Monterey is a special list for both myself and my editor because this is where our wine journey started 7 years ago. I hope you all are looking forward to this week as much as we are.
There are over 60 spots – offering everything from intimate tasting rooms to the full-on farm and vine experience – throughout the greater Monterey area, and I’ve been fortunate enough to taste at every single one of them. This is one of those rare occasions where I’m able to leave no grape unturned when making some recommendations (it didn’t hurt that I lived there for two years, and loved it so much that I’ve returned a few times to enjoy my favorite old spots and taste at the new ones).
Monterey County hosts 4 distinct “wine trails.” They are:
- Monterey (downtown): A great town in its own right, the tasting rooms here are geared more towards tourists and attracting foot traffic from the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Cannery Row.
- Carmel-By-the-Sea (or simply, “Carmel”): A unique dog-friendly village without any street addresses! Tasting rooms are in abundance here and all within a few blocks of each other. This town is super walkable, and there are plenty of spectacular restaurants and boutiques.
- Carmel Valley: A warm country-town feeling with a bunch of quality tasting rooms and a handful of very good restaurants. Also very walkable.
- River Road (Salinas Valley): This is where the majority of the vineyards are. As to be expected, the wineries aren’t within walking distance (you’ll be essentially driving between farms). Most have some outstanding views. This is Steinbeck’s East of Eden, after all.
There are some wineries that host dedicated tasting rooms at both their vineyard on River Road and also down in Carmel or Carmel Valley. It’s up to you on which setting you prefer. For the purpose of this article, I’ll be reviewing what to expect in Carmel since those sites get more visitors.
These wine trails are well established and you’ll get the opportunity to taste tons of high-quality wine. In the Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) AVA, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are king due to the unique cooler microclimate (“June Gloom” is a real thing here). You can find some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay if you know where to look.
I look forward to sharing these gems without you throughout the week! Buckle up your seat belts, because we start this ride tomorrow…