Carmel and Big Sur!
My husband and I headed to Carmel recently for some R&R. We wanted to explore Point Lobos and Big Sur, and therefore knew that we wouldn’t have much time to explore some of the many wineries scattered about in this region. We did, however, want to stock up on wine for our room and for our forthcoming picnics, so we headed to a couple tasting rooms located right in the heart of Carmel.
Our first visit was Wrath. I’d had some of their wines before and knew that we would be able to find a good Pinot Noir there. Wrath’s tasting room is located at the Carmel Plaza, right next to The Cheese Shop! How convenient! A one stop shopping experience for picnic supplies! The gal pouring for us was great. She was helping out that day in their modern tasting room, and works in Wrath’s Marketing Department. 
We started with a couple of Chardonnays, one aged in stainless steel and the other aged in oak. The 2012 Ex Anima Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel and rested on the lees for four months. With no oak influence, this wine has tropical fruit aromas and pear on the palate. At only $19 per bottle, this wine rocked.
The 2011 3 Clone Chardonnay was aged in new French oak (60% new). There was baked apple, cinnamon and butterscotch on the 3 Clone, with nice acidity. The name comes from the fact that this wine is a blend of three old-vine Chardonnay clones (Mt. Eden, Wente, and Clone 4) from Wrath’s estate vineyard. The Chardonnays were both delicious, so we bought some of each.
We then moved on to their lovely Pinot Noirs. Our favorite was the 2010 Swan/828 (again, a blend of those two Pinot Noir clones), which has fresh red fruit as well as a wonderful earthiness that I love so much. We bought some of these too!
Morgan was next up. Located in the Carmel Crossroads shopping center, they have a cute tasting room called “Taste Morgan”, but the personnel weren’t very warm and fuzzy. The wines are pretty good though. I’ve had some of their Rhone blends in the past, as well as some of their Pinot Noirs. We bought a couple bottles of their G17 Syrah, as well as their Lee Family Farm Tempranillo. They had a Highland Chardonnay and a Rosella’s Chardonnay that I liked a lot too, as well as an interesting Albarino. This could be a really fun place if only the staff had a more pleasant outlook on their job.
Our lodging was a return visit to the beautiful Tickle Pink Inn in Carmel Highlands. This oceanfront hotel sits dramatically above the rocky Pacific coastline, each room having a private balcony with spectacular views. We spent most of our time on our balcony with a glass of wine and a plate of cheeses! We were in heaven! We had some lovely seagulls drop in for visits as well. If you have plans to visit Carmel, I highly recommend staying here.
On our last full day in the area we had a fabulous 3-hour lunch in Big Sur. We dined at Nepenthe, a casual but wonderful restaurant with amazing views. The food was great, the service wonderful, and the wine list awesome! Not only is their list extensive, but also the prices are great. The sommelier explained that once the wine is placed on the list it is priced. That price never changes. The wines are well stored, so one can find some gems. We enjoyed a bottle of 2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée while watching waves of the Pacific Ocean crash into the mountains. Be sure to check out this wonderful restaurant that won’t set you too far back financially!
The next day, on our way out of Carmel and headed toward the Sierra Foothills, we stopped for a tasting of McIntyre wines. A friend from France who works for a winery in Châteauneuf du Pape suggested we try their wines, so we didn’t want to miss them. After googling them, I discovered that one can experience McIntyre’s wines in the lobby of the Hyatt Monterey Bay. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced a wine tasting room in the lobby of a hotel, but it worked! They do some nice wines, especially their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
It was hard to leave this beautiful region, but it was time to move on to visit the Sierra Foothills. We had more areas to explore and more wines to taste!