Great View, Decent Wine, Steep Tab
Cannery Row · Monterey · Contemporary Californian Seafood · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The C Restaurant + Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
· 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
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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