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Wine & Spirits

*** * ***

Carmel Valley uncorked

REGION ATTRACTS WINE-TASTING CROWD

By Laurie Daniel
Special to the Mercury News

CARMEL VALLEY - With more than 41,000 acres of vines -- nearly as many as Napa -- Monterey County is a major player in the California wine industry. But unlike Napa, Monterey has never been synonymous with wine country travel.

That may be starting to change. These days, Carmel Valley has enough tasting rooms to qualify as a wine destination.

There are other attractions, as well. Pastoral surroundings. Golf at several superb courses. Hiking at Garland Ranch Regional Park. And an average of 283 sunny days a year, according to the chamber of commerce.

When the Monterey Peninsula is socked in by fog in the summer, says Jack Galante, owner of Galante Vineyards in Carmel Valley, ``people are recognizing that Carmel Valley is a great place to stay in the sun.''

Although Monterey County is probably best known for chardonnay, a grape that favors cool climates, much of Carmel Valley is red wine country -- specifically the red Bordeaux grape varieties.

Commercial grape growing began here in 1968, when Bill Durney planted 40 acres of cabernet sauvignon in the remote section known as Cachagua Valley, southeast of Carmel Valley Village. In 1983, the Carmel Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area, the official U.S. term for an appellation) was approved. It's about 13 miles long, encompassing about 19,000 acres; only about 330 acres are planted with vineyards.

The western end of the appellation is cool enough for chardonnay -- Robert Talbott's famous chardonnay vineyard, Diamond T Estate, is just to the west of the AVA's boundary -- but as you move farther inland, the contours of the valley block much of the coastal influence. Daytime temperatures are warm enough to ripen cabernet sauvignon, but nights are cold enough to preserve acidity in the grapes.

In much of Monterey County, tasting rooms are far apart, even downright remote. Even in Carmel Valley, visiting several wineries used to require negotiating the twists and turns of Cachagua Road -- particularly challenging after a couple of glasses of wine. So most of those wineries set up tasting rooms in Carmel Valley Village, joined by a few wineries from elsewhere in Monterey.

From the South Bay, it's possible to visit all the Carmel Valley tasting rooms in a longish day trip. But there's enough to do to warrant an overnight visit, and accommodations range from simple but attractive motels to country inns to the luxurious Bernardus Lodge.

Most people approach Carmel Valley from the Monterey Peninsula. Turn off Highway 1 onto Carmel Valley Road. After passing a busy shopping area, the road runs southeast along the Carmel River through a picturesque valley that's a mix of ranches, homes and a few commercial areas.

Consider starting your Carmel Valley wine tour with a stop for food at the Earthbound Farm farm stand, 7250 Carmel Valley Road, which reopens next month. The stand sells organic produce from the company's Carmel Valley farm next door. If you want to pick your own, there are organized harvest walks and chef walks (the latter includes a cooking demonstration) on Saturdays. (Information: (831) 625-6219 or www.ebfarm.com.)

Once your cooler is packed, it's time for wine. The first tasting room -- at Chateau Julien, about 5 1/2 miles from Highway 1 -- isn't actually in the Carmel Valley AVA. Bob and Patty Brower started their winery in 1982; the wines were made in a Monterey warehouse while the chateau was being built. Today, there's a beautiful 16-acre estate, along with vineyards, gardens and, of course, the chateau itself, which houses the spacious, high-ceilinged tasting room. A partly underground chai for barrel storage was added in spring 1988. The fancy facilities play host to monthly special events, ranging from cooking classes to winemaker dinners; check www.chateaujulien.com for details. The winery grounds are also a nice spot for a picnic.

From Chateau Julien, continue on Carmel Valley Road. At the intersection with Laureles Grade, in about 4 1/2 miles, is the luxurious Bernardus Lodge, the best reason to spend the night in Carmel Valley. The lodge's restaurant, Marinus, is among the tops in the Monterey area, and after one of chef Cal Stamenov's terrific meals, the best course of action is to simply waddle back to one of the comfortable guest rooms.

A short distance farther is Carmel Valley Village, home to half a dozen tasting rooms. Heller Estate -- formerly Durney Vineyards and best known for cabernet sauvignon -- is easy to spot because of the modern sculpture outside, the work of well-known sculptor Toby Heller, wife of one of the current owners, Gilbert Heller.

When Bill Durney planted his first cabernet in Cachagua Valley, it may have seemed an odd choice. Monterey cabs in those days had the reputation for being too vegetal, largely because many of the vines were planted in areas that are too cool to ripen the grapes properly. Durney Vineyards released its first cabernets in the late '70s, and it took a while for consumers to notice that these wines were different -- big, ripe and built to age. After Durney died and the winery was sold, the wines hit an uneven patch. But the cabernet, in particular, is back on track. All the grapes are cultivated organically.

Less than a block up the road is the tasting room for Robert Talbott Vineyards, specializing in chardonnay and pinot noir. Robb Talbott, of high-end necktie fame, founded his winery in 1982, when he and his wife, Cynthia, began planting chardonnay at their rocky Diamond T Estate vineyard, just off Laureles Grade.

