchi is a reliable Chianti Classico producer and this bottle drinks above its station at a chain price point. Order it with the wood-grilled salmon or the spaghetti and you're in good shape.
Il Borro Borrigiano Toscana
Most people at this table are going to reach for the Chianti or the Pinot Grigio and ignore this one. Il Borro is a serious Tuscan estate and the Borrigiano is a genuinely structured red that belongs on a list twice as ambitious as this one. It's the quiet overachiever on an otherwise safe menu.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is fine wine. It's also one of the most marked-up bottles in the American restaurant industry, and Carrabba's is not breaking that tradition. You're paying a premium for brand recognition that peaked in 1995. Skip it.
Il Borro Pian di Nova Super Tuscan + Chicken Bryan
The sun-dried tomato and lemon butter in the Chicken Bryan want acidity and some fruit weight — the Pian di Nova's Syrah-forward blend delivers both without bulldozing the dish. It's the most interesting wine meeting the most interesting entrée on this menu.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Carrabba's Anchorage isn't a wine destination — it's a chain doing a decent-enough job so you don't have to drink bad wine with your pasta. Lean toward the Il Borro bottles, steer clear of the Santa Margherita markup, and you'll leave satisfied.
Comments
Get the Weekly Wingman
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.