The Dessert Wine List Charleston Didn't Know It Needed
· Charleston · Restaurant · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed June 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Costa is exactly eight bottles long and every single one of them is a dessert wine. That's not a gap in the program — that's a point of view. Whether it was a bold curatorial move or just the restaurant leaning into its identity, the result is a list that immediately tells you this place isn't trying to be everything to everyone.
Eight labels covering Passito, Moscato d'Asti, Brachetto, Savennières Moelleux, Sauternes, Barolo Chinato, Tawny Port, and Madeira is a remarkably well-edited sweep of the sweet wine world. The Château d'Yquem 2004 is the headline act — one of Bordeaux's greatest producers in a vintage with real age on it. The Cappellano Barolo Chinato 2018 is a genuinely nerdy pick that shows someone in the building knows their stuff. The Rare Wine Co. Madeira Charleston Sercial is a lovely nod to local history. There are no obvious filler bottles here, which is rare for a list this short.
All eight wines are available by the glass, which is the only way this kind of list makes sense — you're not cracking a full bottle of Sauternes at dessert. The glass price range runs from $14 to $85, which is a wide spread for eight options. That ceiling is almost certainly the d'Yquem, and at $85 a glass it's going to be a hard sell for most tables, but that's the cost of admission for a 20-year-old Sauternes.
La Morandina Moscato d'Asti — $14
La Morandina is a serious Moscato d'Asti producer — this isn't the grocery store stuff. Low alcohol, fresh peach and apricot, and it's almost certainly the most approachable entry point on the list. At the floor price of the program, it's the easiest yes.
Cappellano Barolo Chinato 2018
Most people skip Barolo Chinato because they don't know what it is — a bittersweet, quinine-laced digestif made from Nebbiolo. Cappellano is one of the most respected names in Barolo, full stop. This is the kind of pour you'd find at a serious Italian wine bar and it has no business being this quiet on a dessert list.
Château d'Yquem Sauternes 2004
At $85 a glass it's technically a fair price for d'Yquem — but in a dessert-only context with no pairing context, no obvious food program intel, and no confirmed sommelier on staff, you're buying a big name without the scaffolding to support it. Enjoy it somewhere with proper service and a kitchen that can meet it halfway.
Château d'Épire Savennières Moelleux 2023 + Any fresh fruit or cream-based dessert on the menu
Savennières Moelleux from Château d'Épire is Chenin Blanc at its most honeyed and mineral at the same time — it cuts through richness without losing its sweetness. It's the most food-versatile bottle on a list that skews toward sippers.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Costa is doing something genuinely unusual — a dessert-only wine program with real depth and no obvious throwaways. We'd send a friend here for an after-dinner glass, especially if they've never been talked into a Brachetto or a Barolo Chinato before.
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