My wife and I are planning a last-minute getaway to the Carmel Valley this Sunday-Tuesday (Apr. 4-6). We’ve been to the Carmel region a few times, but only once were we focusing on wine (circa 2017). I remember visiting Albatross Ridge and Joyce, but I don’t recall the other places by name.
We have every intention of going back to Albatross; they’re tasting cottage is closed Mon and Tues, so we’ll have to taste there on Sunday or “settle” for the Carmel-by-the-Sea tasting room on one of the other days. I remember liking Joyce, but not being wowed.
What recommendations are out there in Berserker-land for other places we should try - either in Carmel Valley or the Carmel village tasting rooms? Our plan is to arrive midday Sunday and leave midday Tuesday. We’re planning to do some hiking at Point Lobos either Monday or Tuesday, so we won’t be tasting all day, every day.
We both appreciate wine, in general; though I’m a big Pinot fan (I’d be happy finding an excuse to have it every day!). My wife has her Certified Somm, so her nose and palate are more advanced than mine.
The newest addition to the Carmel Valley Village is Scratch (Sabrine Rodems, the winemaker for Wrath) just opened this weekend in the old Testarossa spot in the courtyard with Joyce & The Wine House (which actually has a lot of beers if you want a wine break). Albatross Ridge has also opened their “cottage” tasting room in the old spot where Cima Colina was. Seabold also has a nice spot with an outdoor area but I’m pretty sure they’re closed Mon/Tues as well.
In Carmel (by the Sea) if you want to try sparkling I would suggest Caraccioli. You can also get lunch at Stationaery and they have a “younger” by Carmel demographics/interesting wine list and also a little bottle shop. In Carmel Plaza check out The Cheese Shop & next to it is Wrath who I would say locally has the most pinots in terms of an assortment of single vineyard & clonal bottlings. Across from the Plaza is KORi, which for full disclosure is my sister. Not here for public promotion but if you’re interested feel free to send me a message as there are a few wineries I’ve mentioned which also buy grapes from my family & can mention which bottlings those are.
Also re Pt Lobos you have to register for parking in advance and it’s limited to only those spaces I believe. Even before COVID they had cracked down on letting everyone park on Hwy 1 and walk along the road.
Morgan has (or had) a nice tasting room in a shopping center in Carmel Valley. The winemaker was there when I visited and had a lot of good info. Morgan is chard, pinot, and syrah. Talbott (now owned by someone else) also had a nice tasting room nearby. No idea if these places are even open with the lockdowns.
@JViolini - thanks for the recommendations! And a special thanks for the heads-up about Pt Lobos; we definitely would’ve shown up with the assumption that we’d park wherever we could and walked in like we used to.
I guess we need to try Caraccioli one more time. We’ve been there at least twice, but neither of us was impressed enough to buy anything. Both other times were also on Saturdays when it was loud and busting at the seams, so I’m sure that didn’t help our experience either.
Thanks James! It’s nice to have a few more options to look into than the same handful I keep seeing! Hopefully they’re open! I know a lot of places are closed on Monday and/or Tuesday even without the COVID challenges.
Morgan is in the Crossroads shopping center (basically Carmel Valley Road & Highway 1) & you can also check out McIntyre across from them which will both have SLH Pinot & Chard.
Everyone has been open in Monterey County for some time now doing tastings outdoors. In Carmel by the Sea they have parklets and things like that set up. Carmel Valley typically already had more open/outdoor space and hasn’t been an issue as well.
Some want you to call ahead, some don’t so YMMV.
I bought a mixed case of sparkling a few weeks ago so I would still point you there if you have the time.
If it was a few years ago then I may know what you mean but I think that may have been some issues with staffing back then (at least according to what I saw on Yelp when I was looking at general wine tasting complaints in Carmel). I haven’t been around there in the evenings/weekends but I haven’t heard anything about issues with it more being like a busy bar in the evening hours.