Monterrey - Carmel

Monterrey - Carmel

Chesebro Wines and Art

vineyard at sunset - Pixabay

I love this tasting room. There is lots of space in the place and art to amuse you in between the tasting. The wines are fantastic and even though they are not widely advertised, they are a good buy. The service is great and they enjoy spending time talking to you about the wine. Definitely check this place out if you are in Carmel Valley. I really enjoyed the red blend from Arroyo Seco.

Winemaker Mark Chesebro

Mark took a crush job at Bernardus Winery under Don Blackburn in the fall of 1994, and ended up staying until the spring of 2005. First working in the cellar, then as Enologist, he eventually became Winemaker in January of 1999. He basically held every production job available at this 50,000 case winery. Mark notes that this was truly his real winemaking education. It taught him not only about winemaking, but also about the extreme importance and impact of farming. He candidly observes that wine is very easy to botch up in the winery, but it can never be better than the raw materials. Respect for this concept became the guiding force in his approach to the production of fine wine.

Since Spring of 2021 Mark has had the pleasure of working with his son Will as co-winemaker . Will grew up with winemaking at Bernardus and at Chesebro Wines. He has worked harvest jobs at Hobo Wines and Thomas Fogarty. He also ran the laboratory at  J Lohr Winery's white wine facility.

Together they are currently launching their Cedar Lane Vineyard label featuring wines from the estate vineyard of that name in the Arroyo Seco AVA. These wines were previously bottled under the Chesebro label but they wanted to highlight the source vineyard and have the Chesebro label focus on wines from the Carmel Valley AVA.

Shale Canyon Wines

bottle of wine and glass with chateau in background - PIxabay

Shale Canyon Wines is a new producer vinting small lots . Trry the Blair Pinot Noir, the Shale Canyon Merlot and Shale Cab Franc. Very good wines for a great price.of hand crafted varietals of Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. 2008 and 2009 production will be about 850 cases per year. Long term production goals are between 2,500 to 4,000 cases per year. Production will be focused on six to eight varietals, including our own estate wines from recently planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Mourvedre

Manzoni Vineyards

Painting, enjoying wine on the patio - agata

Tasting Room
Note that the Manzoni Cellars tasting room in Carmel-by-the-Sea has moved. The tasting room is now located in Hampton Court on 7th Ave between San Carlos and Dolores. Enjoy the spacious Courtyard. The new tasting room is spacious and inviting. You can always visit the tasting room in the vineyard on weekends. Located on the beautiful River Road Wine Trail in the Salinas Valley with wonderful views of the Santa Lucia Highlands. 

Hours:

CARMEL:

#4 Hampton Court on 7th Ave, between San Carlos & Dolores St.
Daily 12pm - 6pm.
(831) 620-6541

OPEN NEW YEARS EVE & NEW YEARS DAY
We will then be closed all Tues & Wed in January & February.

RIVER RD:

30981 River Rd, Soledad CA 93960
Saturday & Sunday 11am - 5pm
(831) 675-3398

We will be closed for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Vineyard.

Local Restaurants:

Mission Bistro: Mission St. 2 SW of Ocean Ave, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Ca. 93921 (831) 574-8344
Enzo Carmel: San Carlos St, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Ca. 93921 (831) 624-6545
Luigis: 346 Alta St, Gonzales, Ca. 93926 (831) 675-7800 / Open Mon-Fri Lunch & Dinner, Sat-Sun Dinner
4th St. Tap House: 25 4th St, Gonzales, Ca. 93926 (831) 675-5095 / Open Sun 12-8pm, M-T 3-9PM, TH-SA 3-11pm, Closed Wed.

