10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 16-22, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com The coffee bar at Carmel Valley Creamery quickly became popular. But when Sophie Hauville opened the shop seven months ago, coffee was not on her mind. Instead, it was wine and beer to pair with her small batch artisanal cheeses. Even before the French native first welcomed guests—fittingly on Bastille Day, 2024—to the village landmark, Hauville had applied with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for a Type 20 license, one that would allow her to sell wine and beer on a retail basis, for consumption offsite. Her plans for the future include a license for wine representatives to host tasting events, followed by a Type 41, allowing Hauville and her team to pour beer and wine on premises. “Every day people tell us they want to open a bottle of wine or beer,” she says—with a caveat. “It got complicated to get the wine license.” Hauville filed her paperwork with the state on May 7, 2024. A month later, a few residents protested the application. More than eight months later, the license is still pending. According to Hauville, the protest came from a small number of neighbors. When a few of them came in to check out the place, however, they dropped their objections. But one local resident remains firmly against alcohol sales. The ABC investigates each new license application. In the case of Carmel Valley Creamery, the department recommended approval of the license and on Oct. 8 issued an interim operating permit. This gives Hauville the right to sell bottles for take-away on a temporary basis. It expires on Feb. 4, at which point she will go before the ABC to settle the matter. Hauville says that she understands initial concerns. Tasting rooms often have live music or large gatherings, and the shop sits in a quiet part of town. It’s natural, she adds, for residents to wonder what will happen when a new business moves in. With a growing and diverse customer base—children coming in for ice cream, commuters for coffee, people looking for local artisanal products—Hauville’s shop is becoming a hub. “Now I’m hoping they see the value for the neighborhood,” she says. “Making cheese is time consuming. We don’t have time to be an entertainment venue.” The remaining protest highlights the number of beer and wine licenses that already exist in and near the village. There are currently 42 active on-premises restaurant, resort, catering or retail licenses alone. It is perhaps ironic that the historic structure—it opened in 1927 as the first business in Carmel Valley Village— housed a bar for several decades. William “Rosie” Henry purchased the property in 1939, operating it as a small general store, Rosie’s Cracker Barrel. He turned the back room, which is now Hauville’s office, into a six-stool dive. Hauville concedes that her plans for beer and wine sales may take some time. But two things are clear. “We don’t want to be a bar,” she says. And the shop has found a niche: “It’s not stopped us from doing well. We’ve been selling out constantly.” License to Nil A protest has delayed a retail wine and beer license for Carmel Valley Creamery. By Dave Faries The California Alcoholic Beverage Control department granted Sophia Hauville a temporary off-premises license. Meanwhile, her shop has become a local favorite. NEWS “I’m hoping they see the value for the neighborhood.” DANIEL DREIFUSS PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES ALL YEAR LONG! THE CITY OF MONTEREY FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.GOV/REC (831) 646-3866 SCAN ME! play! MONTEREY PRESCHOOL ADULT & SENIOR PROGRAMS ADULT SPORTS LEAGUES GYMNASTICS YOUTH DANCE CLASSES SCHOOL BREAK & SUMMER CAMPS YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUES & CAMPS AND MUCH MORE! WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH partners4peace.org #p4pmc
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