My previous review stated that it would be enjoyable if they added craft brews. Â I was excited to see this addition last time I stopped in. Â Not only that but they added food and I had to try it out see what it was like and it was a welcomed addition. Â I highly recommend the the blue cheese stuffed bacon wrapped dates. Â A diverse combination of flavors that goes well with either wine or beer. Â My wife was going to get a bottle of wine to share but with the advertised price already around $30 we were miffed by the $10 corkage fee so we passed on the bottle and took a glass of wine (for her) and glass of beer (for me) instead. Â I have never seen a corkage fee on a bottle of wine bought on premise before, let alone from a place in the business of selling wine. Â First time for everything.
Review Source:Tip: Ask about wine shipping. Â I shipped to NJ for $1 a bottle. Â
Making full use of the view, this tasting room is set up as a lounge for small group and casual tasting. Â With only a small bar and one attendant, it's not meant for a bus tour. Â Enjoy the wine, enjoy the view, take advantage of the pricing, and if you see a seal in the distance, find the pair of binoculars that is floating around the tables.
My wife and I were in Monterey for the day and happened by this place and we're so glad we did!
We had driven to Monterey for wine tasting, and happened by this place in Cannery Row. Â When we walked in, we were pleasantly surprised that they also served food there - and the food was unbelievably fantastic! They said the food options they have now are just a few weeks old, but you could have fooled me. They were really well executed.
We ended up spending a couple hours there along their ocean facing windows, what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Definitely going back!
Taste of Monterey showcases Monterey Peninsula's finest wines and stunning vistas. Suspended above the water in historic Cannery Row, Taste is the ultimate wine retreat. Slip into a plush arm chair and enjoy wine flights, wines by the glass or bottle. Incredible Monterey wines can all be found under one roof...Talbott, Paraiso, Ventana, Morgan, Chesebro, Georis, Bernardus and so much more. Catch a glimpse of otters, seals, Monterey Bay's lovely marine life and scores of boats as you sample great tasting wine.
Taste has a nice selection of small plates, flatbread pizzas and gourmet salads to go with your wine, including a lovely artisan cheese plate, bacon-wrapped dates and the Monterey crab dip. We sampled a few glasses of the De Tierra pinot noir and the Monterey crab dip and brought home a bottle of the Morgan pinot noir (one of my faves). We enjoyed spending several hours taking in fine wines and gorgeous views. There's a large selection of neat gifts and items to check out. Choose from a variety of cool wine accessories, gift baskets, cookbooks, picnic baskets, fine chocolates and gourmet food items. They have some fun aprons, deco wine glasses and dishes for those who love entertaining and playing host or hostess.
Great place to relax and enjoy sweeping ocean views and delicious wines. Join the Taste Wine Club and receive discounted wines, complimentary tastings and special invites to events.
In an area filled with scenic views and enjoyable experiences A Taste of Monterey is a must for visitors to Cannery Row. Â The venue takes full advantage of its location with large windows over looking the bay and an open yet cozy space with comfortable seating, perfect for lounging and enjoying the products. Â Sample wines but more importantly the service from Jasmine and her crew. Â Perfect for groups large or small, formal pre-arranged events or an impromptu visit, A Taste of Monterey should not be missed.
Review Source:I had a team building exercise for work here. Ugh. Was not really enjoyable.
We were broken up in teams and had three tasks - 1) Create a wine label, 2) Create a meritage blend, 3) Create a 30 second commercial for the wine.
There was a guy who worked there who was leading the event. He was a jerk. I got the feeling that he was just fed up with everyone and didn't want to be there. We had three bottles, a merlot, a malbec, and a cabernet sauvignon, to make a meritage blend, and being a wine geek myself i made a joke to him that we're missing two varietals (cab franc and pertit verdot). He rolled his eyes at me and walked away. I mean, come on... I know it's a bad joke... But a sympathy chuckle would have been nice!
Anyway, on top of that, the wines were terrible tasting. Umm... yuck.
Then when it came to judging, he came up with ridiculous criteria for the winners.
The place itself is okay, overlooking the water which is nice, but the "gift shop" area is rather tacky looking and it is a little grungy in there. The bartenders/helpers/baristas/whatever there were nice though, so I'll give them that credit.
I'll write an update review if I get the "everyday experience" there. But as of right now I'm not feeling it at all. The only good part of this was watching my co-workers do their commercials and seeing their fun/drunk side.
