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.
Cannery Row · Monterey · Lounge
Chart House's happy hour wine program exists to keep your glass full while you stare at the Pacific — and on that level, at $8–$10 a pour, it succeeds. But if wine is actually why you're here, Cannery Row can do better.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Fisherman's Wharf · Monterey · Casual Seafood
Riva Fish House is a reliable pour for what it is — a casual, tourist-friendly wharf spot that keeps the wine list simple and the prices honest. Send a friend here for a glass of Chardonnay and the chowder; don't send them here expecting anything that'll make them rethink their relationship with wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pacific Grove · Monterey · Mediterranean / European
Fandango is punching well above its coastal casual-fine-dining weight class with a list that has real depth, genuine age, and some legitimately exciting outliers. The markups keep it from true Rager status, but if you're in Pacific Grove and want to drink seriously, this is your spot.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
North Fremont / Beachfront · Monterey · American, Seafood
The Lantern Room is what happens when a hotel restaurant actually tries — a locally anchored wine list, a sommelier in the building, and enough interesting producers to make the steep markup sting a little less. Send a friend here if they love Central Coast wine; warn them to skip the Cab and lean into what this coast actually grows.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
North Fremont / Beachfront · Monterey · Seafood / Beachfront
Tidewater is riding entirely on its beachfront location, and the wine list makes no effort to be anything more than a functional afterthought. Stick to the glass pours, pick the most credible name you can find, and keep your eyes on the water.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cannery Row · Monterey · New American with seafood, house-made pasta, and flatbread pizza
Lalla Oceanside isn't a wine destination, but it's a genuinely fair deal for what it is — a lively Cannery Row spot where the list supports the food without gouging you. If you stick to the Bernardus or the Albariño and grab a window seat, you'll leave happy.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
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
Downtown · Wichita · Seafood / Steakhouse
AVI is a reliable wine stop for Wichita's steakhouse crowd — familiar labels, decent glass selection, and nothing that'll offend anyone at the table. Just don't come looking for discovery; this list is built for comfort, not curiosity.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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