Coastal classics, no surprises, no complaints
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 29, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Catch’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Catch reads like a greatest hits album from California's most recognizable labels — Rombauer, Meiomi, Duckhorn. It's comfortable and crowd-friendly, which makes sense for a tourist-leaning seafood spot on Ocean Avenue. Don't come here looking for a rabbit hole; come here knowing exactly what you're getting.
The 50-80 label list leans heavily on Sonoma, Napa, and Central Coast producers, with a nod toward Burgundy for those who want to feel fancy. The regional focus is logical given Catch's position in Monterey wine country, but the list doesn't dig deep into local Monterey AVA producers the way it could — a missed opportunity when you're sitting a short drive from some serious Pinot country. What's here is reliable and recognizable, which is either reassuring or disappointing depending on what you showed up for. Gaps in anything old-world, adventurous, or off-the-beaten-path are significant.
Ten options by the glass with a range of $14–$22 keeps things approachable without being a steal. The pours cover the obvious bases — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc — which tracks for a seafood house. Don't expect the list to rotate much; what's on there is what's on there.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay — $18
Russian River Ranches is genuinely good Chardonnay — restrained, crisp, with enough fruit to satisfy without going full butter bomb. At the lower end of their glass pour range, it consistently outperforms its price on a list where most bottles skew steep.
Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs
Most people at a seafood restaurant reach for still wine out of habit. Schramsberg's Blanc de Blancs is one of California's best bubblies — bright, focused, and made for anything that came out of the ocean. It's almost always underordered, and that's a shame.
Meiomi Pinot Noir
Meiomi is a $15 grocery store bottle dressed up in a restaurant wine list. At marked-up restaurant pricing, you're paying a significant premium for something your local Safeway stocks in bulk. There are better Pinot options to be had in this region.
Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc + Dungeness Crab Cakes
Duckhorn's Sauvignon Blanc brings enough citrus and grassy brightness to cut through the richness of crab cakes without bullying the delicate seafood flavor. It's a clean, classic match that actually makes sense on this menu.
The Bottom Line
Catch is a dependable wine stop for a seafood dinner in Carmel — nothing here will disappoint you, but nothing will surprise you either. If you go in with calibrated expectations and order the Schramsberg with your crab, you'll leave happy.
· Carmel By The Sea · Wine Bar & Contemporary American
VIN by the Sea is a Champagne and sparkling wine bar wearing a contemporary American restaurant's jacket — and it's not trying to hide it. If you care about grower Champagne, blanc de blancs depth, and having genuine options by the glass, this is one of the better-stocked spots on the Monterey Peninsula. Pricing runs steep across the board, but the 55-glass program gives you room to find your level. Come for the bubbles, explore the Chablis, and budget accordingly.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Carmel By The Sea · Winery tasting room
Caraccioli Cellars is a one-producer list by definition, but what that producer is doing — traditional-method sparkling, Gamay Noir, Passetoutgrain — is genuinely unusual for California. Pricing and glass program details aren't publicly documented, so go in ready to be guided by whoever is pouring. If you have any affection for Champagne-style bubbles or Burgundy's wilder edges, this is worth the stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Carmel By The Sea · Hotel dining
Cypress Inn's wine list clears the bar that most hotel dining rooms trip over — it has depth, real producers, and a by-the-glass program you can actually navigate. Pricing runs steep in places, particularly on well-known bottles where the hotel markup is visible, but the Morgan Pinot and Neyers Chardonnay at the glass level make this a list worth engaging with rather than ignoring.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Carmel By The Sea · Winery tasting room
Taste Morgan is the rare tasting room that earns a detour rather than a checkbox. The pricing is genuinely fair — sometimes startlingly so — and the clone-level detail on the Pinot Noir lineup makes it educational without being tedious. If you're in Carmel and care even a little about Santa Lucia Highlands as an appellation, this is a can't-skip stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Carmel By The Sea · Contemporary Fine Dining
Foray's wine list does something rare in a coastal California fine dining room: it earns its ambition without gouging you for it. The Armenian red alone is reason enough to browse carefully before defaulting to a Pinot. If you're eating here, spend ten minutes with the list — there's real reward for anyone who looks past the first page.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
7th Ave / Dolores · Carmel By The Sea · New American
Seventh & Dolores isn't a destination wine list, but it's a respectable one that at least knows where it is geographically. Come for the steak, order the Wrath, and don't expect to go down any rabbit holes.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Atlanta · Atlanta · Seafood
Six Feet Under isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — but the pricing is fair, nearly everything pours by the glass, and the Cava and Calafuria Rosé give you honest options that actually make sense with seafood. If you're here for the food and want something decent in your glass without overthinking it, this list does the job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Roswell · Seafood
The Big Ketch Roswell keeps the wine program tightly scoped and mostly on-point for a seafood house — fair prices, smart regional picks, and a by-the-glass setup that rewards curious drinkers. It's not going to blow anyone away, but it's not going to embarrass you either. Send a friend here for the Vinho Verde and whatever's fresh on the menu.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Chandler · Seafood
High Tide is a genuinely fun, lively seafood restaurant with food worth showing up for — but the wine program is an afterthought dressed up as a list. Twelve Chardonnays with no other variety isn't a curated selection, it's a gap in judgment. Wednesday half-price wine softens the blow, but the program needs a complete rethink before we'd call it worth drinking through. Order the Diatom, skip the Rombauer, and quietly wish someone had added a rosé.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
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