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.
Dolores Street / Mission Ranch · Carmel By The Sea · American, Steak and Seafood
Mission Ranch is a beautiful place to have dinner, and the wine list will get the job done without embarrassing anyone — but it's built for the guest who wants a name they recognize, not the guest who wants to discover something. Go for the views and the prime rib; just don't expect the list to spark a conversation.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
6th Ave / Junipero · Carmel By The Sea · Italian, Mediterranean, Pizza
Vesuvio is a solid Italian night out with a wine list that punches above its casual atmosphere — just know you're paying Carmel prices for the privilege. Send a friend here if they love Italian reds and aren't watching the bill too closely.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mission Street / Downtown · Carmel By The Sea · Seafood, Asian, Japanese-Californian Fusion
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.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mission Street / Downtown · Carmel By The Sea · French / Bistro
Mission Bistro delivers a wine list that's better than most restaurants in Carmel will bother with — real producers, real depth by the glass, and some genuine gems if you know where to look. The markups are Carmel-standard (read: steep), but if you order strategically, this is a solid place to drink well alongside a good meal.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Mission Street / 7th Ave · Carmel By The Sea · Upscale Contemporary American with European influence
Anton & Michel is the kind of place you bring someone who appreciates a proper wine list and a room that respects the ritual of dinner. The pricing stings a little, and the list won't excite wine nerds hunting for discovery — but the sourcing is honest, the setting earns it, and the Bernardus alone justifies flipping past the first page.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Carmel · Carmel By The Sea · Contemporary American / California Cuisine
Rio Grill isn't trying to reinvent wine service, and it doesn't need to — it delivers a thoughtful, California-focused list with fair pricing, a solid by-the-glass program, and a Monday promo that rewards regulars. Send your friends here knowing they'll drink well without drama.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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
Los Angeles · Los Angeles · Californian
Caldo Verde isn't trying to be a wine destination, but it's quietly one of the better-curated lists in South Broadway — focused, Iberian-leaning, and priced without malice. Come on a Wednesday and it's one of the better wine deals in the neighborhood.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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