Local terroir meets tapas, Sundays steal the show
Downtown Monterey · Monterey · Spanish and Mediterranean Small Plates · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Estéban Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Estéban is short — 16 labels — but it earns its keep with a tight regional story: Monterey County locals sitting alongside a handful of Spanish bottles that actually make sense on a tapas menu. It's not trying to be a wine destination, and that honesty is kind of refreshing. What catches our eye immediately is how deliberately the list mirrors the cuisine rather than just defaulting to California's greatest hits.
The white side of the list is the strongest corner: Scheid Vineyards Grenache Blanc from Monterey County is an unexpected move, and Morgadio Legado del Conde Albariño from Rías Baixas is a genuinely smart call alongside a Spanish kitchen. On the red side, Joyce Submarine Canyon Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands keeps things local and credible, while the Montana Crianza Rioja adds a second Spanish anchor that works hard for the concept. Gaps exist — no Tempranillo outside the Rioja, no Garnacha, no Verdejo — but for 16 labels, the curation shows more thought than most hotel restaurants muster. The California-heavy middle section does lean toward crowd-pleasers like Hahn Chardonnay and Flume Crossing Sauvignon Blanc, which feel a little safe given how interesting the edges of the list get.
Six to eight pours by the glass is a workable range for a list this size, and the Sunday Shucking Social cuts bottle prices in half, which effectively transforms the whole program into a by-the-glass bargain one night a week. We'd push toward the whites on glass pours — the Sauvignon Blancs and the Albariño in particular shine in this format with oysters in hand. Rotation and seasonal updates aren't well-documented, so don't expect the glass list to surprise you on a second visit.
Morgadio Legado del Conde Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 2018 — $42–$55
Albariño from a solid Rías Baixas producer on a Spanish tapas menu is exactly where you want to be — it's the most purposeful bottle on the list and priced at the low end of the range. Order it on a Sunday and it's almost criminal.
Scheid Vineyards Grenache Blanc, Monterey County, CA 2018
Nobody at the table is going to order this first, but they should. Grenache Blanc is a genuinely interesting white that most diners walk right past, and Scheid farming it in Monterey County gives it a local angle that earns a conversation.
Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris de Cigare Rosé 2021
At $48 on the menu against a $15 retail price, this is a 220% markup on a wine that's widely available and not especially hard to find. Bonny Doon is fun, but not $48 fun when the Albariño is sitting right there.
Montana Crianza, Rioja, Spain 2017 + Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli
The Rioja's earthy Tempranillo backbone and subtle oak don't fight the crab — they frame the smoky, slightly sweet piquillo pepper aioli and let it do the talking. It's the most Spanish thing you can do at this table.
Sunday — Sunday night 'Shucking Social' features $1 West Coast oysters and half-priced bottled wines during evening service.
The Bottom Line
Estéban isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something more interesting than its hotel-restaurant address suggests — a compact, region-honest list with a Spanish spine and a Sunday deal that makes the whole thing click. Show up on a Sunday, order the Albariño and a dozen oysters, and you'll wonder why you ever paid full price anywhere else.
· 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
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
