Italy Does the Heavy Lifting Here
Arcadian Shores / Restaurant Row · Myrtle Beach · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 21, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Crave Italian Oven & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Crave opens with some real Italian credibility — Tignanello, Brunello, Amarone, Barolo — and for a beach strip restaurant in Myrtle Beach, that's genuinely surprising. It's not a showoff list, but it's clearly been built by someone who knows Italian wine beyond Chianti in a straw basket. The California heavy-hitters are here too, which will keep the Caymus crowd happy and the margins healthy.
Fifty-seven labels across Italy and California gives you something to work with, and the Italian side earns its keep: La Togata's Brunello di Montalcino sits alongside a Rosso di Montalcino from the same producer, Brancaia's Ilatraia brings Super Tuscan firepower, and the Tinazzi Amarone covers Veneto. The Piedmont selection is thin — just the Barolo from Bonfante & Chiarle — and you won't find much outside of Tuscany, Veneto, and a nod to Friuli on the whites. The California side leans hard on the greatest hits: Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Orin Swift, Stags Leap — crowd pleasers that inflate the check but rarely surprise anyone.
Eight by-the-glass options at $8.50 a pour is a tight pour program for a 57-bottle list, and the selection reads more as a sampler platter than a curated lineup. No specific rotation was noted, so don't count on seasonal swaps keeping things interesting. At $8.50 flat across the board, the price is honest, but you're not getting Tignanello by the glass — those bottles stay firmly in bottle-only territory.
Rosso di Montalcino, La Togata, Tuscany — Not listed
The same producer as their Brunello di Montalcino on a list that prices Brunello at a premium — Rosso di Montalcino from La Togata is baby Brunello for real, made from the same Sangiovese Grosso in the same appellation but released earlier. It's the smart move when you want the Montalcino experience without signing over your vacation budget.
Fratelli Berlucchi Franciacorta Riserva 2008 Pas Dosé
A 2008 Franciacorta Riserva Pas Dosé is a genuinely rare find on any American wine list, let alone one in a beach strip Italian spot. Franciacorta is Italy's answer to Champagne — metodo classico, aged on lees, serious stuff — and the Pas Dosé style means zero added sugar, bone dry, and built for food. Most people scroll past it looking for the Veuve Clicquot. Don't be those people.
Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California
At $205 a bottle, Silver Oak Napa is running at a steep markup over retail on a wine that's already priced at a premium. You're paying tourist-zone pricing on a bottle that's become more brand than experience. The Jordan Cabernet at $160 is overpriced too, but at least Alexander Valley carries more character per dollar. Silver Oak here is strictly for people who order by label recognition.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Ruffino Ducale Gold, Tuscany + Wood-fired specialty pizza
Ruffino Ducale Gold is Sangiovese doing what it was born to do — cut through tomato acidity, stand up to char from the wood-fired oven, and stay lively through every slice. It's the Italian classic pairing that works because the wine and the cooking come from the same culinary universe. Order it with whatever's coming out of that oven.
The Bottom Line
Crave punches above its Myrtle Beach zip code on the Italian side of the list, but the markups are beach-town steep and the by-the-glass program needs more ambition. If you're here, dig into the Italian bottles and leave the California brand parade alone.
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One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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