Carmel's Most Serious Glass Program, Full Stop
· Monterey · Tasting Menu / Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Aubergine lands like a quiet flex — 62 labels and 36 by-the-glass options that run from local Monterey sparklers to Alsatian oddities to a Japanese sake that has absolutely no business being this good of a call. This is not a list assembled by a distributor rep with a clipboard; someone who genuinely cares built this. The range of glass pours alone — $18 to $65 — tells you that they want to meet you wherever you are.
The champagne and sparkling section is where this list earns its stripes: Bérêche et Fils, Georges Laval Les Garennes, Billecart-Salmon's prestige Cuvée Nicolas François 2012, and Krug Grande Cuvée all available by the glass is genuinely rare, and it signals a cellar that isn't just stocking crowd-pleasing grower Champagne for optics. The whites show similar range — Ökonomierat Rebholz Kastanienbusch GG Riesling from the Pfalz, Zidarich Vitovska from the Karst in Slovenia, Domaine de la Renardière Savagnin from the Jura, Patrick Baudouin's Chenin Blanc from Anjou. This is an old-world white program that quietly embarrasses a lot of dedicated wine bars. Reds are fewer in the data we have — Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Berg Spätburgunder is a beautiful choice and points to a preference for elegance over weight. The Kaze no Mori Junmai sake on the glass list is a wild and confident swing that pays off for anyone at the tasting menu who wants something truly different.
Thirty-six pours by the glass is an extraordinary number for any restaurant, and at Aubergine, the quality doesn't thin out as you scroll down. The entry point is the Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Terre de Maimbray Rosé at $18/glass, which is a legitimate Loire Valley producer — not a filler pour. The top end hits Krug and Billecart-Salmon prestige cuvées at $65/glass, which makes this by-the-glass program one of the strongest we've encountered at a California fine dining destination.
The Bottom Line
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.
· Monterey · Brewpub / New American
Alvarado Street is primarily a brewery, and the wine list knows it — it's compact, unpretentious, and priced without gouging. But it also has enough Central Coast credibility (Comanche, Curran, Le P'tit Paysan) to surprise you. If you're in the group that wants wine while everyone else debates hop schedules, you're covered and you won't overpay for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Carmel Valley · Monterey · Californian / Fine Dining
Lucia has the bones of a serious wine program — sommelier on staff, strong regional identity, and a setting in Carmel Valley that practically demands a good bottle. We just can't verify the specifics well enough to point you toward a particular pour or call out the markups with any precision. Go in expecting a deep, well-kept list with hotel-restaurant pricing to match, and let the sommelier do the heavy lifting. It's worth the conversation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Monterey · Wine bar
If you're rolling through Monterey and want something more interactive than staring at a laminated wine list, The Wine Experience is a legitimate detour — especially for anyone curious about what the Santa Lucia Highlands and San Benito County are actually producing right now. We'd send a curious friend here without hesitation; we'd just tell them to skip any expectations of a formal dinner and lean into the tasting-room energy instead.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Acceptable
Carmel-by-the-Sea · Monterey · Continental / Fine Dining
Anton & Michel is the kind of room where the wine list serves the occasion rather than the other way around — and for a special-occasion dinner over beef Wellington or rack of lamb, that might be exactly what you want. We'd love to get a full look at current pricing before giving this a stronger endorsement, but the Central Coast regional focus is a legitimate draw for anyone who wants to drink local in one of California's best growing corridors. Go for the room, stay for the lamb, and ask your server what's drinking well off the list right now.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Wine bar / Tasting room
De Tierra is a focused, fairly priced producer tasting room that makes a real argument for Monterey wine without inflating the ego or the prices. If you're driving the 68 corridor or wandering through the peninsula, this is worth a stop — just go in knowing you're here for one winery's story, not a deep-dive across regions.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Wine Bar / Bistro
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.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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