In addition to the intense, long-lived Diamond T chardonnay, Talbott produces chardonnays and pinot noirs from his Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, near Gonzales; the winery is also at Sleepy Hollow. Talbott's tasting room offers a number of gift items, including neckwear and related items from the family business. (The Robert Talbott Factory Outlet is also nearby, in the Village Center off Chambers Lane.)

Around the corner, in an old adobe building with beautiful gardens, is the tasting room for Georis Winery. Walter Georis, a musician and the owner of Casanova restaurant in Carmel, planted his vineyard in the Cachagua Valley in the early '80s. Georis is best known for full-bodied merlot, but the winery also produces cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and a few other wines, including Vincent, a blend that's a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. Tasting here is a little more elaborate and is accompanied by cheese.

Another Cachagua Valley winery, Joullian Vineyards, has an attractive tasting room half a block off Carmel Valley Road. The vineyard, purchased in 1981, is planted with Bordeaux varieties, both red and white, and zinfandel. Winemaker Ridge Watson also makes chardonnay from grapes grown in the Salinas Valley. The estate on Cachagua Road is open to the public only during the winery's Saturday open houses, held seasonally. It's a beautiful spot and worth a visit; check www.joullian.com for details.

Bernardus Winery's flagship wine is Marinus, a Bordeaux-style red blend that takes its name from owner Bernardus ``Ben'' Marinus Pon, a Dutchman who used to race cars for Porsche and competed in skeet shooting in the 1972 Olympics. He founded his winery in the Cachagua Valley in 1990, with the goal of making a red wine equal to the finest from Bordeaux. He hasn't quite achieved that, but the Marinus is outstanding. The chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, made from purchased grapes, are also very good.

If you want a break from tasting, Carmel Valley Village has plenty of shopping. But if it's more tasting you want, the village has two more tasting rooms: Chateau Sinnet, near the Talbott's outlet, and San Saba Vineyard, on the edge of town. Also at the edge of town is Parsonage Village Vineyard, which may be visited by appointment.

Unlike his Cachagua Valley neighbors, Jack Galante never opened a tasting room in the village. To taste his terrific cabernet sauvignons -- he has three of them -- you'll have to make the drive out to the winery, situated on a huge ranch where cattle and roses are also raised. Tastings at Galante Vineyards are by appointment, and the winery also has a number of special events, such as concerts and open houses. Check www.galantevineyards.com for more information.

IF YOU GO

The wineries:

Chateau Julien, 8940 Carmel Valley Road; (831) 624-2600; www.chateaujulien.com. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. $5 tasting charge; free tours twice daily by reservation.

Heller Estate, 69 W. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-6220; www.durneywines.com. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays. $3 tasting charge.

Robert Talbott Vineyards, 53 W. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-3500; www.talbottvineyards.com. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in summer; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays-Tuesdays off-season. $3 tasting charge.

Georis Winery, 4 Pilot Road; (831) 659-1050; www.georiswine.com. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. New-release tasting is $10; grand tasting is $15. Both include cheese.

Joullian Vineyards, 2 Village Drive, Suite A; (831) 659-8100; www.joullian.com. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. $3 tasting charge.

Bernardus Winery, 5 W. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-1900; www.bernardus.com. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. $5 tasting charge; reserve tasting for $10.

Chateau Sinnet, 13746 Center St.; (831) 659-2244; www.chateausinnet.com. Open noon-5 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, noon-6 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. $3 charge for tasting.

San Saba Vineyard, 19 E. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-7322; www.sansaba.com. Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays in summer, noon-5 p.m. Fridays-Sundays off-season. $3.50 charge for tasting.

Parsonage Village Vineyard, 74 E. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-2215; www.parsonagewine.com. By appointment only.

Galante Vineyards, 18181 Cachagua Road; (800) 425-2683; www.galantevineyards.com. By appointment only.

Where to stay:

Bernardus Lodge, 416 Carmel Valley Road; (831) 658-3400; www.bernardus.com. Rates range from $370 to more than $1,000 for a suite, depending on the season. Spa services available.

Los Laureles Lodge, 313 W. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-2233; www.loslaureles.com. Historical buildings with modern amenities. Rates range from $110 to as much as $460 for a suite, depending on the season.

There are also a number of other resorts, motels and inns in the area. Several are listed at www.carmelvalleycalifornia.com.

Where to eat:

Marinus at Bernardus Lodge, 416 Carmel Valley Road; (831) 658-3400. Stellar (and expensive) cuisine from chef Cal Stamenov, and an extensive wine list. Dinner daily. Bernardus also has the more informal Wickets Bistro, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with outdoor seating available.

Cafe Rustica, 10 Delfino Place; (831) 659-4444. Lunch and dinner Thursdays-Tuesdays. Moderately priced food with a Mediterranean flavor. Good wine list. Outdoor seating.

Corkscrew Cafe, 55 W. Carmel Valley Road; (831) 659-8888. Lunch daily.

Locals also like the down-home cooking at the New Summerhouse, 6 Pilot Road; (831) 659-5020. Lunch and dinner weekdays (closed Tuesdays); brunch and dinner weekends. Outdoor seating.

More information: Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association, www.montereywines.org.

Back to Wine Index

Courtesy of San Jose Mercury News

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