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.

The origins of Joyce Winery trace back to 1972, when Russell Joyce’s father, Francis, discovered the small rural town of Carmel Valley, California. Francis was searching for a place where he could establish both a dental practice and a race shop for his race cars, reflecting his professional racing career. The proximity to the renowned Laguna Seca Raceway and the rural charm of the area appealed to him, especially as a small-town farm boy from Wisconsin. After settling down and starting a family, Francis embarked on a new passion: winemaking. In 1986, he planted a small 5-acre vineyard around the family home, marking the beginning of Joyce Winery.

Russell Joyce, born in 1986, grew up immersed in vineyard work from a young age. His childhood involved tasks such as pulling weeds, hand-terracing vineyard rows, and pressing grapes in the small micro-winery on the property. This early exposure nurtured a passion for winemaking, even though he was unaware of it at the time. A self-taught winemaker, Russell dedicated his adult life to transforming Joyce Winery into a sustainable and thriving business, hoping to one day pass it on to his children. His work in produce and metal fabrication in the Salinas Valley helped support him financially, but his passion for winemaking remained unwavering.

The next chapter for Joyce Winery began with Russell and his father setting up a small production winery in an industrial building in the Salinas Valley, which operated from around 2006 to 2019. Facing space constraints, Russell and his wife Charlotte sought a rural property, vineyard, or winery to purchase and develop into a family estate. After several unsuccessful attempts, Russell found the old Ventana Winery in Soledad, California. Despite its dilapidated appearance, Russell saw potential in the site due to his familiarity with the Arroyo Seco AVA from years of fruit purchases. In 2020, a handshake deal was reached with the former Ventana Winery partners, marking a new chapter for Joyce Winery.

Russell has since revitalized the old winery and developed much of the surrounding barren land into a new organic vineyard. He has collaborated with the original Ventana Vineyard owners to plant new Gamay vines. All long-standing fruit contracts are with neighboring family-owned vineyards located within a 10-mile radius of the winery.

Very impressive Pinot vintages. The ever so delicate grapes are grown right in the St. Lucia highlands where the cool coastal air enters through an inlet in the valley and keeps the berries cool and mild. The result is an amazing explosion of flavors that hints of fruit varietals suitable for any occasions. The sommelier on attendance was particularly witty and knowledgeable, a fine value of entertainment for $5. The tasting room's ambiance looked affluent but nothing pretentious, we felt welcome and greeted with smiles and laughter...well, a bottle of good Pinot Noir will always produce a smile.