Italy Does the Heavy Lifting Here
Arcadian Shores / Restaurant Row · Myrtle Beach · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Crave Italian Oven & Bar’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 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.
Coastal Grand Mall area · Myrtle Beach · Mexican
Abuelo's wine program is an afterthought dressed up as a wine list — four California bottles, grocery-store-level selection, and markups that don't reward curiosity. Order a margarita and don't look back.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Myrtle Beach / Restaurant Row · Myrtle Beach · Brazilian steakhouse / churrascaria
Rioz is a genuinely fun place to eat — the meat service is relentless and the energy is high — but the wine program is an afterthought in a room that deserves better. Order the Malbec, enjoy the picanha, and don't come here expecting anything from the wine list.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Myrtle Beach Intracoastal · Myrtle Beach · Seafood, Ribs, Burgers, Sushi, American Bar & Grill
Boardwalk Billy's is a fun spot to eat and drink a cold beer on the water — lean into that. The wine list is an afterthought stocked with recognizable labels that require zero effort from anyone involved, and the markup doesn't justify the selection. Order a cocktail or a local draft and save the wine night for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murrells Inlet MarshWalk · Myrtle Beach · Seafood
Drunken Jack's isn't a wine destination — it's a great seafood spot on a beautiful stretch of South Carolina coast that happens to have a wine list that won't embarrass itself. Order the Macon-Villages or Pine Ridge blend, watch the marsh at sunset, and stop overthinking it.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Murrells Inlet MarshWalk · Myrtle Beach · Seafood / Sushi
Wicked Tuna's wine list is a reliable, unfussy companion to a genuinely fun waterfront dining experience — it won't wow anyone, but it won't let anyone down either. Come for the sushi, the sunset, and the $2-off happy hour pours; just don't come expecting to geek out over the cellar.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Downtown Myrtle Beach (2nd Ave Pier) · Myrtle Beach · Seafood, Sushi, and American Coastal
Wicked Tuna is a great place to watch the sun drop into the Atlantic with something cold in your hand — just don't expect the wine list to match the view. It's a reliable, uninspired pour with a beautiful backdrop, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Lower Chelsea · Atlantic City · Italian
Girasole is the kind of Italian wine list that won't thrill a serious collector but won't let down a table of four splitting a nice Brunello on a Saturday night. If you're eating here anyway, the Italian selections are genuinely worth your time — just steer clear of the Santa Margherita and don't expect any surprises.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Myrtle Beach · Myrtle Beach · Italian
Gio's is a dependable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that covers the bases without taking many risks — and marks up the familiar names accordingly. If you steer toward the Italian bottles and away from the reflex Caymus order, there's a solid dinner to be had here.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bellefonte · State College · Italian
Mamma Lucrezia's isn't a destination wine list, but the Wednesday half-price bottle deal changes the math considerably — suddenly that Joseph Phelps looks a lot more interesting. Show up any other night and manage expectations; show up Wednesday and order what you actually want.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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