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.

Recently visited Folktale winery with friends. We took a tour of the winery that was amazing! Sha…read moreour tour guide does an exceptional job. Not only Is she very articulate but is also very knowledgeable about the wine making process. From taking us through the vineyard to eat grapes from the vine to a full tour of the winery itself, Sha explains the process in a way anybody could understand. The tastings along the tour were plentiful and very good! If your local or from out of town it's worth stopping in! If you're fortunate enough to be in love, it's also a great wedding venue!

Sarah was the most amazing sommelier that I have ever had. She was kind, hospitable, and as a…read morevisitor she made me feel at home. I am a farmer and she taught me so much about wine, which compliments my career. I wish every server was like Sarah!! Dan and Nick were awesome too! What service! It made my day.

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.

Unfortunately, didn't get to experience Cowgirl Winery due to poor customer service. Kind woman let…read moreus in the front 15 minutes before opening (we had thought it was open earlier). We walked in and didn't expect to get served right away, but a bald man in the front said "how did you even get in here?" We left and came to Folktale winery 10 min away. Sure the wine would've been great, but maybe not the service.

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.)

I was really hoping this would be a more positive review, so it was unfortunate to experience what…read morewe did. The gentleman working as the cashier was extremely rude and unprofessional. Our group had parked in the small strip nearby and was simply looking for something fun to do after having a great weekend in Carmel. While we were ordering additional items, he stated that he had overheard us talking about our weekend and then made accusations that we had previously made reservations and supposedly canceled them to avoid a large-group fee. After reflecting on the interaction and speaking with our entire group, we want to be very clear: we never made a reservation. His claims were completely false and, quite honestly, disheartening. What was most concerning was the way he approached the situation. Rather than calmly asking questions or clarifying the circumstances, he became increasingly aggressive and confrontational while making accusations that were simply not true. Our entire group completely understands that businesses have policies and fees, and we have no issue respecting those policies. What we do have an issue with is being confronted and spoken to in such an aggressive and unprofessional manner over something that did not happen. Unfortunately, his demeanor throughout the interaction was consistently negative, and the experience left a very poor impression on our entire group. When you're working in a customer-facing position, professionalism, patience, and basic courtesy are extremely important. I sincerely hope management takes the time to address this, as the interaction overshadowed what otherwise could have been a nice experience.

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.

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.

My wife and I enjoyed wine tasting at Twisted Roots today. Aubrey was our hostess and did a good…read morejob pouring and telling about each wine. We learned that all of their wines are made from grapes grown in Lodi, not Monterey County. Consequently they have a diverse selection of red wines not typically found in Monterey County. Although our favorites were the two sparkling wines (a rose and a Brut) and their Sauvignon Blanc. We also met the Owner/Winemaker Josh, a very personable guy. If you are looking for a wide variety of well made wine, Twisted Roots is a good wine tasting stop in Carmel Valley Village.

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.

My wife and I stopped in for wine tasting today at Big Sur Vineyards. We were greeted by our host…read moreand Owner Lenora. She was a great host and we enjoyed all 6 wines we tasted. Big Sur Vineyards sources most (if not all) of their wines from Sonoma Valley. 1 sparkling rose wine (made with Merlot) and very yummy, 2 white varietals, and 3 reds. Her price point is very reasonable on each wine we tasted. It was a very pleasant surprise. We have tasted at almost all of the tasting rooms in Carmel Valley Village. In my opinion, Lenora has acquired the best tasting wines sold in the village at the most reasonable price point. Check it out!

We walked in a little after 5 and at the moment were the only ones.. (They are open til 6.)…read moreThat didn't hold as more people walked in like 10 minutes later. They are next to a bistro that you can order some nibbles to go with your tasting if you want. We shared a tasting as we didn't each need our own glass. Their Rose was spectacular! And get this....it's made from Cabernet Sauvignon. I'd never had a Rose like this before. It was fruit forward, well rounded and medium bodied mouth feel but "light" .... It drank smoothly and beautifully. This is a crave-able wine. Definitely make time to stop here and try their wines.

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