Italy's Greatest Hits, King Street Edition
Charleston · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Legami’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The list opens like a love letter to Italy — Barolo, Brunello, Super Tuscans, all the right names in all the right places. It's the kind of wine program that tells you the restaurant takes itself seriously, and Hutch Lee's fingerprints are all over it. Wine Spectator handed them an Award of Excellence in 2025, and honestly, that tracks.
The Italian backbone here is genuinely impressive: Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa holding down Barolo, Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri representing Brunello di Montalcino, and Sassicaia and Tignanello anchoring the Super Tuscan section like the headliners they are. France gets a respectable supporting role with Jadot and Drouhin Burgundies, and California shows up via Caymus and Jordan for the table that insists on Napa Cab with their pasta. The list runs 150-250 bottles deep, which is enough to reward exploration without overwhelming a normal person. The gap is anything outside the Italian-California-France triangle — if you want natural wine or something from the Southern Hemisphere, look elsewhere.
Twelve to twenty pours by the glass is a solid range for an upscale Italian spot — enough to build a proper progression through a meal without committing to a full bottle on every course. We'd want to know how frequently the glass program rotates, and given that specials feel static here, we suspect the BTG list doesn't change much either. Still, if they're pouring even a fraction of the producers from the bottle list by the glass, you're in reasonable shape.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — $45
Jordan consistently punches above its entry-level price point, and on a list where premium bottles climb fast, grabbing a reliable California Cab in the lower range of the price window is a smart move before the bill does the math for you.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables at an Italian restaurant go straight for the Barolo or Brunello, but Amarone — rich, dried-fruit-driven, and structurally massive — is exactly what you want with the Osso buco and almost nobody orders it. It's the list's most underplayed card.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is everywhere, and it's almost always marked up aggressively at restaurants that know their clientele will recognize the name. You're paying for the label recognition more than the wine at this point — the Jordan or any Italian red on this list will drink better for the money.
Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino + Osso buco
Brunello's high acidity and firm tannins are built to cut through the richness of braised veal shank, and Casanova di Neri brings enough fruit weight to match the depth of the dish without one overwhelming the other. This is the pairing that justifies the splurge.
The Bottom Line
Legami is doing the right things with wine on King Street — a serious Italian-led list, a knowledgeable sommelier in Hutch Lee, and enough depth to reward the curious. The markups keep it from being a steal, but if you're here for the Brunello and the house-made pasta, you're exactly where you should be.
· Charleston · Restaurant
Costa is doing something genuinely unusual — a dessert-only wine program with real depth and no obvious throwaways. We'd send a friend here for an after-dinner glass, especially if they've never been talked into a Brachetto or a Barolo Chinato before.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cannon Green · Charleston · American
Wild Common is a reliable, well-run wine program in a stunning Charleston setting — sommelier Joey Pearcy keeps things grounded and the pours are proper. If you're looking for discovery, you may want to hunt elsewhere; if you want a confident, classic bottle with a serious dinner, you're in good hands.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Charleston · Charleston · Seafood, Steakhouse
Marbled & Fin is doing the work — a real sommelier, a focused list, and bottles you actually want to drink with serious food. The markups are steep enough to sting, but if you know where to look (start with Argentina), you'll drink well on East Bay Street.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Charleston · Charleston · Southern American
Magnolias is a reliable night out if you love California wine and classic Southern cooking — the list is well-maintained, the producers are legit, and the setting earns its reputation. Just don't come here expecting adventure; this list is more comfort food than discovery.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Charleston · Charleston · American
Zero Restaurant + Bar holds a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for good reason — this is one of the most serious wine programs in South Carolina, full stop. Yes, the big bottles are expensive, but there's real depth here beyond the trophy names, and with three sommeliers on the floor, you're in good hands.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Charleston · Charleston · Steak house
Halls Chophouse is unabashedly a California Cab steakhouse, and it plays that game at the highest level in Charleston — Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence didn't land here by accident. If you're coming in expecting adventure or value, recalibrate; but if you're here to eat a serious steak and drink a serious Napa red, Tom Weber's list will not let you down.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Italian
A16 Napa is a genuine Wild Card in Napa's sea of big-bottle Cab temples — if you want to drink interesting Italian wine with great food and actually get some guidance doing it, this is your spot. Just know that Napa real estate prices show up on the wine list, so budget accordingly.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
· Franklin · Italian
Pelato Franklin isn't going to make wine pilgrims drive down from Nashville, but it's doing more than the Italian-suburban average — an orange wine, some solid regional Italian whites, and a few California names that earn their spot. Come for the food, stay curious about the list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Italian
Va Bene is presumably doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is a two-item afterthought that tells you this place doesn't take wine seriously. Order a glass, enjoy your pasta, and don't expect anything more.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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