Monterey’s hippest tasting rooms
Hers was the latest Live in the Vines concert at Folktale Winery in Carmel Valley, and it didn’t disappoint: A sold-out crowd of more than 250 packed the big barrel room, and carefully tuned acoustics and lighting paired nicely with tastes of estate wines.
Folktale and its youthful leadership team sit at the vanguard of vineyards doing everything they can to make the wine-tasting experience as social and accessible as possible.
In the welcoming “wine garden,” visitors can taste at tables or on pillows under courtyard trees, around the fire pits or on the lawn.
Wines are served in tasting flights, by the glass or bottle, with optional food pairings from local shops such as the Cheese Shop, Salumeria Luca, Lula’s Chocolates and Monterey Meringues.
Hospitality nights on the first Monday of every month feature local wineries like Chesebro and Mercy pouring alongside Folktale and restaurants and purveyors such as Mundaka, Corkscrew Bistro and Happy Girl Kitchen furnishing food to go with giant Jenga and beer pong games.
Creator, sommelier and wine director Pablo Antinao, a native of Chile, curates a dynamic international selection of wines from boutique wineries the world over — European sparklings, aromatic whites from Germany, New Zealand, Chile and more, a range of reds, with 40 tastes by the glass and bottle, plus some ciders and beers — to go with smart and zesty Latin American-leaning tapas like fontina empanadas, abalone ceviche, baked razor clams and lamb tacos on purple corn tortillas.
Pablo Neruda poetry, big windows, industrial-design lighting fixtures, recycled bar stools from Indonesia and contemporary art from California, Chile and Hong Kong feed the hip feel. 420 Tyler St., Monterey; (831) 233-2286. www.bakaiwinebar.com.
Road House came online last year, with the same leafy patio and cozy tasting bar of its predecessor, Ventana Vineyards.
The space was remodeled; add-ons include a private party room, and a second, bigger tasting bar and parlor overlooking the duck pond.
Named for the lengths of wood bound to form a wine barrel, it’s a smart combination of wine lounge, wine shop and Pebble Beach swanky style, with a fireplace; lots of rich, dark wood; soft lighting; and bar stools, tables and lounge chairs.
Chef Dory Ford’s Aqua Terra Culinary team does superb food too, including bacon-wrapped dates, spicy goat nachos and smoked salmon on avocado blini. 700 Cannery Row, Suite KK, Monterey; (831) 646-5446.
Debuting this fall, TWE honors owner-operator Brent Virgin’s vision for a place that balances tasting with instruction and social interaction — what he calls an “entertaining, engaging and educational” experience.
The tasting room can hold 40 people, and a second space can host 15 wine students and the gear to blend and label their own wine.
Wall-mounted kegs of local wine make the seminars and/or parties possible (they include introduction to wine drinking, history of wine, wine sensory analysis, wine and food pairing and more).
Chef Joshua Clever does a limited menu of small plates such as the truffle mac and cheese and a potato, leek and fennel soup. 381 Cannery Row, Monterey; (831) 324-4974.