Weekend Winery Trip to Carmel, CA

I shared a Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic recipe made with a fantastic bottle of Will’s Fargo’s Pinot Gris today. This post is all about our awesome weekend in Carmel, CA we were able to enjoy thanks to a great media trip were were invited on.

Holman Ranch is located in Carmel Valley and though it isn’t open to the public they are available for special events and weddings. 

The grounds are beautiful and bountiful, with over 18 acres of vineyards, a beautiful pond, horse stables, olive groves and eight beautifully appointed rooms. They are currently producing Chardonnay, Pino Gris (which I used in my recipe) and Pino Noir (that I used in my upcoming Coq Au Vin recipe).  
There is also a great winery tasting room located in town just a short drive from the winery where you can go and taste all the delicious wines (Their tasting room is located at 19 E Carmel Valley Road).

The wine is hand picked, ferments in 100 French Oak Barrels and is organic. They age in a cave built into the hillside of the grounds which maintains the perfect temperature while preserving energy. We were led on a tour of the property and cave by proprietor Nick Elliott. 

They also are cautious to preserve the quality of their wines, by ensuring the vines are receiving as much water as needed. In the worst of the drought just over half the same amount of wine was bottled to ensure the quality of the wine was up to the standards of winemaker Greg Vita.

We also enjoyed a fantastic modern American meal that evening at Wills Fargo Steakhouse and Bar, with Nick and his wife, Hunter Lowder, who run Holman Ranch and Will’s Fargo. Chef Greg Karjala had just taken over the reins of the restaurant and they had done a major refresh in the previous months. The food was amazing.

We enjoyed dishes like Grilled Kale Caesar Salad  Pinot Noir Braised Short Ribs corn and lime salad, housemade pickles and chocolate lava cake all deliciously paired with wines from Holman Ranch’s Jarman line.

Prior to our stay at Holman Ranch we enjoyed a stay at Hofsa’s House in downtown Carmel as well. Just a short five minute walk to the main part of town and short walk to the beach, Hofsa’s House was a nice hidden away gem in the hills of Carmel.

Our room was on the top floor, with a view of the ocean. A wood burning fireplace, kitchen and quaint furnishings. It was easy to disconnect from our normal crazy lives in such a cozy, romantic atmosphere. 

The hotel is located three blocks north of Ocean Avenue, eight blocks from the picturesque white sand Carmel beach and one block from a child-friendly City park. Enjoy a continental breakfast in the morning with French Roast coffee, tea, fresh pastries delivered from a local bakery, juice and fruit. Other amenities include a heated swimming pool, dry saunas, view deck areas and free wireless Internet access. Some rooms are dog friendly.

Our weekend in Carmel, CA was complimentary but all opinions are my own.