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Cannery Row · Monterey · Contemporary Californian Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The C Restaurant + Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at The C arrives with the confidence of a hotel restaurant that knows its audience — tourists, expense accounts, and couples celebrating something. It's California-focused, legible, and inoffensive, which in Monterey isn't nothing. But crack the pricing and that ocean breeze gets a little expensive real fast.
The list leans hard into California, which makes sense for this address — Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot from Morgan, Pisoni, and Roar anchors a solid Central Coast section that actually has regional credibility. Napa Cabernet gets its requisite real estate with Jordan, Duckhorn, and Far Niente doing the heavy lifting. There's a nod to Burgundy, presumably for the guests who want Old World validation, but the French section feels tacked on rather than curated. Gaps are real: no sparkling beyond the obvious, minimal rosé, and nothing that would surprise a seasoned drinker.
Somewhere between 12 and 18 pours, which is a reasonable flight deck for a hotel bar with this kind of foot traffic. The by-the-glass program is predictable — expect a Central Coast Chardonnay, a Santa Lucia Pinot, and a Napa Cab to always have a spot. Rotation appears minimal; this list reads like it was set at the start of the season and hasn't changed since.
Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019 — $210
At 75% over retail, it's the least aggressive markup on the entire list. For a bottle this well-regarded, $210 is still a lot — but relative to everything else here, it's the closest thing to a fair deal. If you're going big, go here.
Roar Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
Most tables at a Cannery Row hotel are reaching for whatever Napa Cab they recognize. Meanwhile, Roar is doing genuinely exciting work in the Santa Lucia Highlands — a cooler-climate Pinot with real tension and length that actually makes sense next to the seafood on this menu. It's the right call and most people walk right past it.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2021
150% markup on a $30 retail bottle is a hard no. Daou is a fine everyday Cab, but at $75 on this list you're paying a premium for a wine that belongs on a steakhouse by-the-glass menu. The value math doesn't work.
Morgan Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands + Seasonal Fish Entrée
Morgan's Santa Lucia Pinot has enough acidity and red fruit clarity to stand up to a buttery pan-seared fish without stomping all over it. It's the rare red that actually earns its place at a seafood table, and Morgan is one of the more consistent producers in the region.
✔️ The Bottom Line
The C is a reliable hotel wine list with a genuinely strong California backbone — but the markups are real and the program shows no signs of anyone pushing it forward. Drink the Santa Lucia Pinots, skip the easy-name Cabs, and enjoy that view.
Cannery Row · Monterey · Lounge
Chart House's happy hour wine program exists to keep your glass full while you stare at the Pacific — and on that level, at $8–$10 a pour, it succeeds. But if wine is actually why you're here, Cannery Row can do better.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Fisherman's Wharf · Monterey · Casual Seafood
Riva Fish House is a reliable pour for what it is — a casual, tourist-friendly wharf spot that keeps the wine list simple and the prices honest. Send a friend here for a glass of Chardonnay and the chowder; don't send them here expecting anything that'll make them rethink their relationship with wine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Pacific Grove · Monterey · Mediterranean / European
Fandango is punching well above its coastal casual-fine-dining weight class with a list that has real depth, genuine age, and some legitimately exciting outliers. The markups keep it from true Rager status, but if you're in Pacific Grove and want to drink seriously, this is your spot.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
North Fremont / Beachfront · Monterey · American, Seafood
The Lantern Room is what happens when a hotel restaurant actually tries — a locally anchored wine list, a sommelier in the building, and enough interesting producers to make the steep markup sting a little less. Send a friend here if they love Central Coast wine; warn them to skip the Cab and lean into what this coast actually grows.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
North Fremont / Beachfront · Monterey · Seafood / Beachfront
Tidewater is riding entirely on its beachfront location, and the wine list makes no effort to be anything more than a functional afterthought. Stick to the glass pours, pick the most credible name you can find, and keep your eyes on the water.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Cannery Row · Monterey · New American with seafood, house-made pasta, and flatbread pizza
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.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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