While Carmel-by-the-Sea may be more famous for wineries, did you know we have several wine tasting rooms right in Monterey? While we don’t have as many wineries as Carmel, there are some fun boutique tasting rooms in the Cannery Row area and in Old Monterey, including two options a few steps away from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Take a self guided wine tour of Monterey with my suggestions for best wine-tasting in Monterey. Note: Some of these tasting rooms also function like wine bars where you can order a bottle or wine by the glass.
Wine Tasting in the Cannery Row Area, New Monterey
Pierce Ranch Vineyards
Pierce Ranch Vineyards is a cute tasting room inside of a Bungalow right off of Cannery Row in Monterey. They offer wine tasting both outdoors in their garden and indoors at their bar.
Pierce Ranch specializes in Portuguese and Spanish varieties grown in the San Antonio Valley AVA. I’ve been a member here for over a year and love that they update their tasting flights regularly. They also often have live music. (Pierce Ranch is now closed. At the time of this review I was an active wine club member)
Bargetto Winery
Bargetto’s main location is in Aptos, but they have a tasting room right in the heart of Cannery Row, just a stones throw from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Bargetto specializes in multiple Pinot Noir clones and Italian Varieties. Most of their wine is from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. I recommend you try their signature Italian style blend, La Vida. I’ve been a member here for about a year and I usually pop in a few times a month. (At the time of this post I was an active wine club member.)
C Restaurant
The bar at the C Restaurant in the Hotel InterContinental Clement Monterey offers a fun wine bar experience with their wine list and California Rosé Sparkling wine flight complete with strawberries. In my mind this makes it the best wine bar in Monterey. They also have a great selection of local wines by the glass and a full menu. The hotel is also only a few steps away from the Aquarium. After a day of wine tasting in Monterey, I love to have dinner outdoors at one of their fire pits.
Wine Tasting in the Old Monterey Area
Puma Road Portola Plaza
Puma Road’s main tasting room is at their winery on the River Road Wine Trail, but they’ve opened a satellite location at Portola Plaza. You can taste through a flight or buy wine by the glass. This location is really convenient if you are staying in Old Monterey or are getting dinner on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.
Comanche Cellars
Comanche Cellars is located centrally on Alvarado Street amongst the restaurants and bars. It’s a great stop during the weekly Monterey Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays. They offer a few different wine tasting flights and also wine by the glass. I like their SLH Pinot Noir which you can also get by the glass at Alverado Brewery.
Wine tasting in Monterey and Carmel?
Check out my other wine tasting guides for the area: Carmel Wine Guide: Best Places For Wine Tasting In Carmel-by-the-Sea and Carmel Wine Guide: Don’t Miss Out On These 3 Wineries in The Crossroads. Also be sure to check out What to Wear Wine Tasting in Carmel. If your looking for a wine tasting room that’s not too far away and has great parking check out Morgan Winery in Carmel Crossroads or if you’re driving/from the Bay Area check out Russian Ridge Urban Winery in San Carlos.
First time in the area? Read 7 Things to Know Before Wine Tasting in Carmel-by-the-Sea (Summer 2022 Update) first!
