The Flights and Bites of Carmel Valley

Posted on   November 13,2021   By John and Linda Compisi

Carmel Valley is a Monterey County American Viticulture Area that should get more attention and respect than it usually does. The AVA is often overshadowed by its big sister, the Santa Lucia Highlands and confused with its coastal neighbor, Carmel-by-the-Sea which is known for its filmmaking associations with Alfred Hitchcock and former Mayor, Clint Eastwood. Although the AVA boasts nearly 20,000 acres there are just about 300 acres planted to wine grapes. The terrain and the terroir boast an extensive coastal influence with elevations from 203 feet above sea level to over 2,700 feet. The soils are mostly San Andrea fine sandy loam and Arroyo Seco sandy loam.

Small as it is, the area is well worth a visit with the additional benefit of nearby tourist and outdoor attractions like Point Lobos State Reserve, Big Sur, Pfeiffer State Park, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf, not to mention sea otters, seals, scuba diving in the kelp forests, Pebble Beach and several other world class golf courses.

We hadn’t visited the area in a couple of years so we decided to rendezvous with some friends from southern California to get a few days of respite from the August Sierra smoke. The drive down from Reno was about 5.5 hours following Interstate 80 and US 101 to the Gonzales River area of Monterey County. Foothill Road serves as the dividing line between the general Monterey County AVA on the east side and the prestigious Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) AVA on the west side. Wrath Winery is on Monterey County side of Foothill Road enjoying much of the same terroir of SLH except for the elevation which rises steeply on the west side.

We met our friends at Wrath for a private tour and tasting. Our excellent host was Claire who has been at Wrath for many years. Her knowledge, not just of Wrath, but of the whole area was astounding. She began our tour in the San Saba vineyards (the estate), quite logical as that is where the grapes begin and continued through the crush pad, the fermentation spaces and to the barrel room. While on the crush pad we met the head cellar rat (affectionally) Rafael. Claire informed us that the Wrath property comprised 72 acres with 67 of those planted to grapes but that they also source grapes from respected properties in the SLH. Wrath produces about 14k cases each vintage focused on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache.

We tasted the 2017 San Saba Chardonnay, the EX (a 2^nd label) 2019 Chardonnay, the KW Ranch, McIntyre Vineyard, San Saba Vineyard, the Tondré Grapefield (SLH) and the Swan Pinot Noirs as well as the 2017 Destruction Level Grenache-Syrah Blend. These wines were delicious and with the guidance and expertise of Claire, and her colleague Nicole, we enjoyed a two-hour visit resulting in the purchase of a couple cases of wine among the four of us. We were partial to the KW Vineyard Pinot and the Grenache Syrah Blend but you would do well with any of these wines.

On our way back to the coast for dinner and rest, we stopped at the Morgan Tasting Room at the Crossroads Carmel shopping center just off the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). It was near closing so we had time for some quick sips and purchased a bottle of their Pinot and Syrah. They were quite yummy and we always enjoy these wines.

The next morning, we had a relaxed wake up and breakfast, more about that later. We met our friends in the Crossroads Carmel shopping center parking lot and left one car there (they were staying at their favorite place, the Tickle Pink Inn – fabulous views – see featured picture of Linda on their balcony). We headed out Carmel Valley Road and within 20 minutes we were at the Boekenoogen Tasting Room. Our friends were club members and had made a reservation. We had never been there before. Neither did we know what joys we were about to experience.

Our host, Christian, welcomed us and gave us our choice of outdoor tables. Of course, masks were required as we walked through the tasting room. The next three hours were an earthly delight of Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each varietal offering the expected characteristics while reflecting the terroir driven flavors of their respective vineyards and/or clones.

We thought the 2018 Carmel Valley Estate Viognier and both the 2017 and 2018 SLH Estate Chardonnay were noteworthy. The four Pinot Noir we tasted were an absolute riot of palate teasers. We could not escape without walking out with three cases between the two couples.

Our next stop was The Parsonage, a short distance from the Boekenoogen tasting room. The experience was brief and not especially noteworthy. The tasting was limited to four wines and little was done in terms of educating the guests about the wines poured. Perhaps a missed opportunity by the winery.

