Solid Monterey pours with a view
Cannery Row · Monterey · New American with seafood, house-made pasta, and flatbread pizza · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Lalla Oceanside Grill’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting on Cannery Row watching the bay, and the wine list shows up — 18 labels, nothing you haven't seen before, but also nothing that's going to embarrass you. It's a crowd-pleaser program built for tourists and locals alike, and it knows exactly what it is. No pretense, no deep cuts, just drinkable bottles at prices that won't ruin the view.
The list leans heavily California, which makes sense given the address — Morgan's Monterey Pinot Noir and Chardonnay anchor the local angle, and Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc gives you a proper Monterey County rep right there on the menu. Beyond the home state, you get a Rías Baixas Albariño (Ramon Bilbao), an Altos Las Hormigas Malbec from Mendoza, and a Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot from Washington rounding out the international coverage. The gaps are real — no serious Burgundy, no aged bottles, no interesting Rhône or Iberian reds — but for a casual oceanside grill, the list is functional and appropriate. The Beauregard Zinfandel from Santa Cruz Mountains is the one curveball that shows someone was paying at least a little attention.
Fourteen to twenty pours by the glass is a generous spread for a place this size, and the $12–$19 range per five-ounce pour is honest for the Cannery Row zip code. The 'big glass' option — a 12-ounce pour at $24–$41 — is either a genius move or a liability depending on how much you trust the temperature management. Rotation isn't aggressive, but the selection covers the bases: whites, reds, sparkling, and rosé.
Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey County — $44/bottle
Bernardus is a serious Monterey producer and their Sauv Blanc consistently punches above its weight. At $44 a bottle steps from the Pacific, this is the smartest order on the list — local, crisp, and actually worth the pour.
Beauregard Zinfandel 'Ranch Estate', Santa Cruz Mountains
Most people at a seafood-forward spot like this walk right past the Zin, but Beauregard's Ranch Estate is a genuine Santa Cruz Mountains producer making structured, un-jammy Zinfandel that holds its own against the bolder pasta and flatbread dishes. It's the one bottle on this list that signals someone cared.
Bartenura Moscato, Italy
Bartenura is a supermarket staple at around $10–$12 retail, and there's no version of this story where it earns a premium restaurant pour price. Sweet, simple, and wildly overrepresented on tourist-trap lists. Save your glass for something local.
Ramon Bilbao Albariño, Rías Baixas + Cioppino
Albariño was basically engineered for briny, seafood-heavy dishes — the high acid and saline mineral edge cut right through a rich tomato-shellfish broth and make each spoonful taste cleaner. This is the pairing the menu is quietly begging you to make.
The Bottom Line
Lalla Oceanside isn't a wine destination, but it's a genuinely fair deal for what it is — a lively Cannery Row spot where the list supports the food without gouging you. If you stick to the Bernardus or the Albariño and grab a window seat, you'll leave happy.
· 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
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