Olive Garden Wine List Explained: Best Budget-Friendly Picks
Olive Garden may be famous for endless breadsticks, but its surprisingly broad wine program is worth a second look—especially if you’re looking to sip on a budget. The 2025 menu offers more than two dozen labels, many under CA$10 per glass, and it hides a few smart tricks (hello, Grande Pour) that stretch your dollars even further. Below you’ll find a concise guide to choosing crowd-pleasing, wallet-friendly bottles or glasses, along with pairing tips and insider savings strategies.
1. How Olive Garden Prices Its Wine
Olive Garden divides most selections into three pour sizes:
Glass (6 oz) – the standard serving, usually CA$5.50 – CA$9.75 for budget picks.
Grande Pour (9 oz) – a “glass and a half”; you add just CA$2 to any listed glass price and net 50 % more wine.
Bottle (24 oz / four glasses) – often a 25 – 30 % discount versus ordering by the glass.
Because the restaurant waives corkage for bottles you drink on-site, splitting a bottle with friends is almost always the cheapest per-ounce play.
2. House Wines Under CA$6: Pure Value
Olive Garden’s private-label Porta Vita series is the chain’s most affordable option and a solid everyday quaff:
Porta Vita Bianco – light, floral white; CA$5.50 glass / CA$20 bottle.
Porta Vita Rosato – dry rosé with strawberry hints; same price as Bianco.
Porta Vita Rosso – soft red blend with berry notes; same price again.
Why it’s a deal: At roughly CA$0.92 per ounce (glass) or CA$0.69 per ounce (bottle), these pours beat most grocery-store rates for comparable Italian table wines.
Pairing tip: The Rosso’s mild tannins flatter tomato-based classics like Chicken Parmigiana without overpowering them, while the Bianco cuts through rich Alfredo sauce.
3. Budget Whites Under CA$8
Seven Suns Settesoli Chardonnay (Unoaked) – CA$6.50 glass. Crisp apple and citrus instead of buttery oak; great with shrimp scampi.
Cavit Pinot Grigio – CA$6.50 glass; crowd-pleaser with zesty acidity to balance creamy dishes.
Starborough Sauvignon Blanc – CA$8.25 glass. Tropical fruit and grassy notes that brighten herb-grilled salmon.
Money move: Upgrade any of these to a Grande Pour for CA$2 more and you’re effectively paying only CA$1–CA$1.20 per extra ounce—still cheaper than ordering a second full glass.
4. Reds That Over-Deliver at CA$7–CA$9
Cavit Pinot Noir – CA$7 glass. Light body, cherry aromas—an easy match for Tuscan-inspired steak or mushroom dishes.
Head to Head Tuscan Red Blend – CA$7 glass. Sangiovese-Merlot combo brings soft tannin and plum that sings with Lasagna Classico.
Roscato Rosso Dolce – CA$6.75 glass. Gently fizzy and sweet; popular with guests who “don’t like dry reds.” Works as a dessert stand-in.
Pro tip: If you like Roscato’s sweetness but want something lighter, ask for a half-pour mixed with club soda for an off-menu spritz that trims both calories and cost.
5. Sweet & Sparkling Bargains
Moscato Primo Amore – CA$6.50 glass / CA$15 bottle; aromatic peach and honeysuckle.
Pink Moscato Blend Confetti – same price as Primo Amore but with a rosy hue and cotton-candy finish.
Maschio Prosecco – CA$8 glass; crisp bubbles at a champagne-taste, prosecco-price point.
Ordering a bottle of Primo Amore for CA$15 works out to just CA$3.75 per 6 oz pour—cheaper than most happy-hour specials.
6. Limited-Splurge “Reserve” Reds (Still Value!)
If you’re ready to inch above the CA$10 mark, two labels punch well above their price:
La Crema Chardonnay – CA$9.50 glass. Comparable bottles run CA$25-30 in liquor stores, so the markup here is modest.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon – CA$8 glass; classic Napa fruit and cedar without the Napa price tag.
These options satisfy oenophiles in mixed company without blowing the budget.
7. Seasonal & Regional Promotions to Watch
Olive Garden rotates a short “Featured Wines” list each quarter. Recent promos have included:
Apothic Red Blend – cult-favorite California red offered for under CA$9 a glass.
Meiomi Pinot Noir – typically $20+ retail, but appears on promo at CA$10 per glass.
Ask your server what’s new; limited promos sometimes slash CA$1–CA$2 off regular glass pricing.
8. Six Ways to Save Even More
Join the e-Club – members occasionally receive email coupons for CA$5 wine flights or 10 % off bottles.
Share a bottle – four-glass yield almost always costs less than four individual pours.
Upgrade strategically – Grande Pour adds 3 oz for CA$2; mathematically, that’s cheaper than refilling later.
Time it right – many locations run weekday $6 wine happy hours (check local participation).
Take bottles to go – U.S. “wine-to-go” laws and Ontario’s liquor-to-go program allow sealed bottles at menu price, often lower than retail.
Pair with filling entrées – hearty pasta means you’ll linger on one glass instead of ordering two.
9. Perfect Pairings on a Budget
Chicken Alfredo + Cavit Pinot Grigio – acidity slices through Alfredo’s creaminess.
Tour of Italy Sampler + Porta Vita Rosso – versatile red complements diverse flavors.
Herb-Grilled Salmon + Starborough Sauvignon Blanc – citrus and herbs echo each other.
Zeppoli Dessert + Roscato Rosso Dolce – matching sweetness levels keeps the wine from tasting sour.
10. Quick Ordering Script
“I’ll have the Porta Vita Rosso, Grande Pour please—unless you still have the CA$15 bottle promo, in which case let’s do that. Thanks!”
This lets servers know you’re value-minded, opens the door to any unpublished specials, and locks in the best cost-per-ounce without sacrificing flavor.
Final Sip: Affordable Italian-Style Enjoyment
Olive Garden’s 2025 wine roster proves you don’t need a fat wallet—or an encyclopedic knowledge of Italian appellations—to enjoy a satisfying glass. Stick to the Porta Vita house line for rock-bottom pricing, explore sub-CA$8 whites like Seven Suns Chardonnay for freshness, and leverage the Grande Pour or bottle-share strategy to stretch every dollar. With these tips, you’ll toast la dolce vita without breaking your budget—or sacrificing that second basket of breadsticks. Cheers!
