Bakai Wine + Tapas is not going out without pouring a lot of great wine.

Until recently, there have been limited options for a wine lover walking around downtown Monterey. Strolling on Alvarado, inevitably whomever I’m with is excited about all the beer – Alvarado Street Brewery, Peter B’s Brewpub, the choice of British pubs. But me? I look around at all the heavy, hoppy carbs and feel sad. It’s not my jam. Grapes are, and fortunately there is a new spot to find them downtown.

Bakai Wine + Tapas brought a breath of fresh air to wine drinkers like me in February. It presents a sensual experience. Soft, red lighting shrouds the lounge in a gentle intimacy, and the bar is close enough to the tables that you can admire its beautiful stocked shelves, yet far enough away that you can curl up in the corner with poetry. And it’s all about the poetry, especially the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and his romantic words painted onto the wall: “My darling, suddenly/ the line of your hip/ becomes the brimming curve/ of the wine goblet… ”

Owner/operator/sommelier Pablo Antinao of Monterey, who has worked extensively here and abroad in the food and wine industry, is Chilean too, and conveys cultural sophistication from the ambiance to the menu. The current list boasts 35 wines from around the world, with a focus on South America.

As for the food, things have changed for the season. On my first few visits I noticed unique, globally-inspired tapas like a cured duck breast sandwich with caramelized onions and black garlic aioli or the smoked salmon ceviche with aji amarillo. I once tried the lamb sliders with Spanish spices and chipotle aioli, and the bare-bones approach with a little salt and onions let the meaty goodness shine.

Alas, just the other day the exotic menu disappeared. I learned that as things have begun to slow down with the weather, Antinao has downsized from a full list of small bites to a few offerings of cheese plates ($26/large; $18/small), olives ($4) and Spanish nuts ($4). Thankfully – because wine and chocolate are an irresistible team – dessert comes in the form of “eruption” chocolate cake ($6).

The well-sourced and expensive food menu wasn’t accessible to those roaming downtown – hence the shrinking of the menu, and the decision to close Bakai at the end of the year. (Antinao and his investors originally planned to close last week, then changed plans.) From here until the end of the year, the wine will be the main attraction, and the collection is remarkably interesting.

On one visit I ordered the Casas del Bosque 2014 Pinot Noir ($11/glass; $38/bottle), a Chilean addition to the menu Antinao raved about. Heavier than the average Pinot, its cherries hung with smoke and wood, its tannins instantly gripping. Though my drink was enticing, I traded a friend for the Colomé 2014 Malbec. It had the structure I’m always craving. Dark spices and a certain tartness rounded out the dry complexity, and I was more than happy to oblige when Antinao wandered by and offered the end of the bottle.

Antinao’s friendliness gives the place a sense of ease, and the waitstaff deliver the same hospitality. One late afternoon the woman behind the bar revealed several of her personal picks in detail as we concocted a couple of tastings. At $15 for choose-your-own flights, the large pours and extensive choices arouse the senses.

Curious to see how theirs compared to the infinite local creations of a Cali classic, I started with the Bennett Valley Cellars 2013 Chardonnay ($42/bottle) from Sonoma. Very fruity and extra dry for a chard, it stepped above the norm.

For something unusual, the Mayu 2014 Pedro Ximenaz ($9.50/glass; $34/bottle) from Elqui Valley, Chile, introduced me to a Spanish white commonly used to make sherry. Maybe it shouldn’t quit its day job. On the nose it smelled toasty warm, but its underripe melon was dull.

Le Charmel’s 2015 Côtes De Provence ($9/glass; $32/bottle), one of the “Sexy Rosés,” reminded me of a typical French pink, as flowery aromas preceded a smooth, dry softness. Another almost-pink, this one quite dark, expressed sparkly delight in the Bellefina Rosso Dolce ($8/glass; $29/bottle). The Italian bubbly stayed true to its name: Red and sweet, it was overwhelming with bursting raspberry fizziness and could almost be confused with a classy soda.

Eager to arrive at the reds, I went with the Volcanes de Chile 2013 Pinot Noir ($10/glass; $35/bottle). The first striking note was caramel popcorn, followed by typical cherry flavors and a light pepper finish.

As a last attempt at savoring the heart of Bakai, I opted for the Casa Silva 2014 Carménére ($10/glass; $35/bottle), a varietal that has found fame in Chile despite its original home being France. With sweeter tannins than a Cabernet, this medium-bodied crimson beauty needed to sit for a minute before its depth really came to the leathery surface.

The slow red was a fitting way to close as it illustrated a suitable metaphor for this establishment: Like the poetry, it asks the reader to pause, savor and appreciate. It suggests a moment to breathe.

BAKAI WINE + TAPAS 420 Tyler St., Monterey. 4-11pm Tue-Thu and Sun; 4pm-midnight Fri-Sat. (831) 233-2286, www.bakaiwinebar.com.