One of the highlights of my Carmel-By-The-Sea wine tasting experiences was at Caraccioli Cellars on Dolores between Ocean and 7th (for those of you who don't already know, Carmel doesn't have any numbered addresses!) Caraccioli is a new edition--like most of the tasting rooms--to downtown Carmel, and a welcome edition it is! I tasted a flight of6 of their wines, two sparklings, two Chardonnays, and two Pinot Noirs--and they were all delicious! Their wines are not, however, for the bargain wine buyer, falling in the $30-$60 range. But the tasting was very generous, and in a lively, modern-sheik ambiance.
Some of the other wineries I visited downtown were Winfield Gallery/Figge Cellars--I love the wine/art combo!; Cima Collina--extremely friendly tasting room host Allie; and Pepe's Vino Napoli.
One of my favorite tasting stops in Carmel-By-The-Sea, wasn't wine at all! The Cheese Shop in Carmel Plaza is filled with more cheese than you can possibly fathom, with free tastings of about 5-7 of them. Though I just tried the cheese here, they do also feature a wine bar at the rear of the shop. After all the two are inevitable partners!
On day two I ventured into the beautiful Carmel Valley. I had never been here before and was pleasantly surprised with the lush, country-esque feel of the valley. There is quite the wine tasting village in the small town of Carmel Valley. I was only able to stop at two, but loved the different styles of the tasting rooms at Joullian--more quaint and country, and Joyce--hip and warehouse-like. You'll definitely see which is which. Both, though are equally worth stopping through for a taste!
Stay tuned for part two of my wine/food/travel adventure. To come: Cannery Row Walk, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the restaurant I was dying to try so much so that I headed BACK to Carmel-By-The-Sea!
Cheers,
LW
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