Great Views, Wine List Needs a Lifeguard
Cheat Lake · Morgantown · Seafood / Caribbean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Crab Shack Caribba Cheat Lake’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting on a lake in West Virginia with crab legs in front of you — the setting does the heavy lifting here. Then the wine list arrives: nine labels, most of which you've seen at every Applebee's and TGI Fridays between here and the Ohio border. The list isn't offensive, but it's not trying very hard either.
Nine bottles total, and the roster reads like a grocery store end-cap: Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Josh Cabernet, Decoy Merlot. To be fair, Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay earns its spot as an actual wine program pick, and the Raimund Prum Essence Riesling is a quietly smart call for a seafood menu. But the two Cabs — Josh and Quilt — feel like they wandered in from a steakhouse and got lost. There are no regional surprises, no rosé despite this being a waterfront spot where rosé belongs as much as sunscreen, and zero exploration beyond the California/Italy safe zone.
Seven of the nine bottles are pourable by the glass, which is genuinely the best thing about this program — you have options without committing to a bottle. Pours run $8–$10, which is fine for the market, but the selections don't rotate and there's no evidence anyone has touched this list since it was first printed. The Risata Prosecco at $9/glass is a fine summer-on-the-water pour if that's all you need.
Raimund Prum Essence Riesling — $28/bottle
The only bottle here that actually makes sense for what the kitchen is doing. Off-dry Riesling from the Mosel cuts through fried seafood and spiced crab prep better than anything else on this list, and at the low end of the price range, it's the clearest value play.
Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay
Most people at a casual waterfront shack are grabbing the Kendall Jackson out of habit. Skip it. Sonoma Cutrer is a legitimately better wine — more focused, better fruit, more interesting — and on a list this short, it stands out as the one bottle someone with taste actually selected.
Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon
At $75/bottle, Quilt is the most expensive thing on this list and the most out of place. It's a solid Napa Cab, but you're eating crab legs in a marina restaurant, not closing a deal in a private dining room. The markup here almost certainly doesn't justify the price, and there's no reason to drink red at all when the Riesling exists.
Raimund Prum Essence Riesling + Crab Legs
Sweetness in the crab, a touch of residual sugar in the Riesling, and enough acidity to keep everything bright and clean. This is a textbook match hiding on an otherwise forgettable list.
❌ The Bottom Line
Crab Shack Caribba is a great place to drink a cold beer on a lake — the wine list is here because it has to be, not because anyone cared. Grab the Riesling, enjoy the water, and lower your expectations accordingly.
Cheat Lake · Morgantown · New American
Fusion Restaurant has the setting to be a genuine dining destination, but the wine list is purely transactional — safe names, steep markups, zero curation. Come for the lake, order a cocktail, and save the bottle for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cheat Lake · Morgantown · Farm-to-Table / New American
Hill & Hollow puts real effort into its kitchen, and the wine list simply doesn't match. Until the beverage program gets the same attention as the farm sourcing, stick to one glass and move on.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
University Town Centre · Morgantown · American Casual
The only reason to order wine at Ruby Tuesday Morgantown is if it's Wednesday and you're splitting a bottle at half-price out of stubborn optimism. Otherwise, order a beer and save your wine money for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
University Town Centre · Morgantown · Italian
Olive Garden Morgantown's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a national chain — safe, overpriced for what it is, and designed to move volume rather than inspire. Order the Chianti or the Riesling, enjoy your breadsticks, and save your real wine drinking for another night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
University Town Centre · Morgantown · Steakhouse
The wine program at Outback Morgantown exists to fill a line on the menu, not to enhance your dinner. Order the steak, enjoy the Bloomin' Onion, and if you must drink wine, grab the J. Lohr Cab and make peace with it.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Greenmont / Wharf District edge · Morgantown · Cafe, American, Bakery-focused
Terra Café is a great café that happens to sell wine, not a wine destination that happens to serve coffee. Come for the sandwiches, the pastries, and the vibe — grab a $3 happy hour glass if the mood strikes, and don't think too hard about what's in it.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.