California's weirdest grapes, done right
· Monterey · Tasting room / Wine bar · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed September 18, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Comanche Cellars Wine Room’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The list at Comanche Cellars stops you cold — not because it's long, but because half the grapes on it aren't what you'd expect from a Central Coast tasting room. Greco di Tufo from San Benito County? Negrette? Tempranillo? This is a winery that's clearly more interested in what it can grow than what it can sell.
Comanche pulls fruit from a tight network of single vineyards — Gimelli in San Benito County, Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco, Mesa Del Sol in Monterey, and Tondre Grapefield in the Santa Lucia Highlands — and the specificity shows. The 43-label list spans white Italian varieties (Greco di Tufo, sourced from Siletto Ranch), two distinct rosé expressions (Pinot Noir and Sangiovese), dual-site Zinfandel and Syrah comparisons, and a Dog & Pony series of blends under names like Tre Zingari and Il Rinnegato that signal a winemaker having genuine fun. There's no safe Cabernet-and-Chardonnay core to hide behind here, even if both exist. The gap is that pricing and glass-pour data aren't publicly listed, so you'll want to ask on arrival.
Glass pour availability isn't confirmed in the research data, so we can't speak to the pour program with confidence. As a tasting room, the likely format is a seated or stand-up flight rather than an à la carte glass list — worth confirming when you book or walk in.
The Bottom Line
Comanche Cellars is doing something legitimately unusual: a California winery that reaches for Negrette, Greco di Tufo, and Cabernet Franc with the same seriousness it gives Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. If you're anywhere near Monterey and want to drink something you genuinely haven't had before, this is the stop. Pricing and pour format are unknowns until you're there, but the range on paper is worth the visit.
· Monterey · Brewpub / New American
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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