As we put a cork on this year, we celebrate bubbles. I celebrate Madame Bollinger for her wonderfully wise words: "I drink champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if...
Carmel
Rentals in Carmel
It is pretty clear hiking around Carmel that most of the residences are empty. Word on the street is that people in warmer climates buy them just to live in during the cooler coastal summers. At a local watering hole, I met a very interesting writer who predicted I'd...
Dawn’s Dream Winery
Admit that you're sometimes drawn into a tasting room by the way it looks. When the wine doesn't live up to those expectations, chalk it up to a life lesson and quit letting your eyes judge. Dawn's Dream Winery delivers on both beauty and quality. A fabulously...
Scheid
Bet you thought those vineyards and wineries on the 101 in Greenfield are pretty new. But Scheid Vineyards has been growing grapes there since 1972. That corridor that parallels the 101 has unique weather patterns with ocean air flowing from the Northwest to...
Galante
The maverick of wine producers in Carmel-by-the-Sea is no doubt Galante Vineyards because it was not only the first tasting room to open here, it remains one of the few to pour different varietals. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay naturally thrive in any coastal region and...
Figge
The people at Figge have vineyard experience all over yet they chose Monterey County to make their boutique hand-crafted wines. They're also proud to explain why they choose this coastal climate. You may think Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive on the Sonoma Coast or...
Caraccioli
A nice refreshing change of pace during your Carmel wine tasting is Caraccioli for their amazing bubbles. These are not just sparkling wines, suds, or sweet sparklers. These sparkling wines could not be more French. Not only is the winemaker from France, he gained his...
Wrath
Probably the biggest surprise from Monterey County wines is how multifaceted and deliciously versatile their Pinot Noirs have become. Reading about how similar the Santa Rita Hills are to Burgundy, one assumes those are the tops. While they are delightful in their...
Mission Ranch
For a chance to gaze hungrily at Dirty Harry in the flesh, and you know you want to, head to Mission Ranch, his restaurant/inn/sheep ranch, known to locals as "The Mission." Clint Eastwood is often spotted on site and sometimes even plays piano in the restaurant's...
Albatross Ridge
Tourists from all parts are drawn to the coast like they've never seen the color blue before. Whatever language they speak, there's something about gazing out at the land's end that makes them stop and sigh. Cool ocean breezes and a mist in the air is also what Pinot...