Where to Go Wine-Tasting in the Carmel Valley
The Carmel Valley’s tiny size necessarily limits the number of vineyards and wineries that can set up shop there. But this small, charming wine region makes for a perfect wine-tasting day trip from Carmel, Monterey, or even Big Sur. Small crowds, light traffic, and meaningful tasting experiences characterize this area, which still has many family-owned wineries. Some of the best wineries are clustered together. You’ll get personal attention and delicious wines, all in a gorgeous green setting.
Folktale Winery and Vineyards
8940 Carmel Valley Rd.; 831/293-7500; www.folktalewinery.com; 11:30am-6:30pm Mon. and Thurs., 11:30am-8pm Fri.-Sat., 1pm-4pm Sun.; tasting $20
Folktale Winery and Vineyards promises to liven up the local wine scene as “an extension of your backyard,” with bocce, horseshoes, and corn hole. The winery has teamed up with local radio station KRML to put on concerts in their garden.
Bernardus Winery
5 W. Carmel Valley Rd.; 831/298-8021 or 800/223-2533; www.bernardus.com/winery; 11am-5pm Fri.-Sat., noon-4pm Sun., 11am-4pm Tues.-Thurs.; tasting $30
The Bernardus Winery offers varietals like chardonnay, pinot noir, and sauvignon blanc that come from cool coastal vineyards, but the pride of the winery is the Bordeaux-style blended red Marinus Vineyard wine, made from grapes grown on its vineyard estate just a couple of miles away from this tasting room. If you’re interested and lucky, you might also get to sip some small-batch vintages of single-vineyard wines that are only available here.
The Wine House
1 E. Carmel Valley Rd.; 831/298-7438; www.thewinehousecv.com; 3pm-8pm Wed.-Thurs., 1pm-8pm Fri.-Sat., noon-7pm Sun.
After the wineries close, The Wine House becomes the hangout for the area’s tasting room servers and any visitors who want to keep on going. Choose from a list of 50 local and European wines or from six rotating taps of craft beer. Inside is an old farmhouse feel, while the large outdoor area has fire pits, a bocce ball court, and corn hole. There’s a real youthful energy here.
Joyce Wine Tasting Room
1 E. Carmel Valley Rd.; www.joycewineco.com; noon-5:30pm daily; tasting $30
The Joyce family first planted vineyards in the region back in the mid 1980s. Russell Joyce of the Joyce Wine Company believes in letting the terroir of the area speak through the wine so you don’t get the taste of the winemaker’s hand. A standout wine is the Submarine Canyon Pinot Noir, named for the deep underwater canyon in Monterey Bay. With an outdoor space studded with trees and a fountain, Joyce is a fine place to sip wine on a sunny Carmel Valley day.
Albatross Ridge Tasting Cottage
19 E. Carmel Valley Rd.; 831/293-8896; https://albatrossridge.com; noon-6pm Thurs.-Sun.; tasting $18-25
Albatross Ridge grows 25 ac (10 ha) of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes on a steep ridge near town. Taste the fruits of the winemakers’ labors in their neat white building in Carmel Valley Village or in their outdoor garden patio. They also have tasting rooms in downtown Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Chesebro Wines & Art
19 D Carmel Valley Rd., Ste. D; 831/298-7680; www.chesebrowines.com; noon-5pm Fri.-Sun., by appointment Mon.-Thurs.; tasting $20
Chesebro Wines offers smart, affordable wines from Mark Chesebro, a former Bernardus Winery employee. Offerings include chardonnays, pinot noirs, Grenache rosés, and a vermentino—its signature white wine. Enjoy in a gallery showcasing the works of local artists.
Parsonage Carmel Valley Wine Tasting Room
19 E. Carmel Valley Rd.; 831/659-7322; www.parsonagewine.com; noon-5pm Mon.-Fri., 11am-5pm Sat.-Sun.; tasting $10-20
At the Parsonage Carmel Valley Wine Tasting Room, you’ll taste wonderful syrahs, hearty cabernet sauvignons, and surprisingly deep and complex blends—the Snosrap (that’s Parsons spelled backward) table wine is inexpensive for the region and incredibly tasty. If you find a vintage you love at Parsonage, buy it then and there, since it sells out of many of its wines every year.
I. Brand & Family Winery
19 E. Carmel Valley Rd.; 831/298-7227; www.ibrandwinery.com; 11am-5pm Thurs.-Mon.; tasting $30
I. Brand & Family Winery is a small family operation with three labels (Le P’Tit Paysan, La Marea, and I. Brand) that appeal to three different price points. Winemaker Ian Brand gravitates toward uncommon varietals with grapes sourced from small growers. He also was named 2018’s Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, quite an accomplishment due to the strong competition in the region. Enjoy his wine in the cozy, casual tasting room as vintage vinyl—over 400 records!—plays on the in-house record player.
Carmel Valley Wine Tours
209 Figueroa St., Monterey; 831/624-1700; www.toursmonterey.com; $179
The Carmel Valley Wine Tours picks up in downtown Monterey to take riders on 5-hour tours of Carmel Valley. The ticket price includes lunch and a bottle of wine to take home after the tastings.
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