Wineries

Wineries

DeRose Vineyards

DeRose Vineyards has the single best Negrette I have ever had. Pat DeRose not only has one of the coolest moustaches on the planet, but he and Al (his son) are wine purists, not necessarily in the "Wine Spectator" since, they simply love great wines. Al DeRose search for new endeavors took him to central Chile where he produces and imports his Chilean wines. De Rose VIneyards is one of the oldest operated wineries in the US - 1854. At De Rose VIneyards they are not concerned about anything other than wine... nada. The DeRose family doesn't care about wine spectator's points, they don't care about who endorsed what, and I find that not simply amuzing, but delightful! Their style is very much like the old world where the people of the community get together. The winemakers, the farmers, the butcher and the candlestick-maker all living together, drinking together, eating together and enjoying the celebration of life. At DeRose Vineyards it is,"Good friends, good food and good wine.*

Hours:

Mon-     11:00 to 5:00pm
Tues-     11:00 to 5:00pm
Weds-     11:00 to 5:00pm
Thurs-    11:00 to 5:00pm
Fri-         11:00 to 5:00pm
Sat-        11:00 to 4:00pm
Sun-       11:00 to 4:00pm

Eden Rift Vineyards

Eden Rift Vineyards is among the oldest, continually producing estate vineyards in California and has been under vine since 1849. Eden Rift Vineyards is located in a remote, pacific refuge located in the Gavilan Mountain Range, just outside of the town of Hollister, CA. The Eden Rift Vineyard estate rests on the San Andreas Fault and is part of the Cienega Valley AVA. Located only 20-miles from the Pacific Ocean results in an ideal, temperate maritime climate as well as the coveted calcareous soils requisite in the cultivation of vivid, energetic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. An historic, head-trained block of Zinfandel, planted in 1906, still thrives outside the estate’s main residence. Wine tasting is $15.00 per person. Be sure to tell Christian hello for us if he is pouring during your visit to Eden Rift Vineyards.   

Hours:

Open Daily: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Reservations are not required, but always appreciated.

Estancia Estates

Estancia’s winemakers strive to combine the best of both worlds: a state-of-the art winemaking facility, and a traditional, hands-on approach to each grape produce. In the end, this combination allows Estancia Estates to deliver the hand-crafted quality for which their wines are known. Estancia Estates's cutting-edge facilities enable them to take advantage of the beneficial advances in winemaking technology commitment to old world processes results in the complexity and elegance found in artisanal and boutique wines.

Figge Cellars

Alan was a great host! He was friendly and kept us entertained while we tasted our wines. The place also has a great selection of tasting wines. The two pinot's, one from santa lucia highlands and the other from carmel, were both wonderful wines. The chardonnay from carmel was a very enjoyable one, and the syrah was great too. My favorite of the four probably being the santa lucia highlands pinot. Tastings are 3 for $5 or all 5 for $10. There's a little art gallery in the back as well. It's a very quaint little place and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here!
A great little tasting room.
Good wine, good owner, good location.

And he is also willing to help you find a place to eat and how to get to his competition, gotta love Carmel.

Galante Vineyards

The tasting room is cozy and charming (there is no better word to describe anything about Carmel), with a Western theme. A major photo opportunity rests in an AMAZING boot shaped chair, do not miss that chance. Bellying up to the tasting bar, tastes are $10 for around 8 options (and when I asked to revisit a couple wines before making my purchase, I was happily obliged), and they had no problem allowing two of us to share a tasting. Major focus on reds, full bodied and strong! My test of a great red wine when I sip it - does it make me want to eat a steak or a plate of pasta? Yes? Sold!

The tasting room wasn't crowded so we were able to linger and explore the room between tastes, and a dish of free dark chocolate was delightful. Our taster even brought out some cheese and crackers to enhance the experience! Low pressure elegance is very appreciated.

Georis Winery

Lovely wine tasting experience. We knew nothing about Georis but had it on our list of possible stops on a recent visit to the Carmel Valley. Sometimes the best experiences are surprises.
We shared a flight of five red wines which were served with a small plate of cheese and freshly baked bread from the Corkscrew Cafe. $20 seemed very reasonable for what was served.

We lingered over our wine for probably 40 minutes or so as we sat in the garden which is in front of the adobe (circa 1930) which serves as the tasting room. The charming garden had a European feel with an eclectic mix of seating areas. Colorful tablecloths and brightly painted metal chairs added to the ambiance.

The place mat and a small printed menu gave brief descriptions of the wine. We could drink at our own pace and didn't miss having a server rushing us on to the next pour.

Georis is a "keeper" on our list of Carmel Valley tasting rooms. We'll be back.

Hahn Winery

This is a great vineyard and they make fantastic wines!

The view from the deck is beautiful. The tasting room itself is nice. The drive up to the tasting room is beautiful and they have a lovely estate with rows of roses and trees, next to the vineyards.

The service is fantastic and they are generous with the pours! I highly recommend going for a visit and enjoying the nice weather and scenery.

They make a number of really nice wines and bottle under a number of labels. You may be surprised just how many different labels they have.

They have some nice little snacks in the fridge there, but they are just enough to stave off hunger, so don't plan on getting stuffed with their snacks before tasting. I recommend getting a bottle and sitting on the deck with your own salami and cheese assortment.

Heller Estate

This place was recommended by the tasting room where we were unable to have a picnic. I was so very glad that I had discovered it!! Tasting fee is $8. The wines were really good. The pourer was very friendly and knowledgeable. The tasting room was cozy and inviting with some olive oil and Meyer lemon marmalade samples. This place is also like an art gallery inside out. The picnic area in the fenced garden setting was very comfortable and we also enjoyed many interesting looking art objects. We were informed that this place is the first one of the series of wineries in the area

Joullian Vineyards

This tasting room came highly recommended based on the merits of their wine. We (5) savored customized flights depending on what we each wanted to try, which Hal then poured in the correct order while he enthusiastically told us all about Joullian. While our group's style preferences vary, everyone was impressed with the wines and our tasting room experience.

Joyce Vineyards

The tasting bar was full when we got here but not packed like Napa where you have to fight your way to a spot to get tastings. The decor is very modern. For the weekend they were even giving away orchids with purchases as well as waiving the tasting fee. Nice bonus since the wine here was the favorite of the group by far. I found the wines very nice and moderately priced as well. Always a good combo!

Rusell recommended a lunch stop, which I have to say he was spot on. Make this one of your stops when in Carmel Valley.

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