My fiancee took me here on a Saturday afternoon and we got a couple flights of wine tasting as well as a bottle of red wine & a cheese platter. Â We had a great time enjoying our wine and cheese, cozied up in arm chairs in front of floor to ceiling windows exposing the beautiful Monterey Bay. Â I liked that they had a couple of screens open, such that I wan't cold but I could still listen to the soothing sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the rocks below us. Â This is a special place tucked into a very touristy pocket of sub par restaurants. Â Love this hidden gem and we will be back!
Review Source:I found out about Taste of Monterey recently when we held a three day event at Intercontinental Clement Monterey on Cannery Row and were in need of a team building event. The Intercontinental Team introduced us to Taste of Monterey and we wound up having the best Team Building Event possible for our group. I can't say enough about how innovative, fun and exciting this was for our group!
I was concerned that this may not be an appropriate Team Building event/venue because not all of our group of 70 drink, let alone wine, however they had something included for everyone to do.
Check it out! You won't regret it! Kudos to Jasmine and Ken for all of their hard work and making our event a success!
It's a block from the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row. Tucked away on the second floor with vacant storefronts as neighbors. Â I was somewhat apprehensive about entering but afterwards happy for the experience. We had a VIP tasting card which entitled us to five tastings in the flight. Enter this huge room.The tasting area is in the corner.
They rotate their wines which represents 85 wineries in the Monterey County wine region.
You can also choose to order from a menu. Â Sit down in one on the many tables alongside the windows. Â Great views of Monterey Bay.
You can purchase wine as well as wine related merchandise. Â They've got a free corkage dining program. Â Purchase a bottle of wine and bring to a participating restaurant. Â You can save on corkage fee. Â It worked out well for us. Saved $20 corkage fee later when we ate at the Rio Grill in Carmel. Â
Very friendly staff.
I really like the atmosphere of this place. Â Even when Cannery Row is so busy with the hustle and bustle of tourists this place still seems to be pretty calm, because it's almost hidden at the very top back of the building. And of course, the views are quite amazing!
The wine tasting was really fun and at a great price. Â However be prepared to get a good strong buzz going. Â I liked the employees. Â They were very attentive and informative. The customer service was great. There was one wine we didn't like at all, and he ended up giving us another glass of a better wine for free.
The wines themselves are very good, but my favorite by far is the G14.
What a better way than to get "A Taste of Monterey" through their wines! Â This place is tucked away in the middle of a building of misc shops, but don't be fooled - once you get upstairs and see their ceiling to floor windows - you'll be amazed at the view. Â There's a bar which is mostly for people who are doing tastings/flights and require constant attention, then there's also tables and armchairs for those who've bought a glass to enjoy. Â My bf and I did the flight of wine and loved the views so much that we decided to get a glass and enjoy the rest in the seating area.
We went around 4 - right before dinner and it was pretty crowded. Â My tip to you is to do the table flights versus the flights at the bar. Â We didn't realize this until after we sat down. Â They require you spend $30 to have your tasting fee comp'd. Â That's not too hard when you browse their store. Lots of wines to choose from with lots of different knick-knacks!
We'll definitely be back for the views and wines.
Absolutely gorgeous view. Â We did the reserve tasting after visiting the aquarium and then decided to enjoy a glass and a cheese plate. Â The woman who did our tasting was knowledgeable about the wines. Â It was a very relaxing stop with a great variety of wines. Â They credit the price of the tasting if you purchase wine - very nice. Â The shop has some nice items and they offered to ship at a reasonable price, even holding off on shipping for a week so the package would not get to our home before we did. Â Friendly staff, great customer service, delicious wines, GREAT view - We will definitely visit again when we return to Monterey.
Review Source:A group of gals and I decided to all go wine tasting for the first time and were recommended to this place by a friend. The decor is beautiful and you can't beat the ocean view. I know nothing about wine, but all of the 5 wines included in the tasting were wonderful. I paid $15 for the more expensive (reserved flight ???) set of wines, but there is an $8 option also. I wish I would have known beforehand they have coupons on their website for a 2-for-1 tasting.
When we first arrived, we were waiting on a friend, so we were moseying around the shop area. My friend was on crutches, healing from a hip surgery. Her hip began to hurt and she asked the woman running the register if she could go sit at one of the tables. The woman very abruptly told her she could only sit there after she had ordered something. Hello?! She is on crutches! You can't just let her sit down? When the last friend arrived, we went to the wine tasting area, where the same woman poured our first two glasses. She seemed annoyed that we were there and was not nice. She told us absolutely nothing about the wine except for its name. On our last three pours, we had someone else who explained each wine to us and was very nice. If it weren't for her, I would have rated it two stars.
