Disclosure: I received a free wine walk passport for this story, however, all opinions are my own. And I’d recommend this wine walk to anyone.
What’s great about the Carmel Wine Walk is that for just one price (65 Dollars) you have access to 12 different tasting rooms along Carmel. Not just one complimentary glass, but an entire flight of wine.
The other great thing is that these passports never expire so you can use them every time you visit Carmel-By-the-Sea making for some lasting memories.
Every tasting room in Carmel has a little bit of character, and it’s the ambiance of these tasting rooms that truly make it so fun. Along with the ambiance, these tasting rooms offer some great pairing plates that you may just have to try while going on the wine walk (costs extra, but completely worth it!)
The wine walk has recently been updated too where you now receive tickets that you can give the different tasting rooms, so you could buy one passport and share it with a friend for the day making it an even more affordable option in Carmel.
Now lets take a look at a few of the tasting rooms found along Carmel:
Scheid Vineyards:
Small-lot, sustainable wines in the heart of Monterey County. With ten estate vineyards, many different varieties are grown in a spectrum of styles. Hours are 12pm to 6pm Daily.
Some of my favorites included their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc and their 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dawn’s Dream
New to the wine walk is none other than Dawn’s Dream, the wife of Jack Galante from Galante Vineyards. She had a dream of producing her own wine, and soon Dawn’s Dream was born.
One of the highlights at Dawn’s Dream is their bathtub, and yes, you are even encouraged to take a picture inside:
The bathtub is an iconic theme within Dawn’s Dream even offering adorable Bathtub signs that you can purchase within the winery. It all started at an event that took place at Galante Vineyards where Jack and Dawn were inside a bathtub. You can see the photo here.
My new favorite is their Pinot Noir Rose which was just released a few weeks ago. With just a 100 cases made this wine is perfect to sip on during a hot summer’s day.
Dawn focuses on Pinot Noirs, and lots of love is put into her wines even naming some of the wines after her own daughters.
Sun-Fri: 1pm to 6pm
Sat: 12pm to 6pm
Galante Vineyards:
Producing 100% estate grown wines with a simple philosophy: grow the finest grapes & let the fruit express itself in the wine.
When you walk into Galante Vineyards a completely different theme enraptures you. If you love the Southern Lifestyle this is the winery for you. Bringing a little bit of Western into their tasting room including this awesome boot chair:
Sun-Fri: 1pm to 6pm.
Sat: 12pm to 6pm.
Blair Estate:
Blair Estate is the region’s newest artisan label, focusing on limited releases of single vineyard Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris & Chardonnay from the cool climate Arroyo Seco appellation.
This is a great tasting room to stop in to because it’s adjoined with Shale Canyon so you receive 8 tastings all at once if that’s what you choose.
Hours: Winter: 12pm-6pm; Spring/Fall: 11am-7pm
Shale Canyon:
Shale Canyon offers artisan wines from the Arroyo Seco AVA. Featuring Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, and annual “micro-lot” offerings.
Hours: Winter: 12pm-6pm; Spring/Fall: 11am-7pm
Then after you’re done with Blair Estates and Shale Canyon head directly next door to visit:
Manzoni Cellars:
This, just a small tasting room, but offers an one on one tasting experience, and if you’re lucky, the winemaker may just be the one serving the wine behind the bar.
One of my favorites by Manzoni Cellars was their Syrah:
The Syrah offered just the right notes of Pepper making it a great pairing for pork chops or a great hearty meal.
Hours: Winter: 12pm-6pm; Fall: 11am-7pm
De Tierra:
Another favorite tasting room for me was De Tierra. A very fun ambiance especially in the late afternoon hours. They also have a great chocolate pairing offered for an additional 5 dollars:
De Tierra Vineyards is a family owned and sustainably operated winery producing limited production, estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah.
Hours: Tues.-Thurs.: 2pm-8pm; Fri.-Sun.: 12pm-8pm; Winter: Tues.-Thurs.: 2pm-7pm; Fri.-Sun.: 12pm-8pm; Closed Mondays.
This tasting room stays open a lot later than others so it’s great for making it your last tasting room stop for the evening before heading to your room for the evening.
Wrath:
Located within the Carmel Plaze, the Wrath Tasting room is directly next door to one of the best cheese shops within Carmel. So after your tasting flight, stop in next door to pick out the perfect pairing.
Produces site-driven Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc from our sustainable estate vineyard and selected properties in the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Hours: Mon.-Sat.: 10am-6pm; Sun.: 11am-5pm
Caraccioli Cellars:
If you’re craving a little sparkly, stopping into Caraccioli will have you covered. Their focus is on sparkling wine.
Hours: Mon.-Thurs.: 2pm-7pm; Fri. & Sat.: 11am-10pm; Sun.: 11am-7pm
Another late night tasting room for the weekends. So, after dinner, stop on in for a fun evening out.
Figge Cellars:
Carmel is well known for their Art Galleries that adorn the streets so wouldn’t it make perfect sense to have a wine and art pairing? This is exactly what happens at Figge Cellars.
As you taste, walk around the gallery and enjoy the art that surrounds you.
Hours: Thurs.-Mon.: 12pm-6pm
Vino Napoli:
Italian-themed wine bar featuring Pèpe Winery and the wines of Antinori & other close friends. Relax and enjoy Italian tapas, pizza, and watch your favorite sports games.
One of my favorite tasting rooms to just sit back and enjoy conversing with your friends as you taste, eat, and enjoy the surroundings happening around you.
For some of the best food pairings within the tasting rooms of Carmel, you will want to stop into Vino Napoli.
See what I mean? The Cheese Plate, the Wine, and Panna Cotta for just some examples of the food you can receive at Vino Napoli.
Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 3pm-10pm; Sat. & Sun.: 2pm-10pm
Silvestri Vineyards:
If you’re a fan of film you may just want to stop into Silvestri Vineyards, as the owner, is a composer for many well known films of the ages, and the wine is pretty good too.
My favorite, and I even brought a bottle home with me is:
The Bella Sandra, a Chardonnay made from Carmel Valley. Tasted delicious and perfect for summer.
Producing hand crafted wines from our 11-acre estate vineyard in Carmel Valley. Premium Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Rosé wines truly express the quality of this vineyard.
Hours: Daily: 12pm-7pm
Those are the tasting rooms involved with the wonderful Carmel Wine Walk. You can purchase your passports in person at the Carmel Visitor’s Center or you can order online here.
Seriously, the best deal in Carmel.
