New Monterey
County wine industry measures up quite nicely
By Bill Hogan, Wide World of Golf
MONTEREY, Calif. (March 26, 2003) -- For many years, most
wine connoisseurs considered Monterey County wines as a second
rate to the more famous Napa Valley vintage. The production
volume and quality was not there, and even the best offerings
from the Carmel Valley couldn't measure up.
No longer. Say hello, world, to the new Monterey County
wine industry.
Today, Monterey County boasts over 45,000 acres planted,
with the most popular varietals being Chardonnay, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir, in descending order. Currently,
there are over 40 different varietals across the seven main
appellations.
Appellations are viticultural areas identified as truly
one-of-a-kind winegrowing districts. All Monterey County wine
production comes from one of these appellations: Monterey,
Santa Lucia Highlands, Arroyo Seco, San Luca, Hames Valley,
Chalone, and Carmel Valley.
Coincidentally, these areas also feature world class golf
courses, boutique hotels and some of the finest restaurants
in all of California.
My personal recommendation would be to stay in Carmel or
Carmel Valley and take short trips out to the wineries, in
between, of course, copious amounts of golf.
One
of my favorite hotels in Carmel is the historic La Playa Hotel,
a beautiful 100-year-old Mediterranean Villa located just
steps from the white sand Carmel Beach, yet close enough to
all the best Carmel restaurants and famed shopping. Few places
in California capture the true old world experience better
than La Playa, and yet, the average room rate is still under
$200.
If your travel budget is not as limited, consider the world-class
experience at The Bernardus Lodge located in the heart of
Carmel Valley. Here, the sun always shines and the resort
is built around the wine theme with acres of vineyard right
on property. The famed restaurant, Marinus, is captained by
the excellent chef Cal Stamenov. Your meal here will compare
to any fine dining experiences in California.
From La Playa Hotel or The Bernardus Lodge you are just
minutes from the small family-owned wineries in sunny Carmel
Valley, and the many golf courses of the Monterey Peninsula.
Let's start with the wine, because you can plan your rounds
of golf around the all important vineyard visits! Carmel Valley
Village, a small "country town" community about 12 miles inland
from Carmel, boasts a plethora of excellent tasting rooms
featuring the local wines.
Start
with Robert Talbott Vineyards, a family owned business (same
purveyors of the high quality neck ties) and producer of eight
brands (or labels) of wine, from fine Chardonnay's to quality
Pinot Noirs. Pound for pound, you can compare Talbott to the
best of the great burgundy style wine producers anywhere on
the west coast.
Bernardus Vineyards and Winery (same owner as the Bernardus
Lodge) is a local favorite, and noted for crisp and fruity
Chardonnays, as well as their own famed "Marinus", a "big
red" blend that is quickly becoming the rage of the valley.
Joullian, River Ranch, Heller and Durney are four other
excellent producers in the region, all with quaint tasting
rooms in the heart of the Village. (See montereywines.org
for a complete listing of the local Monterey County wine industry).
A short drive the Salinas Valley opens the door of many
other fine Monterey County wines, not to mention the farmlands
of Steinbeck country and the John Steinbeck museum in Salinas.
The best of these producers include Chalone, Hahn, Smith &
Hook, Morgan and Lockwood.
My restaurant recommendations? Make sure to include the Marinus
Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge, and a visit to provincial Corkscrew
Cafι in Carmel Valley. For a great steak, drop in at Wills
Fargo, an old saloon type establishment popular with the local
crowd for many years.
In Carmel, my favorite is Bouchee, a high-class newcomer
that features a creative California-style menu that is among
the finest in the entire state, and their own in-house wine
shop and wine bar. Casanova, a old world European favorite,
has been a Carmel class-act for many years and now features
Vincent Van Gough's table as an added attraction (as if it
needed it!).
Monterey is famous for the great fish caught in the bay,
and the top restaurants include The Sardine Factory on Cannery
Row, and the great Fresh Cream Restaurant near Fisherman's
Wharf. Both feature excellent wine lists (Wine Spectator Awards)
with a heavy emphasis on the Monterey County varietals. Locals
who don't want to break the bank head to The Sandbar and Grill,
a waterfront fish house on Fisherman's Wharf Pier Two where
the catch of the day was loaded off the fishing boats just
down the dock.
Now that you have a place to sleep, eat and drink, how about
a round of golf? Besides the four great Pebble Beach Resort
courses (where you pretty much have to stay in their expensive
rooms to play), there are some 27 other courses in the area.
Among
our favorites is Quail Lodge, a walker-friendly semi-private
course in Carmel Valley. With the new clubhouse under construction
and scheduled for completion in June 2003, there are some
special green fee rates here for the time being. Carmel Valley
Ranch, just down the road, is hilly and to some, a little
tricked up, but nonetheless still a very fun experience because
of the panoramic views and abundant wildlife on the course.
Both valley courses offer lots of sunshine (beware: the coast
can be foggy in the summer!) and lush fairways.
Poppy Hills, one of the three courses used for the annual
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am, is open to the public and
offers a prime Del Monte Forest experience just shy of Spyglass
Hill. Black Horse and Bayonet, two courses overlooking the
ocean in Seaside, host the annual PGA Tour Qualifying and
a Nationwide Tour event and both get high grades for value
and quality.
If you have some connections, try to arrange a game at Clint
Eastwood's private Tehama GC, or the Jack Nicklaus designed
Pasadera CC, two newcomers on the Peninsula that are always
kept in pristine condition and offering two of the most spectacular
clubhouses you'll find anywhere.
If you have some really, really, REALLY good connections,
which happen to have affluent bloodlines dating back to the
Mayflower, call in a favor and try to get a round at Cypress
Point Club or one of the two courses at Monterey Peninsula
Country Club. Any of these three golf courses will bust your
fun meter by the third hole.
What other courses should you consider? We can't name them
all, but San Juan Oaks is an excellent Fred Couples design
in nearby San Juan Bautista, and Old Del Monte and Pacific
Grove Golf Links are high quality, low price favorites in
Monterey and Pacific Grove, respectively.
Regardless of your budget, the Monterey Peninsula area of
central California offers the right mix of accommodations,
wine, restaurants, and golf courses to satisfy any appetite.
From distinguished connoisseurs to wanna-be wine snobs in
training, Monterey County can measure up to anyone.
Bill Hogan is President of Wide World of Golf which has
provided luxury golf vacations around the globe since 1957
(see www.wideworldofgolf.com). For packages on the Monterey
Peninsula, go to www.golfmonterey.net.
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