Bay Views, Local Pours, No Pretense
Cannery Row / Wave Street · Monterey · New American Café · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 23, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Wave Street Café’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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.
· 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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