Sardine Factory
701 Wave St., Monterey
373-3775, www.sardinefactory.com
With Bert Cutino and Ted Balestreri at the helm of this iconic institution, the standards are high—after all, they did employ Fred Dame. Dame was the guy who founded the American branch of the Court of Master Sommeliers in 1986, thereby giving U.S. winos the opportunity to officially pursue their profuse passions professionally. Now, Arvind Dutt, wine director, does as Dame did. By focusing on quality, he meets with sales reps on the regular and sorts through swill to obtain standouts…for a reasonable price, natch. Whether it’s Château Lafite or Chappellet, the selection there is always, very, special.