Perfect view, members get true VIP treatment. Great way to taste a variety of offerings from the Monterey Wine Growers Association, new wines every week in a friendly environment.
We left Monterey in 2003 but have retained our reserve membership for the value and exposure it brings to our door via UPS. Members can taste 5 new wines and 3 reserve wines if I remember correctly :-) every week. Â Great for beginners who will quickly learn what they like and dislike and pick up a wine vocabulary toolbox which will aid you for a lifetime in describing and choosing exactly the flavor palate, aroma, and texture you desire. Â All this and you may order a glass of what you like, sample cheeses and charcuterie, and watch dolphins and even whale plumes! Out the glass walled window. Don't miss this place--and for locals, your loyalty pays! Members truly get VIP treatment and tips on stocking up on blue chip traditional wines, emerging treasures and rising stars.
P.S. the wine dinners are phenomenal.
Awesome place. Â Been a member for a while now - great wines, prices, and benefits. Â Not to mention the tasting room in Monterey has a jaw-dropping view! Â
i love that there are wines from all over Monterey County not just one winery. Â It's a great way to get to know what's out there!
Stopped through here on my last trip home. Â My boyfriend had never visited California before and wanted to bring some wines back to the East coast with us for his family. Â Since we were staying in Monterey for just a weekend layover on our eastward bound adventure, Taste of Monterey ended up being the perfect stop.... especially since not only were the wines all California wines but they only offer wines for which at least one aspect (if not all) of the wine making process happens in Monterey county (bottling, grapes grown, etc).
The view from the shop over the bay is beautiful! And the people who work there are quite knowledgeable and very nice. Â We didn't have very much time and neither my boyfriend nor myself are big red fans so we did a white wine flight and ordered a couple of the platters. Â The tasting and full pours aren't superbly cheap but they aren't over the top expensive either. Â Also, if you buy a tasting you get discounts on your wine purchase. Â We walked out with 6 bottles and wonderful carrying bag to boot.
Also, if you're travelling like we were, they also sell the padded wine bags (heavy plastic bags with a layer of bubble wrap with a waterproof seal at the bottom in case the bottle still breaks) on site so you don't have to kill yourself finding a BevMo or other specialty shop.
Stopped in here on a whim, as we walked around Cannery Row in Monterey. Actually this was recomended by a local in Baywood cellars for the view. On that note, it did not disapoint. Ok spot, some souvenirs & typical wine accessory products, along with a tasting bar. They do full pours as well.
It's over the water, and a great view of the large Monterey bay. We skipped any tasting flights here, and just had a glass of wine each. A bit steep for some of the glasses, $14 for my Cab, & $11 for my wife's Chardonay, both of which were average in our humble opinions, so being in a touristy part of town, and on the water, your paying for the view in the glass prices, imo. Though it is a nice view, and we relaxed here for about an hour.
While it's located on Cannery Row the place is hidden upstairs which makes for a picture perfect view of the Monterey Bay. Â
While the view was great the wine was less impressive. Â We had a regular tasting and a reserved tasting, surprisingly the regular tasting menu was better than the reserved, so save $5 and get the regular tasting. Â They have a 2-1 tasting coupon online so if you're going with a big group this might be something worth searching for. Â They also have wine flights and cheese platters available...we were not impressed with the tasting so decided to save our appetite for dinner. Â
Overall, a good place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cannery Row. Â Great views with so-so wines. Â Service was mediocre.
With a view like this anything would taste great.
This is the first time I've come here. What a great view of the ocean. Â We saw dolphins playing in the water. The Coast Guard using a helicopter for training. The seagulls outside the window. Â The waves breaking over the rocks. Â The sea lions playing in the water too.
Oh, by the way. The Monterey County wines are great. Â They serve about 5 wines for tastings. Â That change on a weekly basis. Â This is a great place to try local wines without having to drive all over Monterey County.
They have a wine club which runs 30.00 a month for a two bottle wine club. Â 1 white and 1 red.
They have other things inside the shop related to wine, storage and partying.
If you are in the Monterey area and don't want to wander around the county this is a great place to go and try different wines in one place.
What a wonderful day,
Lovely little wine shop with a wine tasting area in the back. Â
They sell a ton of wines and wine accessories in the front of the store. Â If you go to the back, they have an area where you can taste various wines that are made in central California. Â The bartender was very knowledgeable and friendly, and the view, as others have mentioned, is killer. Â
I had a lovely time here and would love to come back.
This is as good as it gets for the Monterey area. Â I went to several wineries and tasting rooms during my visit and "A Taste of Monterey" was by far the best experience/best wine.
