Neighborhood Comfort With a Decent Pour
West Plano · Plano · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · June 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed CraftWay Kitchen – Plano’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at CraftWay Kitchen reads exactly like the restaurant looks: approachable, unpretentious, and designed to make everyone comfortable. Nothing here is going to make a wine nerd's heart race, but nothing is going to offend them either. It's a list built for the neighborhood, and West Plano is clearly the target.
California dominates the list, which will surprise no one. Freakshow leads the charge on tap — Cabernet and Chardonnay both — while the bottle selections fill in with Decoy Merlot, Meiomi Pinot Noir, Goldschmidt Cabernet, and Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay. There's a nod to Washington with Intrinsic Cabernet and Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, and a bit of European polish via Veuve Clicquot, Miraval Rosé, and Banfi Le Rime Pinot Grigio. What's missing is any real depth — no Burgundy, no Rhône, no South America, no skin-contact anything — but that's not who this list is trying to be.
The by-the-glass program is genuinely generous for this price point, running somewhere between 18 and 22 options across red, white, rosé, and sparkling. Prices stay between $9 and $18, which means you can drink well without doing math. The on-tap Freakshow pours are the everyday workhorses here — serviceable, consistent, and easy to order a second of.
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay — $14/glass
At $14 a glass, you're getting a genuinely solid Russian River Ranches-style Chardonnay — fruit-forward without being cloying, with enough structure to hold up to food. Retail is around $20 a bottle, so the glass markup is actually fair by restaurant standards. Order two.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Everyone walks past the Riesling and orders another Cab. Don't. Chateau Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Riesling is one of the most food-friendly pours on this list — bright, off-dry, and genuinely versatile. It's flying under the radar here, which means it's probably not moving fast, and that's a shame.
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve is fine Champagne, but at restaurant markup it's never a good deal, and CraftWay isn't the kind of place where you need to drop that check. The Taittinger Domaine Carneros is right there and will scratch the same itch for less money with more conversation value.
Miraval Rosé + Grilled Salmon BLT
Miraval's Provence rosé — dry, mineral, stone fruit-forward — cuts right through the richness of the salmon and plays nice with the smoky bacon. It's the kind of pairing that feels obvious in retrospect but most people won't think to make.
Weekdays — Happy Hour Monday–Friday, noon–6pm. Freakshow Chardonnay and Freakshow Cabernet both drop to $7/glass (from $9 on tap).
The Bottom Line
CraftWay Kitchen isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — but the markups are fair, the glass program is wide, and there's enough on the list to drink well with a solid meal. Send your friends here for dinner; just don't send them here for a wine education.
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Solid Range
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Crowd Pleasers
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Crowd Pleasers
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Acceptable
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Deep & Eclectic
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Acceptable
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Solid Range
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