Every Glass a Pour, No Bottle Required
Sixth & Mission · Carmel By The Sea · Californian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Grasing's Coastal Cuisine’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Grasing's pulls off something unusual: a wine list where every single label is available by the glass. All 31 of them. That's not a gimmick — that's a commitment, and it changes how you approach the table entirely. The range skews coastal California with a respectable lean into France, and the prices don't make you wince the way Carmel real estate does.
For a 31-bottle list, the curation punches above its weight. You've got Santa Lucia Highlands represented well — ROAR Pinot Noir and Lucia Estate Chardonnay are both serious producers doing serious work in that appellation. Napa shows up with Othello by Dominus and the Illumination by Quintessa, which signals someone on the team knows how to balance accessibility with provenance. Bordeaux gets a nod via La Réserve de Malartic 2018, and Champagne earns its own lane with both Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon on the board. The list won't satisfy someone hunting for obscure grower Champagne or a deep Burgundy dive, but it's coherent and purposeful — rare for a coastal tourist corridor.
This is the whole game at Grasing's: every wine pours by the glass, from $15 to $75. That means you can work your way through a Morlet Les Petits 2018 from Oakville without committing to a full bottle — which, for a wine that rare on a restaurant list, is genuinely generous. The spread lets you build your own tasting flight out of a regular dinner, and that's not something most places in this zip code are doing.
Othello by Dominus 2023, Napa Valley — $35
Dominus is one of Napa's most respected estates, and Othello is their more approachable label — but the DNA is there. At $35 a glass for a Napa red with that pedigree, you're getting more than the price suggests.
ROAR 2023 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
Most people sitting in Carmel reach for a Napa Cab or a glass of bubbly. ROAR makes some of the most compelling Pinot Noir in California, and the Santa Lucia Highlands is criminally underrated compared to Russian River. This is the one to order when everyone else is being boring.
Dom Pérignon 2015, Épernay
At $75 a glass, you're paying top dollar for the brand, not the experience. Dom Pérignon 2015 is genuinely excellent, but without proper Champagne flutes and in a coastal California dining room, the nuance gets lost. The Roederer Estate NV from Anderson Valley tells a better story for far less.
Lucia 2023 Estate Cuvée Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands + Fresh seafood from the coastal menu
Lucia's Chardonnay from Santa Lucia Highlands has the acidity and restraint to cut through rich coastal seafood without burying it in oak. It's the right wine for the restaurant's whole identity.
The Bottom Line
Grasing's doesn't have the deepest list on the Monterey Peninsula, but the by-the-glass-everything model and genuinely fair pricing make it worth your time. Send a friend here if they want to drink well without being locked into a bottle.
Monte Verde / 7th Ave · Carmel By The Sea · Contemporary Californian tasting menu with European influences
Aubergine is the rare California restaurant where the wine list is as serious as the tasting menu it supports — deep in the right places, staffed by people who can actually navigate it with you. The markup is real, but so is everything else about this experience.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Traditional Italian Trattoria
Il Fornaio Carmel is a reliable Italian night out with a wine list that does the job without embarrassing anyone — but if you're looking to be surprised, you're in the wrong dining room. Send a friend here when they want comfort and a decent Brunello, not when they want adventure.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Monte Verde / 7th Ave · Carmel By The Sea · Contemporary Californian Fine Dining
Aubergine is the real deal — a Michelin-starred room with a list that earns the badge rather than coasting on it. The prices are steep, but if you're already committing to a $200+ tasting menu, the wine program is worth leaning into.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Fisherman's Wharf · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood and Classic American
Old Fisherman's Grotto isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — it's a well-run wharf institution that stocks approachable California bottles at slightly inflated prices and lets the bay views do the heavy lifting. Send a friend here for the clam chowder and the sunset; just go in with calibrated expectations on the wine.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cannery Row · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood and Steak
Fish Hopper is a reliable waterfront pour — not a destination for wine lovers, but not an embarrassment either. Go for the view, drink the Bernardus or the Roar, and save the deep cellar hunting for somewhere down the coast.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Monterey · Carmel By The Sea · Californian
Montrio is the rare restaurant where the wine list earns the same respect as the kitchen — regionally focused, fairly priced, and backed by staff who can actually help you navigate it. Add Tuesday's half-price bottle promotion and you've got one of the better wine nights on the Central Coast.
Deep & Eclectic
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Californian
Carpe Diem punches above its weight for a 12-bottle list, and Monday half-price night makes this one of the better deals in downtown Napa. Just watch the bottle markups on the bigger names — you're in wine country, not getting a discount for it.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
West Loop · Chicago · Californian
The Oakville Grill earns its Wine Spectator credential and the sommelier duo makes this list accessible, not intimidating. Wednesday half-price wine night alone is reason enough to get a reservation — just let go of the idea that anything other than California is on the agenda.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Active Program
Proper
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