The staff was friendly and knowledgable and really listened to the style of wine I prefer and poured some great wines for me. Â They have a great wine club, especially if you live locally as they have some fun events on their calendars.
You can't pick a better location over looking the coastline.
This is the only wine experience I would repeat and recommend it to anyone.
We are Taste of Monterey members and love it! Â We have never joined any other wine clubs because we don't want to be limited to one winery, and enjoy getting wine from a variety of wineries in Monterey County with Taste. Â As members, we get free tastings for us and guests, and use the pick up as an excuse to head down for a taste every couple of months.
There is no beating the atmosphere and view here! Â We love it when we really like a wine from the tasting and can get a glass and a table in front of the windows. Â The pourers are knowledgeable and nice. Â The biggest draw back is the crowds-sometimes there is no room at the bar or tables and the pourers really don't have time to talk. Â But even then, we would definitely recommend going if you are in the area!
Ya know when you walk into a place and you know immediately what you want to do there, but ya do something else anyway? That sort of happened here.
This is THE perfect place to grab a glass of wine and sit and look at the ocean at one of the many tables with a fantastic view. Â
Well, I ended up doing the wine flights and... meh..the wine was OK. my favorite was the final wine, the Riesling. We grabbed a bottle of that and the guy waived both tasting fees.
Our wine tender was nice but, sorry man, I'm not convinced that the smoky cabernet wasn't a result from a fire in some wine cellar. I may not look like I know what's up with wine but, I know when it tastes like smoke, that ain't right.
Great place, I'd definitely go back to enjoy that view the way it should be.
I am not a picky guy, and certainly not a wine aficionado, but this place was terrible!
First, most of the wines we sampled were bland and ordinary. Â They were cheap wines that can be bought at my local grocery store (I live in Sac, so I am not talking about a local Monterey store).
Second, the couple next to us had three kids. I love kids, until they start tipping glasses over, slobbering on my shoulder, and screaming in my ear. Â I could understand if we were on their turf at a Yo Yo Gabba show, but wine tasting is my turf. Â Take your kids to the seating area and away from the bar!
The gorgeous ocean view is the only reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1. Â
Tip for travelers, go to Schied. Â It's across the street and a much better experience.
A Taste of Monterey earns high marks not for its myriad picks, but for its patronage to the Monterey community by promoting sustainable vintners, artists, and restaurateurs. Also, several local restaurants waive their [sometimes steep!] corkage fee for bottles purchased here. You better believe we seized that opportunity to pick up a bottle of Ventana La Danza Tempranillo for dinner!
My general attention-deficit approach to wine tasting perturbs oft-snooty staff who look down their nose at me as I sip once and nod for the next selection on the tasting list, but the staff here are remarkably different --they are quite accommodating.
My top choice after the tasting: the Faun Port, appellation unknown. Polished, fruity and dreamy.
What a HORRIBLE experience I had here. Passed by here on our honeymoon in September on an EARLY Friday afternoon. There was one elderly couple being helped and a woman in her mid-30s. My husband and I were the youngest customers (mid-20s). That being said, the YOUNG staff behind the counter came up to us, asked which flight we wanted poured our first glass and went over to chat up (and get a higher tip of course) the older customers. My husband and I waited around between each glass of wine they poured!!!!! And did they even bother to try to start up conversation with us?.....NO! It took us FOREVER to get served.
Well once those people left a new couple came in and they were SERVICED AND GREETED RIGHT AWAY. The guy helping us out chatted them up as well! And NO they weren't SHORT STAFFED. There were initially 3 couples in the beginning, including me, and there were 3 people behind the counter.
Anyway, my husband bought 2 bottles of wine even though I tried to convince him not to since we had horrible service. We decided to sit by the window for awhile, rest our feet and take some pictures of the scenic view. After 5 min, this lady from behind the counter told us to leave since seating is reserved for people who bought a glass of wine. IT WAS FRIDAY! THERE WAS NO ONE THERE!!!!! AND WE JUST BOUGHT 2 BOTTLES OF WINE WHICH WAS MORE THAN 1 FREAKING GLASS!!!!
I'M NEVER COMING BACK TO THIS PLACE.
$10 for a tasting of six wines from the Monterey area. I liked the wines that I tasted here. I did the first tasting on the menu, forgot the name, but I really loved the Souzao Port, so much that I purchased it. Mmm mm!
The store has a beautiful display upon entrance of the wines that they have for tasting/purchasing. The room has a beautiful panoramic view of the bay and I especially enjoyed perusing all things related to wine in their store. It was very hard not to buy any of the goodies I saw.
