Monterey's White Wine Obsession, Bottled Up Nicely
· Monterey · Wine Bar / Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed A Taste of Monterey Wine Market & Bistro’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list is unapologetically local — nearly every bottle points back to Monterey County, and there's zero pretense about it. Thirty-seven labels isn't deep by wine bar standards, but the intentionality here is hard to miss. This is a place that wants you to drink where you are, not where you wish you were.
The whites dominate, and they do it without apology — Chardonnay alone accounts for a solid chunk of the list, with multiple SLH (Santa Lucia Highlands) expressions from producers like CRU, Windstream, McIntyre, and Morgan Double L making it feel less like a restaurant wine list and more like a focused regional tasting flight. Throw in a Wrath Falanghina, a Trixton Albarino, and a Marin's Reserve Viognier and you start to see a list that's actually trying to show off Monterey's range beyond just Pinot and Chard. Red and sparkling options are scarce — the Colori Italian Blend at $28 appears to be carrying the reds almost solo. If you showed up wanting a deep Cabernet bench, you're in the wrong harbor.
By-the-glass specifics aren't confirmed from available sources, so we can't speak to pour count or rotation with any confidence. What we can say is that at bottle prices ranging from $17 to $55, the economics of the list suggest glass pours should be accessible — but verify at the table before you assume.
The Bottom Line
A Taste of Monterey is exactly what it advertises — a tight, local-first wine list that doubles as a crash course in what the Central Coast can do with white grapes. Pricing is honest, the regional focus is genuine, and the Wrath Falanghina alone is reason enough to pull up a stool. If you're eating along the Monterey waterfront and want something more interesting than a tourist-trap wine list, this is worth the detour.
Carmel-by-the-Sea · Monterey · French / Italian
La Bicyclette is a solid dinner-out destination where the wine list plays a supporting role to a room that's doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The French and California lean makes sense, and the overall experience is charming enough that you probably won't leave disappointed — just don't arrive expecting wine-list fireworks. It's worth a visit for the atmosphere and food; the wine is along for the ride.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · California Bistro
Grasing's is doing something genuinely unusual — a 32-deep all-by-the-glass program with real geographic range, fair pricing in the core tiers, and a few unexpected picks that reward the curious. We don't have visibility into the food menu or service quality, but on the strength of the wine program alone, white and sparkling drinkers should be very happy here. If you're in Monterey and want a glass of something actually interesting without committing to a bottle, this is worth knowing about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Mediterranean
Dametra Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be one either — and that honesty is refreshing. The sparkling selection is genuinely fun, prices are fair across the board, and the few left-field picks like Chateau Musar Jeune give the list just enough personality. If you're in Monterey and want a bottle that doesn't feel like a markup shakedown, this is a safe call.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Tasting room / Wine bar
Comanche Cellars is doing something legitimately unusual: a California winery that reaches for Negrette, Greco di Tufo, and Cabernet Franc with the same seriousness it gives Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. If you're anywhere near Monterey and want to drink something you genuinely haven't had before, this is the stop. Pricing and pour format are unknowns until you're there, but the range on paper is worth the visit.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Monterey · French / Bistro
Mission Bistro has put together a wine list that's more thoughtful than the typical coastal tourist-trap bistro, with a Champagne section that actually earns its real estate and a Chardonnay lineup that reflects genuine Central Coast range. Pricing is fair rather than punitive, and 17 by-the-glass options means you don't have to commit to a full bottle to drink well. If you're in Monterey and want a glass of real Champagne with dinner without a hotel markup, this is a reliable place to land.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Tasting Menu / Fine Dining
Aubergine's wine program is built for a tasting menu context and it shows — every poured section, from grower Champagne to Slovenian Vitovska to German GG Riesling, is chosen to complement food rather than to sell familiar names at easy margins. The by-the-glass depth at this level is exceptional, and the pricing is fair for a fine dining room on the Monterey Peninsula. If wine matters to you, this is the right restaurant in the region.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Port of Everett · Everett · Wine Bar / Bistro
Rustic Cork is the kind of neighborhood wine bar that Everett deserves — unpretentious, waterfront, and built around wines from right down the road. Show up on a Wednesday with someone worth talking to and let the half-price bottles do the rest.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Downtown Santa Ana · Santa Ana · Wine Bar / Bistro
Robbin's Nest is exactly what a downtown wine bar should be — approachable, geographically curious, and clearly run by people who aren't just going through the motions. If you're in Santa Ana and want a real glass of wine without the pretense, this is your spot.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mill District · St. Paul · Wine Bar / Bistro
Milly's is for the curious drinker who wants to understand wine, not just drink it, and the comparative flight format makes that happen without any lecturing. If you're in St. Paul and want to actually learn something about what's in your glass, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
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