Ocean Views, Serious Wine, Zero Apologies
Montecito · Californian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Caruso's’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
You open the wine list at Caruso's and immediately understand this isn't a hotel restaurant playing dress-up — it's the real thing. Four to six hundred selections anchored by serious California producers alongside Bordeaux first-growth neighbors and Italian heavyweights signals genuine curatorial intent. The Pacific is right there outside the window, and whoever built this list wanted the wine to be just as impressive as the view.
California is the backbone, and it's done right: Kistler Chardonnay, Ridge Monte Bello, Caymus Special Selection, Opus One, and Harlan Estate represent the full spectrum from Sonoma Coast elegance to Napa power. The Burgundy and Bordeaux sections are equally serious — Louis Jadot for approachable entry points and Château Léoville-Las Cases for anyone willing to spend. Italy is where the list quietly flexes hardest: Gaja Barbaresco, Bruno Giacosa Barolo, and Antinori Tignanello in one place is not something you stumble across at just any coastal hotel dining room. The Champagne section rounds things out with Bollinger and Krug Grande Cuvée — no shortcuts taken.
Twenty to thirty-five pours by the glass is a genuinely strong program, with a $15–$35 range that suggests the top end actually means something. With Alfie Wang running the floor, the glass selection should reflect the same regional breadth as the full list rather than defaulting to the same tired Napa Cab and Pinot Grigio combo. Rotation cadence isn't confirmed, but a list this size with an engaged sommelier usually means the glass options move with the season.
Louis Jadot Burgundy — $60-$80 (bottle estimate)
In a list loaded with triple-digit Burgundy, Jadot offers genuine Côte d'Or character at an entry price that won't require you to rethink dessert. On a list where Harlan Estate sets the ceiling, this is where smart drinkers anchor their evening.
Bruno Giacosa Barolo
Most tables at Caruso's are ordering California or Champagne. Giacosa's Barolo is one of the great names in Piedmont and routinely flies under the radar at California-centric restaurants — find it here and drink something the table next to you almost certainly isn't.
Caymus Vineyards Special Selection
It's a trophy wine with trophy pricing and a reputation built more on brand recognition than what's actually in the glass at this stage. On a list with Harlan and Ridge Monte Bello, spending hotel-list markup money on Caymus is a miss. You can do better with the same budget.
Kistler Chardonnay + Fresh Pacific seafood from the seasonally driven menu
Kistler's Chardonnay walks the line between rich and restrained better than almost anyone in California — enough weight to stand up to butter-finished fish, enough acid to keep the whole thing from feeling heavy while you're watching the sun hit the water.
The Bottom Line
Caruso's Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence isn't a plaque on the wall — it's reflected in every section of a list that could hold its own against serious urban wine programs. Markups run hotel-steep, so come with a plan and lean on Alfie Wang to find where the value hides.
Downtown Monterey · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Montrio is the rare restaurant where the wine list earns the same respect as the kitchen — regionally focused, fairly priced, and backed by staff who can actually help you navigate it. Add Tuesday's half-price bottle promotion and you've got one of the better wine nights on the Central Coast.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Sixth & Mission · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Grasing's doesn't have the deepest list on the Monterey Peninsula, but the by-the-glass-everything model and genuinely fair pricing make it worth your time. Send a friend here if they want to drink well without being locked into a bottle.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Napa · Napa · Californian
Carpe Diem punches above its weight for a 12-bottle list, and Monday half-price night makes this one of the better deals in downtown Napa. Just watch the bottle markups on the bigger names — you're in wine country, not getting a discount for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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