Carmel's Most Serious Glass Program, Full Stop
· Monterey · Tasting Menu / Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 18, 2026
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 · 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 · Fine Dining / New American
Foray's wine list is the rare kind that rewards the curious and doesn't punish the budget-conscious — a Picpoul at $15 and Krug at $195 can coexist on the same list without the whole thing feeling schizophrenic. The eclectic regional reach, fair markups, and genuinely unusual picks like the Armenian Yacoubian-Hobbs earn this a Wild Card badge: it's not the deepest list on the Central Coast, but it's easily the most interesting one in Monterey. If you care about what's in your glass, this is the right room.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Proper
· Monterey · Wine bar
Sovino is a wine bar that actually thought about its list, which is rarer than it should be. Fair pricing across the board, a genuinely eclectic by-the-glass program, and a few bottles that will surprise you. If you're in Monterey and want something more interesting than the resort hotel pour, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pacific Grove · Monterey · Sustainable Seafood / Californian
Wild Fish isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the list punches thoughtfully above its weight with genuine regional focus and fair pricing. If you're eating here — and you should be — drink local and let the terroir match the catch.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pacific Grove · Monterey · Seafood-focused California/American
The Beach House at Lover's Point is a reliable coastal wine stop — not a destination for wine lovers, but a perfectly decent list for a date-night dinner with a sunset backdrop. Don't come chasing cellar depth; do come ready to drink local and enjoy the view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pebble Beach · Monterey · Steakhouse / American Tavern
The Tap Room is a reliable resort wine list — not inspiring, not embarrassing, and marked up like the real estate it sits on. If you're at Pebble Beach anyway, the list does the job; just go in with eyes open and budget accordingly.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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