Bay Views, Local Pours, No Pretense
Cannery Row / Wave Street · Monterey · New American Café · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 23, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Wave Street Café’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Six bottles. That's the whole list. At a café perched above Cannery Row with Monterey Bay practically in your lap, the wine program is about as ambitious as a weekday lunch — but it knows what it is. The prices are honest, the selections lean local, and nobody's trying to upsell you a trophy Napa Cab you didn't ask for.
The list is small but not random — there's a clear logic here: lean into the neighborhood. J. Lohr and Bernardus both have deep roots in Monterey County, and seeing Carmel Valley's Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc alongside a J. Lohr Chardonnay from right down the road is a nice regional nod. The Banshee Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County adds a little California range, while the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio gives the 'I don't do red wine' crowd something safe to cling to. The Provence rosé is a pleasant surprise — a genuine French import that adds a touch of international legitimacy to an otherwise very California-casual lineup. Gaps are obvious: no Sparkling, no dessert wine, nothing that pushes the needle — but for a café sandwich spot, this isn't the place for deep-cellar exploration.
Five of the six bottles are available by the glass, which is the right call for a café crowd. Prices run $9.50 to $13 a pour — reasonable for Monterey, where tourist tax is real and ruthless. The Bernardus Provence Rosé tops out at $13/glass and is the most interesting pour on the menu; everything else clusters in the $10–$11 range, which keeps the math simple and the guilt low.
Banshee Winery Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County — $10/glass, $28/bottle
Banshee punches above its price point consistently, and $28 a bottle at a restaurant — especially in a tourist corridor like Cannery Row — is a number you don't see often. It's the pick if you're ordering more than one glass.
Bernardus Coteaux D'Aix-en-Provence Rosé
Most people come here and order the Pinot Grigio on autopilot. Don't. The Bernardus Provence Rosé is the one wine on this list that actually has a personality — dry, structured, and a genuine import in a list that's otherwise all-American. At $13 a glass it's the most you'll spend, but it's also the most interesting thing on the menu.
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, Italy
Ecco Domani is a supermarket staple dressed up in restaurant clothes. There's nothing wrong with it, but at $9.50 a glass you can do better — the Banshee Pinot is only 50 cents more and it's actually memorable.
Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Carmel Valley + Salad
Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc has that crisp, grassy Carmel Valley character that cuts right through a dressed salad. It's a bright, acidic wine that keeps the meal light — exactly what you want when the view's doing most of the heavy lifting.
The Bottom Line
Wave Street Café isn't a wine destination — it's a café with a sensible, local-leaning list that won't embarrass itself or your wallet. Go for the bay view, order the Banshee or the Provence Rosé, and stop worrying about it.
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Small but Thoughtful
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Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
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Basic Stemmed
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Acceptable
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Solid Range
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Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Deep & Eclectic
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Varietal Specific
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Set & Forget
Proper
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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