The following day we stayed in the quaint town of Carmel-by-the-Sea which has experienced an explosion of tasting rooms from the nearby AVA. The driving between wineries was eliminated and the choices were pretty awesome. We started at the Carmel Plaza which sported tasting rooms for Wrath (which we didn’t repeat as our early experience could not be beat), Hahn and Blair Estate.

The Hahn tasting room itself was sleek and modern and offered various tasting flights. We selected a flight with two whites and three reds from the Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2019 Pinot Gris was our favorite of the whites. Crisp and bright with very nice acidity, this wine was perfect for sipping on a warm day of pairing with finger foods, snacks or a nice grilled fish.  Of the three reds, a 2019 Pinot Noir, a 2018 Grenache and a 2018 Merlot; the Merlot was our favorite. It was soft and sensual with great texture.

Continuing from the plaza as we walked to our next stop, we came upon Scheid Vineyard’s tasting room and popped in for a couple tastes. The tasting room was bright and very inviting. We tried the 2015 Reserve Claret, Monterey County, the 2017 Kurt’s Vineyard Cabernet and the 2018 Appassimento (a process for drying grapes to make wine) Cabernet. We purchased a bottle of the Kurt’s Cabernet and moved on.

Our next destination was the Galante Vineyard tasting room. We had been to the actual ranch several years ago and found the wines lush, layered and delicious. Actually, owned and operated, at that time, by husband-and-wife team, Jack and Dawn Galante, they have recently sold the ranch but still source the grapes and make the wines there. The tasting room reflects Jack’s cowboy passion and style.

We were not disappointed with the wines we tasted in Carmel. We tasted many and the best continue to display that richness and nuanced flavors. We took away six bottles including a 2016 Red Blend, a 2014 Aces High Malbec, a 2018 Cabernet from Blackjack Pasture, and a 2017 Kickass Red Blend.

Dawn Galante has her own passions and they reflect her desire to help women! So, she has established her own label called Dawn’s Dream Winery which has its tasting room in Carmel as well. We stopped by and had a very pleasant seated tasting. The tasting list was heavy with Pinot Noir, including a Rosé and added a Chardonnay for white wine aficionados.

The three Pinots we tasted are named after Dawn and Jack’s daughters: Rachel, Alyssa and Nicole. They all showed balance, character and the characteristic Pinot qualities of bright acidity and silky tannins with flavors of cherry, raspberry and a hint of mushroom. Very worth the time spent. Perhaps of interest to future visitors is a new self-guided mobile wine app that several tasting rooms are participating in. The app is free to download and provides people with special deals. It is called, Carmel-by-the-Sea Wine Walk. For more information, visit here: https://www.carmelcalifornia.com/carmel-by-the-sea-wine-walk.htm#venues

Where we dined: We had take-out sandwiches the first night from a shop in the Crossroads Shopping Center. Not particularly notable. However, our dinner at the Carmel Mission Ranch and Casanova’s, both in Carmel town were very noteworthy.

We had never been to the Carmel Mission Ranch for dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The 22-acre setting is certainly ranch-like, sporting sheep in a fenced area right outside, with a bar and tables inside as well as on the delightful patio, both with views to the coast. Be prepared for cool moist air as the Monterey Bay brings in the fog on a regular basis.

Casanova’s is an iconic Carmel-by-the-Sea restaurant located on 5^th between Mission and San Carlos, is one of our all-time favs in the vicinity. Owned by Walter Georis, since he and brother Gaston divided up their businesses in 2015, is often referred to as Carmel’s most ‘romantic’ restaurant. We agree. The food is delicious and is considered French, Italian and Californian comfort food. Walter also owns the Georis Winery in Carmel Valley, specializing in estate Merlot, which we also recommend.

We have to give props to the team at the Pacific Grille, Hilton Garden Inn in Monterey. They went to great effort to make the included (Gold Status) breakfast delicious, appetizingly prepared and presented with good service.

I have to call out Chand (floor manager) and Chef Arturo Hernandez. They were both professional, dedicated and good at their respective jobs. The French Toast was both beautiful and flavorful. We’d stay there again just for the substantial breakfast. The lodging in the area is generally very expensive but the HGI offered good clean rooms at a reasonable price.

All in all, our 3 days in Monterey County, the Carmel Valley and Carmel-by-the-Sea were a big hit and we plan on returning soon! You should check it out or, like us, go back! Some things just get better with time.