Basement Sushi Spot With a Serious Wine Habit
Mission Street / Downtown · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood, Asian, Japanese-Californian Fusion · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 29, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Flying Fish Grill’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're in a cozy basement off Carmel Plaza, surrounded by clay pots and chopsticks, and then you open a wine list with Heitz Martha's Vineyard and Dom Pérignon on it. That whiplash is exactly what makes Flying Fish Grill interesting. This is not the wine list you expect to find at a casual Asian-fusion seafood spot, and that's a compliment.
The list leans hard into California — Monterey County gets the most love, with Bernardus, Talbott, Morgan, and Silvestri all representing the local terroir with conviction. Chardonnay is practically its own chapter: nine different bottles ranging from the crisp, unoaked Morgan 'Metallico' to the opulent Rombauer Carneros, which tells you they know their crowd. There's a respectable Napa Cabernet section anchored by Frog's Leap, Silver Oak, and the prestige play of Heitz Martha's Vineyard, though red-wine-with-seafood is always an uphill battle here. The one real gap: almost nothing adventurous beyond California and a lone Pouilly-Fuissé — no Albariño, no Grüner, nothing with the briny edge that would actually sing next to their shabu shabu.
Sixteen pours is a generous program for a restaurant this size, and the split between whites and reds is sensible given the seafood-forward menu. Prices run $8–$15 per glass, which is fair for Carmel where a cocktail costs roughly the same as a small car payment. The glass list doesn't rotate much — it reads like it's been stable for a while — but the hits are there if you know to look for them.
Morgan 'Metallico' Unoaked Chardonnay, Monterey — $44
Morgan's 'Metallico' is an unoaked stainless-steel Chardonnay that brings pure Monterey citrus and minerality without any of the butter-bomb noise. It's the right call for the clay pot seafood dishes, and at this price it's one of the few bottles on this list where you feel like the restaurant isn't just cashing in on its zip code.
Navarro Edelzwicker, Anderson Valley
Most people walk right past this and order another Chardonnay. Big mistake. Navarro's Edelzwicker is an Alsatian-style blend — aromatic, slightly off-dry, with a floral lift that is practically engineered to handle the spice and umami in Flying Fish's Asian-fusion dishes. It's priced like an afterthought and drinks like a deliberate choice.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV
At $120 a bottle, you're paying a substantial premium over what you'd spend at any decent wine shop — Veuve retail hovers around $55–$65. It's a fine Champagne but it's also the most predictable, brand-name move on this list. If you want bubbles, the Roederer Estate from Anderson Valley or the Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs give you more character for less money.
Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey + Clay Pot Seafood
Bernardus's Sauvignon Blanc has the kind of bright acidity and herbaceous edge that cuts right through the richness of a clay pot broth without fighting the delicate seafood inside it. It's a local producer, it's food-friendly, and it's one of the smarter plays on a list that otherwise steers you toward Chardonnay by default.
The Bottom Line
Flying Fish Grill is a Wild Card in the best sense — a basement Asian-fusion spot with an unexpectedly ambitious California wine list that mostly earns its ambition. The markups on prestige bottles are real, but stick to the Monterey locals and the underdog picks and you'll drink well without regret.
· Carmel By The Sea · Wine Bar & Contemporary American
VIN by the Sea is a Champagne and sparkling wine bar wearing a contemporary American restaurant's jacket — and it's not trying to hide it. If you care about grower Champagne, blanc de blancs depth, and having genuine options by the glass, this is one of the better-stocked spots on the Monterey Peninsula. Pricing runs steep across the board, but the 55-glass program gives you room to find your level. Come for the bubbles, explore the Chablis, and budget accordingly.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Carmel By The Sea · Winery tasting room
Caraccioli Cellars is a one-producer list by definition, but what that producer is doing — traditional-method sparkling, Gamay Noir, Passetoutgrain — is genuinely unusual for California. Pricing and glass program details aren't publicly documented, so go in ready to be guided by whoever is pouring. If you have any affection for Champagne-style bubbles or Burgundy's wilder edges, this is worth the stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
· Carmel By The Sea · Hotel dining
Cypress Inn's wine list clears the bar that most hotel dining rooms trip over — it has depth, real producers, and a by-the-glass program you can actually navigate. Pricing runs steep in places, particularly on well-known bottles where the hotel markup is visible, but the Morgan Pinot and Neyers Chardonnay at the glass level make this a list worth engaging with rather than ignoring.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Carmel By The Sea · Winery tasting room
Taste Morgan is the rare tasting room that earns a detour rather than a checkbox. The pricing is genuinely fair — sometimes startlingly so — and the clone-level detail on the Pinot Noir lineup makes it educational without being tedious. If you're in Carmel and care even a little about Santa Lucia Highlands as an appellation, this is a can't-skip stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Steal
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
· Carmel By The Sea · Contemporary Fine Dining
Foray's wine list does something rare in a coastal California fine dining room: it earns its ambition without gouging you for it. The Armenian red alone is reason enough to browse carefully before defaulting to a Pinot. If you're eating here, spend ten minutes with the list — there's real reward for anyone who looks past the first page.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
7th Ave / Dolores · Carmel By The Sea · New American
Seventh & Dolores isn't a destination wine list, but it's a respectable one that at least knows where it is geographically. Come for the steak, order the Wrath, and don't expect to go down any rabbit holes.
Plays It Safe
Steep
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.
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