#2 on my list goes to a tiny tasting room in Carmel Valley that most tourists and visitors likely haven’t stopped at. It’s a bit off the main Carmel Valley Road tucked and away behind an auto repair shop. They share an unremarkable storefront with a realty office, and once inside, you’ll find an unpretentious (and small) tasting room.This is my kind of place!
Despite living in Monterey for several years, I sadly didn’t happen upon Rombi until I had made it a point to visit every single winery in the area. My first visit was about 30 minutes before closing, and as I walked through the door, I met Sal (owner, winemaker, grower… basically a one-man show). I was taken with his passion for both growing and the overall experience of enjoying wine, and we talked for a good hour about every aspect of the wine world, from the outdated labeling laws to winemaking techniques. I always treasure meeting a winemaker while I taste their product firsthand, but my time with Sal was unequivocally excellent.
Sal’s knowledge and expertise are off the chart (my time with him was a significant contributing factor to starting this blog and wanting to share my knowledge). Onto the wine!
1) Wine = 4.65
2) Price Point = 2.7
3) Service = 4.6
4) Decorum / Scenery = 3.6
5) X factor = 4.1
Overall: 4.06
(0-5 scale, anything above 2.5 you will have a good time)
Rombi makes only 3 wines: Sal does an estate Cabernet Sauvignon (not common in the area), estate Merlot, and a Petite Sirah. Ladies and Gentlemen, all 3 knocked my socks off!
His Merlot and Petite Sirah are easily in the top three I’ve ever had for those varietals. My written notes for that first visit were limited because I just wanted to be in the moment with the wine. I didn’t even know a Merlot could taste as super-smooth as Sal’s did.
Sal takes great care in his growing and production practices and keeps his operation very small. He also uses almost exclusively free-run juice. With high-quality wine comes high-quantity prices: walking home with one of Rombi’s bottles will cost $65-$85. However, with all the attention Sal gives to his craft, I certainly think the prices are fair and personally don’t mind spending that kind of money to take one of his bottles home to enjoy.
Last I checked, Sal was only open Friday through Sunday. If you find yourself in the area, Rombi is absolutely worth the detour! www.rombiwines.com/
(Featured image sourced from: Rombi Wines FB page)