Solid Italian Anchor With Big-Bottle Ambitions
North Myrtle Beach · Myrtle Beach · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 21, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Gio's Italian Kitchen’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 list at Gio's opens with exactly what you'd expect from a well-meaning Italian spot on the Grand Strand — recognizable names, safe bets, and a few bottles that probably get ordered on anniversaries. It's not trying to impress anyone with esoteric picks, but it's not embarrassing either. Think of it as the wine equivalent of a comfortable booth: familiar, functional, and occasionally very expensive.
At 39 labels, the list is tight but covers the obvious bases — California Cabs dominate (Caymus, Jordan, Stags Leap Artemis, Heitz Martha's Vineyard), with a respectable Italian nod via Sartori Amarone, Marchesi di Barolo, and a 2015 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. The Italian section is the most interesting part of the list and the most appropriate for the kitchen, but it's thin relative to the California heavy-hitters. Provence gets a seat at the table with Whispering Angel, and Champagne lovers can flex with Moët or Dom. What's missing is any real depth in Tuscany beyond a couple of names, no by-the-glass Italian reds to speak of, and zero exploration of Piedmont outside the Barolo.
Eighteen pours by the glass is a generous number for a list this size, and the $8–$12 price range is accessible for the beach-town market. The problem is we don't have clarity on which bottles make it to the glass program — if the Italian reds are stuck at the bottle-only tier, that's a missed opportunity when someone just wants a single glass of Amarone with their lasagna. The range is there on paper; the execution details matter.
Marchesi di Barolo, Barolo — N/A (bottle price not listed)
If you're eating at an Italian restaurant and the menu leans traditional, this is the bottle to order. Barolo and braised or tomato-heavy dishes are a natural match, and Marchesi di Barolo is a reliable producer without the inflated prestige markup of some of its neighbors. Actual bottle price wasn't published on the research data, but it's the smartest Italian red on the list.
Sartori Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto
Amarone gets overlooked because people don't know what it is — rich, dried-grape intensity that hits differently than your standard Cab. At a table full of people ordering Caymus on autopilot, the person who orders the Sartori Amarone is eating better. It's the most interesting red on the list and it actually belongs here.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
At $195 a bottle, you're paying a serious premium for one of the most mass-produced 'luxury' Cabs in America. Caymus has become the steakhouse default — bold, jammy, instantly recognizable — but its retail price doesn't justify a $195 restaurant tag when better California options exist. The Jordan Cab at $160 is a marginally better call if you must go Napa, but even that's pushing it.
Castello Banfi di Montalcino, Tuscany 2015 + Lasagna
A 2015 Brunello has had enough time to open up and show some elegance, and the acidity cuts right through rich béchamel and meat layers in a way that California Cabs simply can't. This is the pairing the kitchen was built for — classic Tuscan red, classic Italian dish, no tricks required.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
Arcadian Shores / Restaurant Row · Myrtle Beach · Italian
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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
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
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
Downtown Hilo · Hilo · Italian
Cafe Pesto isn't a wine destination, but it's a fair one — reasonable prices, an approachable list, and enough to keep the table happy while you focus on the view and the pizza. Send a friend here for the food and tell them to keep it simple on the wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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