Coastal California focus hiding serious Burgundy ambitions
Downtown Monterey · Monterey · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Cella Restaurant + Bar’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Set inside the historic Cooper Molera Adobe with a heated pergola patio, Cella's wine list arrives looking like it was curated by someone with a real point of view — not just an afterthought printed off Wine.com. Thirty labels sounds thin, but the selection punches well above its size. This is a list with a thesis.
The list leans hard into California Chardonnay — Flowers, Roar, Scar of the Sea, Patz & Hall Dutton Ranch, and Lavinea all make appearances, giving you a credible survey of coastal and Willamette producers worth exploring. But the real surprise is the Burgundy corner: Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey shows up twice, with a Saint-Aubin 1er Cru and a Mersault, which is legitimately exciting for a 30-bottle list in a tourist-heavy coastal town. The sparkling section also deserves credit — Deutz, Billecart-Salmon, Schramsberg J.Schram, and a Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs Magnum from 2002 sitting at the top of the range. What's missing: almost no red wine presence in the data, and zero mention of Pinot Noir by the bottle, which feels like an odd gap given the Central Coast address.
By-the-glass options aren't published clearly, which is a mild frustration when you're doing a family-style $105-per-person menu and want to mix it up across courses. Based on the list architecture, we'd expect a small rotating glass program, but Cella isn't broadcasting it — you'll need to ask your server directly. That lack of transparency is a miss for a restaurant operating at this price point.
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre 2024 — $45-range
Hippolyte Reverdy is a reliable, well-priced Sancerre producer that consistently over-delivers on the Loire's signature citrus and flint profile. On a list that otherwise skews premium, this is the bottle that gives you serious French white credibility without requiring a second mortgage.
Scar of the Sea Vinos de los Ranchos Chardonnay 2023
Most people at this table are going to grab the Flowers or the Patz & Hall because the names are familiar — and that's exactly why you should order this instead. Scar of the Sea is doing some of the most interesting site-specific work in Santa Barbara County, and 'Vinos de los Ranchos' is a single-vineyard bottling that reflects old-vine complexity most guests will completely walk past.
Louis Roederer Cristal 2012
Cristal is a genuinely great Champagne, but at $825 on a restaurant list you are paying a significant premium for the name recognition and the bottle shape. The Bruno Paillard Magnum from 2002 sitting nearby is a far more interesting conversation and almost certainly a better dollar-per-ounce story if you want to go big.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Mersault 2023 + Duo of proteins with seasonal sides
Colin-Morey's Mersault brings that signature combination of richness and precision — enough body to hold up against roasted or pan-seared proteins, enough acidity to cut through whatever seasonal fat is on the plate. It's the kind of wine that makes a multi-course family-style menu feel intentional rather than accidental.
The Bottom Line
Cella is a tourist-adjacent restaurant that's quietly doing more with its wine list than it gets credit for — the Colin-Morey Burgundies and the Scar of the Sea alone justify a closer look. Just know you're paying Monterey waterfront prices, and go in with a plan or you'll default to the Cristal and regret it.
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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
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Motor Supply Co. Bistro appears to put its energy into the kitchen, and that may be the right call — but three wines is not a wine program. Until this list gets a serious rethink, order a cocktail or call ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
THREE isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for cocktails or the bar scene, you're probably in the right place — but if wine matters to you even a little, this four-item lineup isn't going to do much for you. Order the House Champagne at $5, accept the situation for what it is, and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Brooklyn Cafe's wine list is doing more than it has to for a Sandy Springs neighborhood restaurant — the white selections alone, from Rudi Pichler to Merry Edwards, show real editorial intent. Pricing transparency is a question mark without confirmed figures, and the glass program is a mystery we couldn't resolve. Worth a visit if you're eating in the area; just go in ready to ask questions.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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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