Ristorante Polcari
Charleston's Italian anchor does wine right
East End · Charleston · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Polcari reads like a love letter to the Italian boot — heavy on Tuscany, respectful of Piedmont, and clearly assembled by someone who actually eats Italian food. It's not flashy, but it's coherent, and in Charleston, West Virginia, that already puts it ahead of the pack.
Selection Deep Dive
The list leans hard into the Italian classics, with Tuscany and Piedmont doing most of the heavy lifting. You've got Antinori Tignanello and Gaja Barbaresco anchoring the prestige tier, Banfi Brunello holding down the Montalcino corner, and Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva filling the middle ground. Veneto and Sicily get some representation but feel more like supporting cast than co-stars. There are no real surprises here — no natural producers, no obscure southern Italian finds — but what's on the list is reliable and matches the food well.
By the Glass
The by-the-glass program runs 8 to 16 options, which is a respectable spread for this market. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio almost certainly anchors the white side, which is fine but tells you something about the ambition level. We'd love to see a Vermentino or Etna Bianco sneak in here — the list has room to get interesting by the glass without abandoning its Italian identity.
Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva — null
Ruffino's Chianti Classico Riserva is a known quantity — Sangiovese with enough structure to stand up to the kitchen's red sauce and enough familiarity to not scare anyone off. It's the smartest mid-list pick for the money, and at a classic Italian restaurant, it's exactly what you want in your glass.
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Most tables at a neighborhood Italian spot in West Virginia are reaching for something safe. The Banfi Brunello is right there on the list and almost certainly gets overlooked — but if you're splitting the Veal Parmesan and want something that can actually age, this is the move. Banfi is a serious producer and this is a serious bottle that most diners here won't touch.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is the Ugg boot of Italian white wine — ubiquitous, overpriced for what it is, and carried by restaurants because customers recognize the name. You're paying a markup on a brand, not a wine. Order something else.
Antinori Tignanello + Chicken Polcari
Tignanello is Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon blended into something that's bigger and more structured than a straight Chianti but still unmistakably Tuscan. The Chicken Polcari — a house signature that almost certainly involves a rich pan sauce — wants something with enough weight to match it without burying the dish. Tignanello threads that needle.
✔️ The Bottom Line
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.
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