Half-Priced Wine Night at Montrio: Inside Monterey's Wine Spectator-Awarded List

When does Montrio's Half-Priced Wine Night run in 2026?

Every Tuesday during regular dinner service, bottles on the Montrio Wine Promotion List are half price at 414 Calle Principal in downtown Monterey. The promotion runs February 10 through December 29, 2026, and ultra-premium wines are excluded. What makes it worth planning around is the list itself: Montrio holds the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2026, so the discount lands on a program judged on its merits, not a clearance rack.

What makes Montrio's wine list award-winning?

The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recognizes lists that offer a well-chosen selection with real depth in at least one region or style, plus thoughtful pairing with the menu. Montrio earns it by staying close to home. The Santa Lucia Highlands and Chalone are practically the restaurant's backyard, and Central Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay run deep on the Montrio wine program because of it. It is a wine list that tastes like where it is.

The wine award sits alongside a place in the MICHELIN Guide 2026 - Montrio is downtown Monterey's MICHELIN Guide restaurant in a restored 1910 firehouse - and a "Best of" 2024 award.

How does Half-Priced Wine Night work?

There is no separate ticket and no special menu. You sit down for dinner on a Tuesday, ask for the Wine Promotion List, and the pricing follows.

• Every Tuesday, through regular dinner service
• February 10 through December 29, 2026
• 50% off any bottle on the Montrio Wine Promotion List
• Ultra-premium bottles are the only exception

Reservations are worth making. Tuesday has quietly become one of the busier nights of the week, and the night is the low-key way to finally open a producer you would never otherwise order by the bottle.

What should you pour with each dish?

A few matches pulled from Montrio's wine pairing guide:

• Seared scallops and burrata - a Grenache Blanc from Michaud Vineyard in Chalone, or an Alto Adige Pinot Grigio
• Duck confit and braised short ribs - a Carmel Valley Pinot Noir, or the "Ranch Red" blend from Dry Creek Valley
• Snake River Farms Wagyu ribeye and the Angus filet - a Paso Robles Cabernet
• Cioppino - a dry rosé, like the Alexander Valley Rosé of Sangiovese, to stand up to the harissa heat

See the full dinner menu for what is on offer alongside the list.

Which house cocktails should you order at Montrio?

The bar splits into Classics and a Signature Series. From the Classics, the anchors are the Browned Butter Old Fashioned - brown butter washed bourbon, house-toasted almond syrup, chicory-pecan bitters - and the Almost Paloma, built on tequila, lime, and a house-made grapefruit shrub.

From the Signature Series, Smoke & Mirrors is finished table-side with Madre Mezcal, Chartreuse, Amaro Nonino, and lime. Ocean Strike is a clarified gin cocktail tinted with blue spirulina, and a dollar from every one goes to local soccer charities.

What can you drink at Montrio if you are not drinking alcohol?

The zero-proof list is real bar work, not an afterthought: a Montrio Spritz with Lyre's Italian Orange, tonic, and mint; a house-made blood orange shrub with soda and lime; and Passionate Life, a passionfruit, lime, and mint build. Settle in at the bar in the old firehouse for happy hour, served 4:30 to 6:00 PM, and you do not have to choose sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Central Coast wine regions are on Montrio's list?

The list leans on the Santa Lucia Highlands, Chalone, and Carmel Valley, all within about an hour of the dining room, with Paso Robles Cabernet and Dry Creek Valley reds carrying the steak side of the menu. Full promotion terms and booking live on the Montrio wine program page.

What awards has Montrio won?

Montrio holds the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2026, a place in the MICHELIN Guide 2026, and a "Best of" 2024 award. It has also been voted Best Restaurant in Monterey County for 10 consecutive years.

Where is Montrio located?

Montrio is at 414 Calle Principal in downtown Monterey, California, in a restored 1910 firehouse - the first firehouse in California - a short walk from Fisherman's Wharf.

Ready to pick a Tuesday?

Pick a Tuesday, pick a bottle, and make a night of it. Reserve a table at Montrio or call 831.648.8880.