Lebanon on the menu in West Virginia
Charleston · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Updated April 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Olive Tree Mediterranean’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
You don't expect to flip open a wine list in Charleston, WV and find Chateau Musar Jeune sitting next to a Boroli Barolo. The Olive Tree doesn't just phone in a stack of Kendall-Jackson and call it a day — there's actual intention here. It's a small list, but it's trying, and in this market, that counts for a lot.
Twenty-five bottles span California, Italy, France, Argentina, New Zealand, Germany, and Lebanon — a genuinely surprising spread for a mid-sized Mediterranean spot in the Mountain State. The Chardonnay section is comically overcrowded (we counted six, including both Rombauer and the catchily named 'Complicated'), but the real bright spots are elsewhere: the Boroli Barolo brings serious Italian weight, the Musar Jeune duo from Lebanon is a legitimately rare find, and the Frog Leap Zinfandel adds California character without defaulting to Napa cab-bro territory. There are gaps — almost no Spanish wines despite a Mediterranean menu, and a Pinot Grigio from Ecco Domani that feels like it wandered in from a hotel minibar. But the bones of a thoughtful list are visible if you look past the Chardonnay avalanche.
By-the-glass options weren't confirmed in our research, so we can't give you a hard count or rotation breakdown. If the full bottle list is any indication, we'd hope to see the Musar Jeune White and the Saracco Moscato D'Asti making appearances — both would punch well above whatever price they're poured at. Ask your server what's open; given the staff is willing but not always deeply versed, being direct about what you want tends to work better here than fishing for a recommendation.
Chateau Musa Musar Jeune White, Lebanon — null
Lebanese whites built on Viognier, Vermentino, and Chardonnay are genuinely unusual on any list, let alone one in West Virginia. This is the most interesting bottle in the building for the cuisine you're eating — and it won't cost Rombauer money.
Nik Weis Urban Riesling, Germany
Riesling gets ignored at Mediterranean spots because people default to red or reach for a California white. That's a mistake here. The Urban Riesling's bright acidity and subtle sweetness cut right through hummus and lamb preparations, and Nik Weis is a legitimate Mosel producer making wine worth drinking.
Dom Pérignon, France
Dom Pérignon on a 25-bottle list at a casual Mediterranean café in Charleston is a pricing trap, plain and simple. Restaurant markup on prestige Champagne is brutal, and there's nothing on this list that suggests the team has a cellar program to back up that price tag. The Steorra Brut is right there — drink that instead.
Chateau Musa Musar Jeune Red, Lebanon + Lamb kebabs
Musar Jeune Red is a blend of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah from the Bekaa Valley — earthy, slightly smoky, and structured enough to hold up to grilled lamb without steamrolling the spices. It's the closest thing to a purposeful regional pairing on this list, and it delivers.
The Bottom Line
The Olive Tree is quietly doing something unusual for its market — a genuinely global wine list anchored by Lebanese bottles you won't find anywhere else in town. It's not perfect, the Chardonnay glut is real, and pricing leans steep, but if you're willing to veer off the beaten path, there's real reward here.
East End · Charleston · Italian
Polcari is doing more with wine than most Italian restaurants its size in this market, and the Italian-focused list is a genuine asset. Just know the markups are real, and you'll want to spend a minute with the list rather than defaulting to the first thing you recognize.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kanawha · Charleston · Steakhouse
Regency Morton's wine list is exactly what the room promises: polished, predictable, and priced for special occasions rather than value seekers. Send a friend here if they want a reliable Cab with their steak — just tell them to skip the Caymus and not to expect any surprises.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Charleston · Italian
Pallotta's isn't a wine destination, but it's a dependable neighborhood Italian that won't gouge you on glass pours and gives you enough options to drink reasonably well with dinner. Watch the bottle markups on anything mid-tier and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Unknown · Charleston · Unknown
The Cellar Door is doing more than most restaurants in this market, and the Wednesday half-price bottle program alone is worth building a dinner around. It's not a destination wine list, but it's a reliable one — and that Filliatreau Chenin Blanc earns its spot on any serious short list.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
West Side · Charleston · American Fine Dining
High Thyme is the best wine list in the room by a wide margin — the room being Charleston, West Virginia, but still, credit where it's due. Come on a Monday, grab the En Route Pinot at half price, and order the duck.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Unknown · Charleston · Wine Bar & Bistro
Chambers is doing something genuinely worthwhile for the Charleston, WV wine scene: a real list, real staff knowledge, and a clear point of view. It won't blow the doors off a seasoned wine traveler, but as a neighborhood wine bar, it's the kind of place you'd actually send a friend — especially if that friend would otherwise be drinking house Merlot out of a cavernous goblet somewhere else.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Wichita · Mediterranean
Meddys West is here for the food, and the wine list knows it. If you're looking for something to wash down your meal without drama, the $8 glass is fine — just don't come here expecting the wine to be the point.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Ocean Ave / downtown · Carmel By The Sea · Mediterranean
Dametra is a lively Carmel institution that takes its bottle list more seriously than its casual vibe suggests — the markups sting, but the range is genuinely interesting and a few bottles here are worth seeking out. Send a friend who wants something special with dinner, just tell them to skip the Caymus.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Kohala Coast · Kailua-Kona · Mediterranean
Meridia has the setting, the concept, and the menu to deserve a genuinely interesting wine list — instead it serves up resort-hotel boilerplate at punishing markups. Order the paella, drink the cocktails, and save the serious wine for somewhere that cares.
Crowd Pleasers
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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