Great Views, Wine List Phoning It In
Cannery Row · Monterey · Seafood / Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Chart House Monterey’s wine list and gave it The Lazy List — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The view of Monterey Bay is genuinely stunning, and then you open the wine list. Thirteen labels, all by the glass, all priced between $8 and $10 — it's less a wine program and more a laminated afterthought. The room deserves better than this.
The list reads like a supermarket endcap: Josh Cellars Merlot, Line 39 Chardonnay, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir. These are not bad wines, but they are the most conservative possible choices for a restaurant sitting steps from world-class Central Coast wine country. There's a token nod to Spain with the El Coto Crianza Rioja and a genuinely pleasant Château de Berne Rosé, but the rest is wall-to-wall mass-market California and Washington State. No local producers, no half-bottles, no cellar depth to speak of.
Everything on the list is available by the glass, which sounds generous until you realize the list is only thirteen wines deep — there is no bottle program to speak of. At $8–$10 a glass the prices are hard to argue with, but the selection does the heavy lifting in keeping expectations low. Rotation appears nonexistent.
El Coto Crianza Rioja — $10
It's the only wine here that feels like someone put a thought into it. El Coto's Crianza is a properly made Tempranillo-based Rioja with real structure and earthy red fruit — at $10 a glass it's the lone personality on a list full of crowd pleasers.
Château de Berne Romance Rosé
A Provence rosé in a sea of safe Cali pours. Most tables will reach for the Chardonnay out of habit and miss this entirely — but it's the right call with a bowl of lobster bisque or anything coming off the seafood side of the menu.
Josh Cellars Merlot
Josh Cellars is a fine grocery store wine. It is not a restaurant wine. At $9 a glass you're paying a premium for something you could grab at Safeway for $12 a bottle. Skip it.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling + Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi
The off-dry Columbia Valley Riesling has just enough sweetness and citrus lift to cut through the richness of the nut crust without steamrolling the fish. It's the most food-friendly move on this list.
The Bottom Line
Chart House Monterey charges destination prices for the view and delivers gas station wine execution — the list is inoffensive, cheap enough, and completely uninspired. Come for the bay, order by the glass, and don't expect anyone behind the bar to talk you through it.
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
Pebble Beach · Monterey · Seafood-focused California cuisine
Stillwater earns its reputation on setting and execution, and the wine list is professionally managed with real producers and proper care — but the pricing reflects the zip code more than it reflects generosity. Go in with eyes open, lean local, and let the view do the rest.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Pebble Beach · Monterey · Italian
Pèppoli is the real deal for Italian wine in a resort setting — deep list, knowledgeable staff, and an Antinori-anchored program that takes the Italian canon seriously. Just go in knowing that Pebble Beach prices apply across the board, and steer toward the mid-tier bottles where the value actually lives.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Pebble Beach · Monterey · Hawaiian Fusion
Roy's at Pebble Beach is a dependable wine list in a stunning setting — competently assembled, a little overpriced for what you get, and unlikely to surprise you. Order smarter than the tourists at the next table and you'll drink well here.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Historic Seaport · Key West · Seafood / Steakhouse
The Commodore is a reliable waterfront pick — the wine list won't surprise you, but it won't embarrass you either. Hit the happy hour if you can, stick to the Champagne or the New Zealand whites, and let the view do the rest.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Route 1 / MarketFair area · Princeton · Seafood / Steakhouse
Eddie V's Princeton is a reliable, well-run wine program that excels on its own terms — California-focused, sommelier-staffed, and properly stored — but it won't challenge your palate or your loyalty to the coasts. Send your California Cab-loving friends here without hesitation; send the natural wine crowd somewhere else.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Sugar House · Provo · Seafood / Steakhouse
Harbor is a reliable upscale date-night option where the wine list won't embarrass anyone but won't excite anyone either. The markups sting a bit — Caymus at $195 is a lot to ask — but the quality of the bottles themselves is real. Send a friend here for a steak and a Pinot, just don't expect them to text you about what they discovered.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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