Legami
Italy's Greatest Hits, King Street Edition
Charleston · Charleston · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 23, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
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.
Selection Deep Dive
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.
By the Glass
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.
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