ROAR Wines

glass of wine

Gary and Rosella Franscioni founded ROAR Wines with the conviction that Pinot Noir had a bright future in the Santa Lucia Highlands, coupled with the aspiration that their farming expertise would translate into exceptional grapes and wines. In 1996, they planted Rosella’s Vineyard on their home ranch, followed by Garys’ Vineyard in 1997 in partnership with the Pisoni family. The inaugural vintage of ROAR was released in 2001, crafted from these two vineyards. From the outset, the couple’s mission was to create wines they themselves would enjoy drinking, a vision that garnered critical acclaim almost immediately. About a decade later, they expanded their endeavor by planting two additional vineyards: Sierra Mar and Soberanes. Today, Gary and his sons continue to enhance and innovate in both the vineyards and winery, striving to produce the highest quality wines their land can offer.

Calera Wine Company

grapes

Calera Winen Company is a winery with vision and that vision is expressed so well in the wines that are produced there. Rather than follow the recommended path, Josh Jensen became a pioneer in American Pinot Noir. Taking his cue from the great domaines of Burgundy, which have grown grapes in limestone soil for centuries, he set out in search of the perfect spot in California to create wines that are truly unique, yet in the style of the greatest wines of France. In his search he ventured off the grid to plant on the site of an old limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of California's Central Coast. Today Calera Wine Company still express that pioneer spirit and are revered the world over. We are happy to say that not just California Corks has taken note of this winery but that even Robert Parker is convinced: "Calera is one of the most compelling Pinot Noir specialists of not only the New World, but of Planet Earth." Why not stop in and enjoy some a really wonderful Pinot Noir experience with the wines produced by Winemaker Mike Walker. You will be glad you did.*

Hours:

Open Daily: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Tasting Appointments: 11am - 3:30pm
Reservations are not required, but always appreciated.

Pessagno Winery

glasses of white wine - Pixabay

Calling to book with Pessagno was super smooth and the tour itself was incredibly cheap! $10/person! The tour ran about 90 minutes, which included a wine tasting. The property was not big, but the personality of our tour guide Chris was huge; what a nice, generous fella! Huge tasting room- with records playing for background music. We were told we can even bring your own '45; if the staff approves, they will play it. They also had cheese platters available with Brie, Manchego, other varieties, nuts and dried fruits. Great Pinot Noirs, Ports and Port Varieties. This vineyard's production is low, but quality is significantly high, especially for the price point.

DeRose Vineyards - Hollister

Grape Clusters

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:

Hollister Tasting Room
9970 Cienega Road
Hollister, CA
Hours:
Thursday - Friday: 11 AM – 5 PM
Saturday - Sunday: 11 AM – 4 PM

San Martin Tasting Room
255 Fitzgerald Avenue
San Martin, CA
Hours:
Friday: 4 PM – 8 PM

Georis Winery

grape clusters - Pixabay

The tasting room is located at 1 Pilot Rd., Carmel Valley, California. This adobe-style tasting room evokes the early California Mission architecture, featuring tall ceilings, a large fireplace, and hand-hewn oversized beams supporting an impressive roof adorned with antique handmade Spanish tiles. The surrounding gardens boast lush, mature landscaping and include a small decorative vineyard planted with Petrus Clone.

Visitors can enjoy the stylish interior while tasting the fine wines or choose to stroll through the gardens to find a favorite spot. The knowledgeable staff is prepared to provide insights into the winemaking philosophy and offer detailed information about the world-class wines.

Guests are welcome to visit the tasting room Wednesday through Monday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with exceptions for weather conditions and holidays. For inquiries or to make arrangements for large groups, please call (831) 659-1080. The team appreciates advance notice to ensure a delightful experience while savoring some of California’s finest wines.

Blackstone Winery

Rows of wine barrels - Pixabay

“Sonoma County is one of the most fabulous places in the world to live and make wine,” says Gary Sitton, Blackstone's winemaker. “There’s no place like it. The immense diversity—from the coastline to the mountains, valleys and rivers—still leaves me in awe. For me, tapping into this range of growing conditions is fundamental to making beautifully expressive wines.”

Marin Wines

grape cluster - ai pixabay

Natural winegrowing for us means producing the finest quality wines while working in harmony with nature and protecting the health of the earth and its people. As a CCOF - Certified Organic winery, we encourage environmentally friendly practices at many stages, from conserving soils and water, managing pests and using a natural approach in winemaking

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