DRC in the South? Yes, Really.
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · Southern American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 5, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a 19th-century Greenville warehouse and getting handed a wine list with 800-plus selections and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti on it is a legitimate plot twist. This is not what you expect from South Carolina's Main Street, and that's exactly the point. Soby's has quietly built one of the most serious wine programs in the American South.
The list reads like someone gave a very focused collector an unlimited budget and a Southern restaurant to stock. California anchors it — Kistler Chardonnay, Caymus Special Selection, Opus One, Sine Qua Non — but the real depth is in France, with Château Margaux, Château Pétrus, Krug Grande Cuvée, Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, and Domaine Leroy Burgundy all present and accounted for. Italy gets proper treatment too, with Giacomo Conterno Barolo and Gaja Barbaresco representing Piedmont at its most serious. Oregon shows up thoughtfully via Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir, and a Fonseca Vintage Port rounds out the back end for anyone who remembers that dessert wine exists. The Wine Spectator Grand Award — earned in 2025 — isn't a surprise once you've seen the cellar.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a serious commitment for a restaurant this size, and the rotation gives you genuine options across white, red, and sparkling without just defaulting to the usual suspects. We'd push staff on what's pouring that night, because with a program this deep, the glass list likely rotates and the best finds don't always make the printed menu. Cait Bryan, Robert Chambers, and Matt Seitz are on staff — ask them directly.
Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir — $60-$80
Oregon's original Pinot pioneer in a Southern restaurant that could easily just lean on Napa Cabs — Eyrie represents real wine-nerd cred at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage. It's the bottle that shows the list has range beyond the obvious.
Fonseca Vintage Port
Most people skip Port entirely at dinner, which is their loss. Fonseca is one of the benchmark houses in the Douro and a great Vintage Port is one of the most underappreciated finishers in wine. Soby's Southern dessert menu gives you every reason to order a glass.
Opus One
Opus One is fine wine. It's also one of the most marked-up bottles in every restaurant in America because it's a name people recognize and feel comfortable ordering. At Soby's, with this depth of list, you can almost certainly find something more interesting for the same money or less. Let Opus One stay on the menu for the table next to you.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Lump Crab Cakes with Sweet-Corn Relish
Hear us out — Conterno's Barolo brings enough acidity and structural tension to cut through rich crab without steamrolling it, and the corn sweetness softens Nebbiolo's famously rigid tannins. It's the kind of pairing that sounds wrong on paper and tastes right in the glass.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Soby's is the rare restaurant where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own merits — a Grand Award-worthy cellar hiding inside a Southern comfort food institution in downtown Greenville. Send your most wine-obsessed friends here and tell them to skip the Opus One.
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · Greek and Mediterranean
Kouzina is a counter-service gyro spot with a Greek wine list that would embarrass a lot of full-service restaurants — that's the Wild Card situation right there. If you're anywhere near Greenville and curious about what Greece actually tastes like in a glass, this is a weirdly perfect place to find out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · New England–style oyster bar and coastal seafood
The Jones Oyster Co. is doing something genuinely thoughtful with wine in a market that doesn't always demand it, and the Loire-forward approach earns real respect. It's not a destination wine list, but if you're eating oysters in downtown Greenville, you're in good hands.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · Steakhouse
Ruth's Chris Greenville is a reliable machine — the wine list won't challenge you, staff won't geek out with you, and you'll probably pay more than you should. But if you want a well-stored Napa Cab with a perfect ribeye and zero surprises, it delivers every time.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Woodruff Road area · Greenville · American Steakhouse & Grill
Firebirds is a reliable wine stop if you're already there for dinner and want something familiar done reasonably well — just don't expect the list to challenge or surprise you. Send a friend here for the filet; warn them to skip the Chardonnay markup.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · Steakhouse & Seafood
Larkin's on the River is a reliable spot if you want a crowd-pleasing California Cab with your steak and don't mind paying a premium for the Falls Park backdrop. Don't come expecting the wine list to surprise you — come for the river view and order the Jordan.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Greenville · Greenville · Southern / New American
Soby's has one of the most legitimately impressive wine programs in the entire Southeast, and the fact that it's anchored in Greenville rather than a major metro makes it worth a detour on its own. If you're anywhere near South Carolina and you care about wine, you owe yourself a seat at this table.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Walla Walla · Walla Walla · Southern American
Hattaway's is the kind of place that shouldn't work on paper — fried chicken and one of Walla Walla's most serious producer lineups under the same roof — but it does, completely. If you're in wine country and want your dinner to taste like the region, this is an easy yes.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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
Downtown · Oklahoma City · Southern American
Flint isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to serve good California wine in a great dining room, and it mostly succeeds. Send a friend here if they want a reliably solid wine experience with their chicken fried steak; just temper expectations on discovery.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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