After a very disappointing experience at another winery nearby, Pelio Estate Wines completely saved…read moreour Mother's Day. From the very beginning, everything felt warm and welcoming. The hostess greeted us immediately with a complimentary splash of rosé and walked us to our table right away (no waiting, no confusion, just genuine hospitality!). Within minutes, our server came over and kindly offered us a few wines to try before ordering, which felt like a lovely mini tasting experience. We ended up ordering the Big Basket snacks, a bottle of Chardonnay for the table, drinks for the kids, and of course took a sparkling wine home with us as well. A small detail I especially appreciated: the wine box is simple cardboard without oversized branding or wasteful packaging - practical, elegant, and actually reusable. The atmosphere here is absolutely wonderful: a beautiful courtyard, soft music, charming decorations hanging in the trees, a cute swing, and some of the most gorgeous blooming bushes and landscaping we've seen at a winery. The entire place feels so thoughtfully maintained, peaceful, and inviting. We spent a couple of hours there without even wanting to go anywhere else afterward. We took so many photos and already know we'll definitely be back. Thank you, Holden, and the whole team for turning our day around.

Pelio Estate Wines is one of those rare Carmel Valley treasures that feels both beautifully refined…read moreand deeply rooted in place. Nestled along the rolling hills, the estate has an immediate sense of calm, quiet, elegant, and intentionally intimate. It's the kind of winery where the experience feels carefully curated, yet completely unpretentious. The wines themselves are exceptional. Pelio leans into cool-climate sophistication, producing whites and reds that are wonderfully balanced, expressive, and full of character. Their Pinot Noir is especially noteworthy, bright, layered, and gently complex, with a finish that feels almost coastal in its freshness. The Chardonnay is equally impressive: crisp, clean, and beautifully textured without ever being over-oaked. Every pour reflects thoughtful winemaking and the unique Carmel Valley microclimate. The staff is knowledgeable without being pushy, offering insights into the estate's philosophy, vineyard practices, and terroir with a genuine sense of enthusiasm. The setting, surrounded by vineyards, soft breezes, and sweeping valley views, makes it easy to linger. If you're exploring Carmel Valley's wine scene, Pelio Estate is an absolute must-visit.

Our experience at Folktale Winery & Vineyards was exceptional. The cuisine and service were both…read moreoutstanding, creating a memorable and welcoming atmosphere. Nick, our server, was particularly impressive--personable, attentive, and highly knowledgeable about the wines. His thoughtful recommendations and warm hospitality made our first visit truly special and inspired us to return. On our second visit, the experience was just as wonderful as the first. The live music added to the ambiance, and watching the sun set over the vineyards provided a spectacular and unforgettable backdrop. It's a beautiful setting paired with excellent service and food--an experience we would gladly repeat

Nick was our server today. He was so kind and knowledgeable in the wine. I have never been wine…read moretasting before and he made such good recommendations. He was nice, funny, and made this experience so nice. I appreciate the service and the ambiance of the winery. I would come back!

I've been to this lovely winery a few times over the years, including their previous location, and…read moretheir new spot is absolutely lovely. It's like walking into the secret garden, flowers and trees and water fountains around. If you're a girlie like me and into this aesthetic, you're going to love it! They have multiple little areas where you can sit in groups (they take reservations) & host little brunches/parties. The staff has always been kind. You can also order food from the restaurant. The wine, I must say, I don't like all of their wines, but there are a nice few. I personally prefer their cold whites and rose on a warm summer day. Their little shop is also super cute and makes for a cute photo op or to shop for some nice pieces. So, Grab your girlies and hit the valley for a nice time.

From the location to the service to the wine to the outdoor seating and music selection... we left…read moreafter a $500 tab between the two of us. We left with goodies from the store and often talk about how we can't wait to go back! The pizza from Corkscrew next door was the best pizza we've ever had. Hands down our favorite winery ever. We sat at our table, played cards and drank wine all afternoon. The best experience ever!!

Like most of the tasting rooms in Carmel Valley, they abut the main road through town, but unlike…read morethe other tasting rooms we visited once you pass through the gate in the rock wall to the front garden you won't see it. The garden is lovely with several seating areas and cornhole games to play. The tasting room itself is also lovely. We happened to be there for Easter Brunch and sat on the back patio which is equally as lovely. All of the staff were attentive, fast and friendly. We did a wine tasting after the brunch on the front patio and loved all the wine. Would def recommend.

Cute tasting room. Casual. Didn't get the feeling of being pretentious. GENEROUS pours during our…read moretasting which included 5 wines: rose, Chardonnay, 2 Pinots and a Syrah. Our host was attentive but allowed us time to enjoy the wines and chat in between, which I did appreciate. She also explained at the beginning of our tasting that they bring out new glasses for each wine. Therefore, no rush to guzzle our precious glass! Loved that she mentioned this! If you're in the Carmel Valley area, definitely book this place for a tasting!

