Eric Ewers, wine director at Grasing’s, one of Carmel’s most notable restaurants and winner of Wine Spectator Grand Awards in 2024 and 2025, stocks Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc sourced from Griva, among other wines from area wineries or those using Monterey County grapes. “Most of Monterey County’s fruit is exported,” Sidener points out. “Napa will buy a ton of Monterey fruit. As long as they keep it at 24.9 percent [of the blend], they don’t have to tell you.” Birkemeier agrees that Pisoni, Roar and Caraccioli belong in personal wine cellars. But Monterey County (and other regions beyond Napa and Sonoma) attract a number of younger winemakers. Startup labels must get wines to the shelves in order to get some income flowing, so collectors looking for cellarworthy bottles may be reasonably leery of these. However, some of the younger crop have an exceptional understanding of terroir and are highly skilled. “I would think I. Brand & Family would be a place to start,” Birkemeier says, referring to one of Ian Brand’s labels, which also includes a crowdpleasing Albariño from his La Marea line. San Francisco Chronicle deemed Brand the state’s Winemaker of the Year in 2018, when he began to assert his understanding of micro-climates and the grape varieties best suited for those small tracks, urging growers to swap out profitable grapes like Pinot Noir. There is a solid tier of wines from this younger generation that, like Brand has, are on the verge of similar recognition. Birkemeier suggests checking into Albatross Ridge and Pelio Estate. He laments that winemaker Junior Banuelas stepped away from the art, along with his fledgling Sling & Stone label (though there are still bottles around). He adds that Odonata produces a nice Malbec. Sidener tags on to the list a small but very promising label, Swirling Hawk. “There are other guys,” Sidener says, returning to established wineries, specifically Morgan’s consistently impressive Double L Vineyard and the work of Bill Parsons at Parsonage. “It’s definitely a little gem,” he says. “The Syrah holds up well.” There is also Galante, known for big, broad-shouldered reds that can be—and should be—cellared for a decade or more to expose their fineries. “But,” Birkemeier concludes, “if I’m looking for blue chip wines, it’s Pisoni, Roar and Caraccioli.” 22 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® HAVEN 2025-2026 Where Style & Inclusivity create unforgettable experiences Where Style & Inclusivity create unforgettable experiences (831) 717-8692 581 Pine Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950 thecharlespacificgrove.com (707) 257-0476 1556 Polk St Napa, CA 94559 thecharlesnapavalley.com Charles_1-2h_Haven2025_DG.indd 1 7/22/25 4:57 PM
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==