Bubbles All Day, Mediterranean Warmth to Match
· Monterey · Mediterranean · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Dametra Cafe’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Dametra Cafe opens with a serious commitment to sparkling wine — we're talking 14 options from Segura Viudas Brut Reserve at $12 a bottle all the way up to Dom Pérignon 2010 at $450. That alone earns some respect. The rest of the list is smaller and more predictable, but it's priced honestly and built to complement a Mediterranean menu without trying to outshine it.
Seventy labels sounds robust, but a chunk of that real estate is dedicated to the sparkling category, which skews the overall breadth. Outside of bubbles, the list leans into rosé and white-friendly categories — Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay — with a few genuinely interesting detours like the Chateau Musar Jeune 2021 from Lebanon and the Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc 2021 from Paso Robles. Red wine depth is harder to assess from the available data, but the Izadi Selecion Rioja 2021 and M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes du Rhône 2020 suggest a modest but geographically curious approach. Don't come here expecting a deep Burgundy cellar — come for the Mediterranean-leaning bottles that actually make sense with the food.
By-the-glass specifics aren't confirmed from available data, so we can't call this a by-the-glass destination with any confidence. What we can say is that a list with $12 and $14 bottle prices at the low end — likely Segura Viudas and the Lunetta Proseccos — suggests accessible entry points for casual pours. If those translate to the glass program, the bubbles situation is an easy yes.
The Bottom Line
Dametra Cafe isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be one either — and that honesty is refreshing. The sparkling selection is genuinely fun, prices are fair across the board, and the few left-field picks like Chateau Musar Jeune give the list just enough personality. If you're in Monterey and want a bottle that doesn't feel like a markup shakedown, this is a safe call.
· 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
Carmel-by-the-Sea · Monterey · French / Italian
La Bicyclette is a solid dinner-out destination where the wine list plays a supporting role to a room that's doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The French and California lean makes sense, and the overall experience is charming enough that you probably won't leave disappointed — just don't arrive expecting wine-list fireworks. It's worth a visit for the atmosphere and food; the wine is along for the ride.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · California Bistro
Grasing's is doing something genuinely unusual — a 32-deep all-by-the-glass program with real geographic range, fair pricing in the core tiers, and a few unexpected picks that reward the curious. We don't have visibility into the food menu or service quality, but on the strength of the wine program alone, white and sparkling drinkers should be very happy here. If you're in Monterey and want a glass of something actually interesting without committing to a bottle, this is worth knowing about.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Tasting room / Wine bar
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.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Monterey · French / Bistro
Mission Bistro has put together a wine list that's more thoughtful than the typical coastal tourist-trap bistro, with a Champagne section that actually earns its real estate and a Chardonnay lineup that reflects genuine Central Coast range. Pricing is fair rather than punitive, and 17 by-the-glass options means you don't have to commit to a full bottle to drink well. If you're in Monterey and want a glass of real Champagne with dinner without a hotel markup, this is a reliable place to land.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Monterey · Tasting Menu / Fine Dining
Aubergine's wine program is built for a tasting menu context and it shows — every poured section, from grower Champagne to Slovenian Vitovska to German GG Riesling, is chosen to complement food rather than to sell familiar names at easy margins. The by-the-glass depth at this level is exceptional, and the pricing is fair for a fine dining room on the Monterey Peninsula. If wine matters to you, this is the right restaurant in the region.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Paso Robles · Mediterranean
Petra Mediterranean Bistro is sitting on prime Paso Robles real estate and serving a wine list that could have come from a suburban chain restaurant. With no local producers, no Central Coast representation, and mass-market bottles marked up to $38 a pop, the wine program feels like an afterthought. If wine matters to your evening, you're better off grabbing a bottle from a nearby tasting room and asking about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Walla Walla · Mediterranean
Saffron is doing something genuinely uncommon: running a 62-bottle wine list in wine country that actually reflects the cuisine it's meant to accompany, without gouging you on the glass pours. The by-the-glass pricing alone makes it worth stopping in even if you're not staying for dinner. If you're in Walla Walla and you care about wine, this list deserves more attention than the cellar-heavy steakhouses getting all the press.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aurora · Mediterranean
Pita Central is here for the food, full stop — the wine list is an afterthought and everyone involved seems fine with that. Order a beer or a soft drink and save the wine for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Fair
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.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