We stopped by for a few glasses and a charcuterie plate, both were amazing! Sylvia was so nice and…read moretook great care of us. We made sure to order some wine with her before we left :)

Here at Boekenoogen Tasting Room on a rainy day. Lucky for this first, won't be last, timer that…read moretheir inviting patio was closed. Being inside, intimate and personable was the presentation of their wines. Loving the fact that this winery presents each wine glass by glass rather than the full flight all at once. The host was fabulous this day. Tidbits learned of the process and history of Carmel Valley's wines. Eight wines tasted. For one that prefers red, Boekenoogen's "Santa Lucia Highlands Estate 3-Clone Pinot Noir" stood out for me. Surprisingly I was also seduced by their "Stainless" Chardonnay. CHEERS!

We visited during a roadtrip the first part of April. The indoor and outdoor seating areas are…read moreunique and comfortable. There is a large, lanscaped outdoor space with many seating options and a Bocce Ball court. But as with most tasting rooms in Carmel Valley the outdoor areas abut the main road through town so there is some noise and not the views you might be used to when wine tasting near a vineyard. That said it was walking distance from our hotel and the town is easy to navigate. Service there means they bring all of the tastings in individual glasses at the same time so there is not much interaction with staff unless you buy something or ask a question. I had to ask about the backstory of the owners and staff didn't share much about the terrior of the wines. You can order food (maybe just pizza?) there from Corkscrew Cafe across the street where we ate later that night. (We didn't love the lemon prosciutto pizza we had but lots of food on table nearby looked delicious.)

Another great find driving up to Carmel Valley for the first time. Georis has a southwest vibe to…read moreit with nice outdoor seating among cactus and succulent gardens, and even a Bocce court. The hostess was very personable and took good care of us. They have a nice choice of tastings and all of the wines were excellent. There is also food available that is delivered from a restaurant across the street. We had an excellent Charcuterie Board that included generous portions of high-quality meats, cheeses, and accompaniments for a very good price. It was a great place to while away some time on a beautiful CA day. We definitely recommend stopping here.

My wife and I love visiting Scratch Wines. Today we were greeted by Maria who remembered us from…read moreprevious visits. She's tended the wine bar for years on and off and is always such a pleasure. The wines are definitely good for the price, and on hot days is an ideal Venus to cool off with a frozé. They have caviar, snacks and just a very open and welcoming atmosphere among the Wine House location in Carmel Valley. Thank you so much for always making ours a welcoming and memorable experience! Highly recommended.

The open air ambiance in the quiet courtyard off the main road was lovely. The interior is…read moreuniquely and nicely decorated with indoor, outdoor and bar seating. Service was fast and friendly. The staff was knowledgeable about the wines and the winemaker. I loved that the winemaker is a woman, but we only loved one of the wines and didn't buy anything unfortunately.

This was our first time visiting Carmel Valley after decades of visiting the Carmel area, and we…read morejust picked Twisted Roots because it's one of the first tasting rooms you hit driving into town and there was no parking in front of Georis where we intended to go (and walked to later). Turns out to have worked in our favor as we had a very good experience. JK, who is mentioned in other reviews, was an excellent host. We lucked out with not many patrons when we first got there, so we got pretty much all his attention. He did a great job of discussing the wines being poured, and gladly engaged in other conversation. The wines were excellent and the space was comfortable. There is also outdoor seating areas that looked nice. Definitely worth stopping at again in the future. There is a store just a few steps away where you can buy good crackers to have with your tasting.

This is one of the best wine tasting rooms in the valley. The Zinfandel and Petite Sirah were…read moreamazing. JK was a great host and gave us really informative backstories and descriptions about each wine. We really enjoyed our experience and are our looking forward to coming back. Twisted Roots was the highlight of our trip to Carmel! What a hidden gem!

Had a wine tasting vibe. Very clean and great atmosphere with local products…read more The hostess was very friendly and knowledgeable about the wines. Had a great experience here.

I had a wonderful experience yesterday with tasting room host Ondine. So much so, that I neglected…read moreto take photos of the cute tasting room as well as the various offering on and off the menu. Ondine was welcoming as well as captivating with her stories of the wine and her fondness of owner Lenora who we were disappointed to not be able to meet during our visit. Nonetheless, the wines were excellent, particularly the 2021 Malbec which was the standout for us. I highly recommend stopping in for a tasting. Cheers.

Highly recommend this hidden gem. Cynthia was an amazing host--welcoming, attentive, and so kind…read more The wine was absolutely delicious. Can't wait to come back!

Cynthia at the tasting room is the best! She is a wonderful storyteller and pours excellent wine…read morechoices