Monterey County on a steakhouse menu
7th Ave / Dolores · Carmel By The Sea · New American · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed July 29, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Seventh & Dolores’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Seventh & Dolores reads like a love letter to Monterey County, which is either charming or limiting depending on your mood. It's tight, focused, and doesn't stray far from California — which makes sense for a steakhouse sitting inside one of the most wine-rich counties in the state. The format is clean, the prices are steakhouse-elevated, and it's clear the kitchen, not the cellar, is running the show here.
The list leans hard into Monterey County and Santa Lucia Highlands, which gives it a sense of place that most steakhouse lists completely ignore. Bernardus and Wrath anchor the Pinot Noir side, both solid producers with real regional credibility. Scheid Vineyards shows up too — a name that doesn't get enough credit given how much land they farm across Monterey. The gap is depth: there's not much to explore beyond California, and if you want a Burgundy or a Barolo with your ribeye, you're out of luck.
Ten options by the glass is respectable for a restaurant at this price point, running $13–$20 a pour. The glass program mirrors the bottle list — California-centric, approachable, not wildly adventurous. Rotation doesn't appear to be a regular thing, so what you see is likely what you'll always get.
Wrath Pinot Noir — $45
Wrath is the real deal from Santa Lucia Highlands — high-elevation fruit that punches well above its bottle price. At the lower end of the bottle range here, it's the smartest play on the list.
Scheid Vineyards Pinot Noir
Most people walk right past Scheid because the name doesn't carry the cachet of bigger Monterey players. That's a mistake — they farm thousands of acres across some of the county's best sites, and the Pinot Noir consistently overdelivers for what it costs.
Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay
Mer Soleil is a fine wine, but it's widely distributed and easy to find at retail for significantly less. At steakhouse markup, you're paying a premium for a bottle that doesn't require a restaurant to discover. The money is better spent elsewhere on this list.
Bernardus Chardonnay + Ribeye steak
This might feel counterintuitive — Chardonnay with ribeye — but Bernardus' Monterey bottling has enough weight and acidity to cut through the fat, especially if you're getting some compound butter or a pan sauce involved. It's a confident call that the table will remember.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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
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
· Round Rock · New American
Whiskey Cake Round Rock isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the all-by-the-glass format keeps things approachable, the pricing is honest, and there are a couple of genuinely good pours hiding in a short list. If wine is your priority tonight, look elsewhere; if you're here for the vibe and want something decent in your glass, Chehalem and Altocedro have you covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbia · New American
Motor Supply Co. Bistro appears to put its energy into the kitchen, and that may be the right call — but three wines is not a wine program. Until this list gets a serious rethink, order a cocktail or call ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
THREE isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for cocktails or the bar scene, you're probably in the right place — but if wine matters to you even a little, this four-item lineup isn't going to do much for you. Order the House Champagne at $5, accept the situation for what it is, and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
