Drinking in Monterey (California)

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Monterey has many superb vineyards located near the town. There are a number of tasting rooms located on Cannery Row, all within an easy walk. Some, such as Scheid Vineyards, Bargetto Winery, Baywood Cellars and Silver Mountain Vineyards provide wines from only one winery. A Taste of Monterey allows visitors to try wines from throughout Monterey County, while taking in a spectacular panoramic view of Monterey Bay through their windows.

In addition, the public bus service Monterey-Salinas Transit has a route, Number 24, that is also called "The Grapevine Express". This route leaves from downtown Monterey and stops at all the wineries in nearby Carmel Valley. www.mst.org/routes/list.htm A daypass on the Grapevine Express, which allows riders to hop on and off at will, is $4.50 as of December, 2008. www.mst.org/fares/index.html Grapevine Express maps and schedules, which detail the wineries that the route stops at, are available at Monterey County Visitors Centers.

Alvarado Street has the densest collection of bars and pubs in the area. The Mucky Duck www.muckyduckmonterey.com/default.htm is famous for its weekly trivia nights, while Lalapalooza has the widest selection of martinis.

Just across the Customs House Plaza (behind the Portola Plaza Hotel) you can find Indian Summer www.indiansummerca.com, a hookah bar with an exotic atmosphere and local brews. Try to plan a visit during a live bellydancing show.

On Cannery Row, Blue Fin offers drinks , a bar menu, billiards, and music (and it has been closed since 2006). Just across the street, Sly McFly's www.slymcflys.com provides live musical entertainment most nights of the week.

Carbones Old School New Rules is on the 200 Block of Lighthouse Ave. This is a fantastic bar featuring a large back patio area with fire pit. On Fridays and Saturdays Carbones OSNR features both live music and belly dancers and on Sunday features free pool.

Relatively limited offerings on the club front include Club Octane www.cluboctane.com downtown, Doc Rickett's Lab, and Planet Gemini www.planetgemini.com (which often hosts live comedy nights) on Cannery Row.

• Wave Street Studios (Wave Street Studios), 774 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940 (Walk down the stairs to the bike path to get to the entrance), ☎ 831-655-2010, livenetworks.tv. Both an intimate live venue and a recording studio, Wave Street Studios is a great place to see a show.
• Scheid Vineyards, 751 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 (Across from the Intercontinental Hotel entrance), ☎ 831-656-9463, www.scheidwines.com. 11AM-7PM. A tasting room with a swank wine-bar atmosphere, Scheid Vineyards sells wine, wine-related items, and locally produced cheeses and charcuterie.