Monterey's Most Quietly Adventurous Wine List
· Monterey · Fine Dining / New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · September 18, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Foray’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
One hundred and twenty labels in a Monterey dining room that doesn't announce itself as a wine destination — and that's exactly the surprise. The list moves from Armenian Vayots Dzor to Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot to Carmel Valley Cab without apology or explanation, which we respect enormously. This is a program built by someone with a point of view, not a consultant filling categories.
The regional spread is genuinely unusual for Central Coast fine dining: you get the expected California anchors — Corison, Dehlinger, Clos De La Tech — alongside a Château Pesquié Grenache/Cinsault from the Rhône, the Valadorna Toscana IGT 2012 for the Italophile at the table, and the genuinely rare Yacoubian-Hobbs from Armenia's Vayots Dzor appellation. Local pride shows up in the Tira Nanza Carmel Valley Cab and the Caraccioli Cellars sparkling from the Santa Lucia Highlands, both within reasonable striking distance of the restaurant. The Champagne section punches above its weight — Loriot-Pagel, Billecart-Salmon in two expressions, and both Krug bottlings — giving the list real depth at the top end without padding the cellar with filler. If there's a gap, it's that the Southern Hemisphere and Iberia are largely absent, and Burgundy lovers will need to look elsewhere.
Fourteen options by the glass with prices running $15 to $35, which is a serious BTG program for this market. The range covers sparkling, white, and red without doubling up on safe bets — the Halter Ranch Picpoul Blanc at $15/glass and the Yacoubian-Hobbs at $18/glass are the kinds of pours you simply don't see at comparable restaurants. No evidence of a rotating BTG program, but the static list is already doing more work than most.
The Bottom Line
Foray's wine list is the rare kind that rewards the curious and doesn't punish the budget-conscious — a Picpoul at $15 and Krug at $195 can coexist on the same list without the whole thing feeling schizophrenic. The eclectic regional reach, fair markups, and genuinely unusual picks like the Armenian Yacoubian-Hobbs earn this a Wild Card badge: it's not the deepest list on the Central Coast, but it's easily the most interesting one in Monterey. If you care about what's in your glass, this is the right room.
· 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
· Monterey · Wine bar
Sovino is a wine bar that actually thought about its list, which is rarer than it should be. Fair pricing across the board, a genuinely eclectic by-the-glass program, and a few bottles that will surprise you. If you're in Monterey and want something more interesting than the resort hotel pour, this is the move.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pacific Grove · Monterey · Sustainable Seafood / Californian
Wild Fish isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the list punches thoughtfully above its weight with genuine regional focus and fair pricing. If you're eating here — and you should be — drink local and let the terroir match the catch.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pacific Grove · Monterey · Seafood-focused California/American
The Beach House at Lover's Point is a reliable coastal wine stop — not a destination for wine lovers, but a perfectly decent list for a date-night dinner with a sunset backdrop. Don't come chasing cellar depth; do come ready to drink local and enjoy the view.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pebble Beach · Monterey · Steakhouse / American Tavern
The Tap Room is a reliable resort wine list — not inspiring, not embarrassing, and marked up like the real estate it sits on. If you're at Pebble Beach anyway, the list does the job; just go in with eyes open and budget accordingly.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Medford · Fine Dining / New American
Alchemy is doing something genuinely interesting in Southern Oregon — a sparkling-centric wine program with real depth and fair pricing that you wouldn't necessarily expect to find in Medford. If bubbles are your language, this list is worth the trip.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Roanoke · Fine Dining / New American
Table 50 does more with 68 labels than most fine dining rooms do with twice as many — the fortified wine section alone earns it a second look. If you're eating in Roanoke and care about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Bent Street / Historic District · Taos · Fine Dining / New American
Lambert's is a reliable dinner destination in Taos, and the wine list won't ruin your night — but it won't make it either. Send a friend here for the elk tenderloin; tell them to order the Duckhorn and not overthink it.
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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