Carmel's Champagne obsession poured into 55 glasses
· Carmel By The Sea · Wine Bar & Contemporary American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · October 16, 2026
RagingWine reviewed VIN by the Sea’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at VIN by the Sea opens like a love letter to Champagne — and not the grocery-store kind. Sixty-eight labels in total, but the Champagne section alone could justify the trip to Carmel. This is a focused, opinionated list that clearly knows what it wants to be.
The Champagne and sparkling section is the heart of this list, running from grower producers like Chartogne-Taillet and Pierre Peters all the way up to Krug Grande Cuvée 172 Édition ($345/bottle) and Louis Roederer Cristal 2016 ($375/bottle). There's genuine depth here for bubbles lovers — you can explore blanc de blancs from multiple houses and vintages, or step sideways into the Christophe Mittnacht Crémant d'Alsace ($59/bottle, $17/glass) for something off the main stage. Beyond sparkling, the Chardonnay focus is tight but serious: Domaine Henri Costal Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2023 ($88/bottle), Domaine Vincent Dancer Bourgogne Blanc 2023 ($105/bottle), and for the big spenders, Kongsgaard 'The Judge' 2022 at $450/bottle. The list doesn't try to cover everything — it doubles down on what it does well, which is a smart call.
Fifty-five by-the-glass options is one of the most ambitious pours-by-the-glass programs we've seen anywhere, and it's the real story here. The range runs from $12 to $54/glass, meaning you can sip a Gamet Extra Brut Caractères for $22 or go deep on Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs 2017 for $37. Whether every bottle behind the bar is being stored and turned fast enough to justify that breadth is the only real question mark.
The Bottom Line
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.
· 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
Monte Verde / 7th Ave · Carmel By The Sea · Contemporary Californian tasting menu with European influences
Aubergine is the rare California restaurant where the wine list is as serious as the tasting menu it supports — deep in the right places, staffed by people who can actually navigate it with you. The markup is real, but so is everything else about this experience.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
7th Ave / Dolores · Carmel By The Sea · New American
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.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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