Where to drink well in Carmel-by-the-Sea by the glass and the bottle: natural, classical, and worth the cab fare.
Wine bars in Carmel-by-the-Sea. natural, classical, and the grower-focused rooms worth the cab fare.
Caraccioli Cellars pours its Santa Lucia Highlands sparkling wines at a marble bar on Dolores Street in Carmel, open seven days for tastings.
Signature pour: The house sparkling that opens most visits
Wine focus: Santa Lucia Highlands sparkling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Tip: Start the village wine walk here with bubbles; the room is intimate, so parties above four should call ahead for a reservation.
Albatross Ridge pours the Bowlus family's estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Dolores Street in Carmel, staying open until 20:00 at the weekend.
Signature pour: Estate Pinot Noir from the family's Carmel Valley ridge
Wine focus: Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown seven miles from the coast
Tip: Walk-ins are welcome, but weekend evenings fill; it is one of the later-pouring rooms, useful once the 18:00 closers wind down.
De Tierra Vineyards runs a dog-friendly tasting room at Mission and 5th in Carmel, pouring Monterey County wines with acoustic sets on Sundays.
Signature pour: The Pinot Noir that keeps winning the local Golden Pine Cone
Wine focus: Monterey County single varietals, blends, sparkling and dessert wines
Tip: Sundays bring a local musician from 15:00 to 17:00, and the room stays family and dog friendly; small bites are locally sourced.
Silvestri Vineyards pours estate-grown Carmel Valley wines at its 7th Avenue tasting room in Carmel, open daily from noon for walk-in flights.
Signature pour: Estate Pinot Noir from the family's Carmel Valley vineyard
Wine focus: Estate-grown Carmel Valley Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Barbera
Tip: The estate list runs from Pinot Blanc through Barbera to Cabernet, wider than most village rooms; taste across it rather than deep.
Windy Oaks pours its estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Lincoln Street in Carmel, a quieter tasting room a block off the Ocean Avenue current.
Signature pour: Estate Pinot Noir flight
Wine focus: Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with sparkling and local varietals
Tip: Fridays and Saturdays it pours until 19:00; the Lincoln Street location keeps it calmer than the Dolores Street rooms at weekends.
Scheid Vineyards keeps a corner tasting room at San Carlos and 7th in Carmel, pouring estate bottlings from across Monterey County until evening.
Signature pour: A cross-appellation estate flight
Wine focus: Estate wines spanning Monterey County's growing regions
Tip: One of the last rooms open at 20:00 on weekends; it closes only Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, so holidays default here.
Dawn's Dream Winery pours hand-crafted small-lot wines at 7th and San Carlos in Carmel, a boutique room with a giving-focused house mission.
Signature pour: The current small-lot Pinot Noir release
Wine focus: Hand-crafted small-lot wines from a woman-led local house
Tip: The corner sits opposite Scheid's room, which makes 7th and San Carlos the shortest two-stop tasting walk in the village.