Carmel Valley wine country
These are the wineries and tasting rooms in the Carmel Valley wine country in Monterey County. They are located along the beautiful Carmel Valley Road. No trip to Carmel or Monterey is complete without a visit to one or more of these small wineries. Besides wine tasting, there are many other wonderful activities to do in the town of Carmel and the Monterey area. Whatever your interest, Carmel offers something for everyone, even kids.
Tasting rooms on Carmel Valley Road
- Folktale Winery – The five acre vineyard at the winery is 100% organically farmed meticulously by hand.
- Massa Estate Organic Vineyards – 100 percent certified organic, dry-farmed vineyards
- Joullian Vineyards – Delicious estate reds, three styles of Chardonnay
- Cowgirl Winery – Honors the cowgirls of the past in Carmel Valley
- Bernardus Winery – Wines made in the Bordeaux style
- Holman Ranch – Tours and tasting at the Ranch
Tasting rooms in the White Oak Plaza
These tasting rooms are clustered together at the White Oak Plaza which is 12 miles from Highway 1 on Carmel Valley Road
- Holman Ranch – tasting room is a mile from the Ranch
- Cima Collina – family owned, the tasting room is in an old creamery
- Joyce Vineyards – 1987 planted vines, small family-run winery
- Parsonage – Bill and Mary Parsons planted their 7-acre vines in 1998
- Coast View Vineyards – Winery in Big Basin; this is a new tasting room
- Chesebro Wines – Mark Chesebro is owner and winemaker, 2000 cases
Dining and Lodging Recommendations
Additional tasting room information on selected wineries
The Folktale Winery & Vineyards is located six miles from Highway 1 on Carmel Valley Road. Watch carefully for theSituated on 15 acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards and gardens along the Carmel River, Folktale Winery is an idyllic setting to discover and enjoy the great wines, food, natural beauty, and hospitality of Carmel Valley, California.
Massa Estate Organic Vineyards
Approximately six miles from Folktale you will come to the area known as Carmel Valley Village. You will find several wineries here, and the first one you come to is on the left, the Massa Estate. There is much to like about this winery. For starters, the winery’s 120 acres of vineyards are dry-farmed and certified as 100 percent organic. The tasting room is quaint, and the servers are friendly and unpretentious. There are some very unusual sculptures around the gardens. There is a small shaded picnic area that is a perfect spot for lunch. If you are picnicking here, try a glass of their delicious Merlot Rosé. This wine is dry and crisp. It is perfect for an afternoon picnic lunch. Tasting Room Hours: Friday – Sunday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Phone: (831) 659-6220, E-mail: tastingroom@hellerestate.com – Massa Estate – Formerly the Heller Estate
After Heller Estate, immediately watch for Village Road, turn right and look for the Joullian Vineyards tasting room. This winery produces 12,000 cases per year with Chardonnay equaling about half of their case production. They make three unique and very tasty Chardonnays. The first is a blend of grapes from five different vineyards in Monterey County. The second and third Chardonnays are single-vineyard wines, one from Arroyo Seco AVA and one from Santa Lucia AVA, both in Monterey Country. The winery also makes a delightful Sauvignon Blanc and estate reds, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet. All of these wines are from the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley. The winery does allow visitors to their wine cellar facilities for special events. Check on the Joullian Vineyard Website for complete details.
Next door to the Talbott Vineyards tasting room is the Cowgirl tasting room. The two tasting rooms share the same address, parking area, and Bocce courts. Cowgirl’s tasting room is rustic and much more jovial. The owner is Walter Georis. The name Cowgirl is intended to honor the women who ran and operated ranches back in the day in the Carmel Valley. His wife Sylvia is said to be a cowgirl in her own right. Sylvia takes charge of the winery’s visitor experience. Many wines are offered for tasting and sale in the tasting room. Cabernet, Malbec, Albariño, and Chardonnay.
Just past the Village on the left is the Barnardus tasting room. The wines featured by this winery are made in a Bordeaux style. The owner, Ben Pon, is a Dutchman whose goal is to produce wines patterned after the famous Bordeaux region of France. The winery obtains its grapes from various vineyards in Monterey County but its flagship wine, Marinus, is estate grown in the Cachagua wine region of Carmel Valley. Marinus is a highly rated Bordeaux-style wine that is 75% Cabernet blend, 20% Merlot, with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc added to the mix. The tasting fee is $5, or $10 to taste the reserve line of wines. Nearby is the famous and luxurious Bernardus Lodge, also owned by Ben Pon.
Holman Ranch Vineyards has a tasting room at 19 East Carmel Valley Road in the White Oak Plaza. This is where most of the wine tasting is done for the Holman Ranch wines. The specialty wines at Holman are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These white and red wines are done in a Burgundian style. That means the wines taste, in many respects, as if you were drinking the wines made in Burgundy. The wines are all estate grown using sustainable farming. The wines are made up at the Holman Ranch. One can arrange for a tour and tasting at the Holman Ranch facility. It is magnificent there. There is also lodging available at Holman Ranch. Consult the Website for complete details for touring, tasting, and accommodation at Holman Ranch.
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