We're coming up on the fall harvest season in wine country, and vineyard owners officially refer to that time of the year as "The Crush." At
Romano's Macaroni Grill, they want to celebrate the season with their Annual Crush promotion from Aug. 26 until Sept. 29. During that period, they will offer 13 new wines that have been added by the corporation after theit senior manager of beverage innovation, Megan Wiig, brought in hundreds of wines and conducted blind tastings internally to gauge opinions. Once the wines were narrowed down and chosen for the new menu, she conducted full-day sessions with area and regional directors so the staff could provide guests with new information about the varietals, regions and specific wines.
During The Crush, these wines, plus some special offerings that are rolling off the old list, will be available at half-price by the glass or the bottle. For a full list of the wine offerings at Macaroni Grill, check out the restaurant's website. While this is a really good deal on some perfectly fine reds and whites, there is one disappointing bit of news.
At most Macaroni Grill location, they operate on an "on your honor system" when it comes to their house wine Chardonnay and Chianti blends. Ask for a jug of these wines, which are specially blended by the Placido winery in Tuscany, and your server will just leave the bottle behind.
You simply keep track by marking the number of glasses you pour yourself on the paper tablecloth with the provided crayon, and they'll charge you on you honor at the end of the meal. But alas, Tennessee law doesn't allow for that sort of serve-yourself system.
So in Tennessee, you either have to buy the whole jug or wait for a server to bring you a refill.
Since both Nashville-area Macaroni Grills are located at malls, and the holiday shopping season is approaching, that sort of self-serve system would sure have come in handy as I steel myself to fight the crowds.
Romano's Macaroni Grill
517 Opry Mills Drive
Nashville, Tennessee 37214
615-686-2861
1712 Galleria Blvd.
Franklin, Tennessee 37067
615-771-7002