I thought that everyone was very kind and service was good. I came 15 minutes to closing, so my tasting was very quick.
On Cannery Row, this location of A Taste of Monterey (they have another one in Salinas) is in the same shopping complex as Bargetto Winery. Â The quality of the wine is better here, but the cost of a flight of wines is $10 making it the priciest place we stopped at in town. Â Located on the second level right on the water's edge, this place boasts a gorgeous view of Monterey bay. Â That's an ambience you can't readily create anyplace else. Â Our pourer was very knowledgeable and friendly. Â She happily snapped photos of us too. Â Strangely I preferred the location in Salinas. Â The cost of a flight was cheaper there, so I felt like they were just trying to gouge tourists here. Â Also, being in a smaller place, I felt the Salinas location was much more intimate. Â
3.75 stars
A good friend of mine moved from Monterey to San Antonio about two years ago. Among the gaggle of things she misses most--a lack of humidity, the ocean, etc.-- is A Taste of Monterey.
The wine tasting component of Taste of Monterey is just like any other wine tasting place. Some are good, some are  not so good, some are fairly average. The focus is on local Monterey Bay wineries, which may seem odd given the name. While a flight of tastings is solid, if you're not a club member I suggest just buying a glass of wine for $8 or so and grabbing a table. There's usually a sea otter or some other form of wildlife at play in the bay to entertain you through the window. You've gotta love that kind of a show while drinking.
Can we say VIEW! Â Wow! Â After doing wine tastings at two other locations, we stumbled upon this place...just upstairs from Barghetto. Â
It was packed with a happy hour crowd and very busy bartenders. Â We did two tastings. Â The normal one and the reserve. Â We fell in love with Heller Estates Reserve Cab. Â It was lip smacking good! Â We stayed here until the sun went down and then ventured downstair for dinner over the water.
Fighting the tourist hoards of Cannery Row, I went here looking for an education in local wines and left disappointed.
Which varietals are best around here? How would various wines from a particular varietal, say pinot noir, compare with each other? There were a limited number of tastes and flights to chose from, and there was generally only one of a particular varietal open at any given time.
Its got a great view. If I wanted to relax in the area over a single glass of wine, I would highly recommend it. Its hard to leave the touristiness of the area though. You have to make your way past the Harley Davidson souvenir store and the candle shop in the same complex as well as folks buying wine related souvenirs at the front of the center to get to the tasting area.
My biggest mistake was expecting a place like Taste in San Luis Obispo. Not even close.
Not going to lie, I totally felt like second class citizen here. Â
My roommates from college and I were having a "reunion" in Monterey and thought it would be great to go wine tasting. Â But after we got there, we just felt out of place, too young and ignored.
I still bought some Riesling for my Corporate Security friend at work -- but I was very turned off by the rude behavior demonstrated by the people behind the bar.
Other than the service, the wine was good -- I feel like I met someone recently that told me they knew the owners... hmmm... maybe if I could remember who it was, I would remind them of the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated...
After a few hours of screaming children, crowds, and just feeling a little ill at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, walking into a wine tasting store was such a nice change of pace.
It was kinda random we had time to kill before our reservation at Fresh Cream, so we went in and tried a bunch of Monterey and Salinas Valley wines. MY GAWWWD they were good! Who knew?
The other thing is you are sitting there drinking great wine and looking out the big windows at the kayakers, scuba divers and otters playing in the sea kelp! Just a great little store, with lots of wine to buy and knick knacks for the wine enthusiasts.
Definately will go back!
Thee are some great wineries to taste at in Monterey county. However, no place has a view like this. Â The chance to taste from multiple wineries coupled with one of the most fantastic views around makes this place a five star in my book.
It can get a little busy on Fridays (and I imagine Saturdays) but all you need is a little patience, though, and the very helpful staff will be right with you.
Great place to buy a glass and relax after wandering around Cannery Row or whatever you've been up to.
This is such a great place to bring dates, out-of-towners...even family members that you actually like! Â Especially after you're tired out of walking through the aquarium, or all the boring shops on Cannery Row. Â
My favorite thing to do is buy a glass of wine (cheese plate too, depending on how hungry), choose a barrel table & stare out the wall window overlooking the beautiful bay. Â Very relaxing, no one harrasses you to leave...it's such a delight. Â The nice thing too is that most people (tourists) have no idea it's in the the upstairs of the "mall", so usually it's not too crowded. Â If you're into the wine tasting thing, it's also a great place to sample local stuff. Â
Anyways...it's very cool. Â Plus they sell a very pretty assortment of things wine-related. Â Well worth visiting.
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