Entry No. 33 — the Monterey file — filed under: sea glass
The Wine Experience — Sea Glass Art Workshop
A rotating make-it-yourself craft night bolted to a wine bar right on the tourist strip of Cannery Row — sea glass art one week, crochet the next — where you build a piece from scratch over 2.5 hours while wine, beer, and small bites circulate.
The story
Cannery Row is mostly an engine built to trade plastic ocean trinkets and hoodies for credit card swipes. But inside 381 Cannery Row—just above Steinbeck Plaza—The Wine Experience operates a surprisingly tactical dodge. Instead of buying factory-pressed coastal decor off a shop shelf, you pull up a chair, order a drink, and spend two and a half hours piecing together bits of tumbled sea glass into your own framed artwork.
The venue functions primarily as a wine bar serving regional pours, beer, and small bites, but its real draw is a rotating slate of make-it-yourself craft nights. While the calendar alternates between fluid acrylic pouring and crochet, the Sea Glass Art Workshop is the anchor session. You get set up with wooden frames, adhesives, and trays of smoothed glass fragments, arranging your design step-by-step while drinks circulate.
There is a quiet irony to doing this right on the tourist strip: you end up assembling ocean-washed glass just yards from where old sardine canneries and waterfront bars used to discard bottle scraps directly into the Pacific surf. You walk out with a piece you actually constructed yourself, having spent the evening nursing local wine with a front-row view of the bay.
What it's like
Expect a low-key, hands-on setup where wine glasses sit directly beside trays of colorful sea glass, adhesives, and frames. You'll order drinks or small plates from the bar upon arrival, pick a stool, and spend two and a half hours working through your layout. The atmosphere is conversational and unpretentious—just keep your wine glass clearly separated from your glue applicator.
The move: Book the Sea Glass Art Workshop (roughly $55/person), spend two and a half hours piecing together your own sea-glass artwork side by side, glass of wine in hand, and walk out with something you made rather than bought off a Cannery Row shelf.
- 📍 Monterey (Cannery Row)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 381 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Pacific Biological Laboratories ("Doc's Lab") — Walk four minutes down Cannery Row to tour Ed Ricketts' preserved biological lab before sitting down to piece together your ocean-glass art.
- Pearl Hour — Head up to Lighthouse Avenue after your workshop to cap off the night with classic cocktails inside a lush, hidden lounge.
- Hellam's Tobacco & Wine Shop — Follow up your crafting session with a pour at Monterey's oldest business, a historic tobacco and wine shop running since 1893.
Good to know
How long does the Sea Glass Art Workshop take, and what does it cost?
The workshop runs for 2.5 hours and tickets typically cost around $55 per person, which covers all your frame materials, sea glass, tools, and instruction.
Are wine and food included in the ticket price?
No, drinks and small bites are ordered and paid for separately from the bar while you work on your project.
Do I need prior crafting or art experience to join?
Not at all—the session is designed for complete beginners, providing layout ideas, step-by-step guidance, and easy-to-use materials.
Where is the venue located along Cannery Row?
It takes place at 381 Cannery Row in Monterey, right near Steinbeck Plaza overlooking Monterey Bay.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: eventbrite.com · Official site
last checked: 2026-07-20