Rediscovering Carmel-by-the-Sea

Blog Review by Sharon from Decanting Monterey I don’t spend nearly enough time wine tasting in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Part of it is our search for warmth and sun. Part of it is not wanting to deal with crowds of people and parking. I did make it to a couple of the Carmel-by-the-Sea tasting rooms during COVID, mostly to pick up specific wines for my weekly class. Now that things are truly open, I want to get there more often. When I needed to find a new groomer for my dog (that is a long, pandemic story), I thought, “This could be a win-win!” I dropped my dog at the groomer and walked to a couple of nearby tasting rooms. Perfect! When can he get groomed again? A year after my little guy was banned by one groomer, we struck gold! Today’s post is about Galante Vineyards . Galante was the first winery to open a tasting room in Carmel-by-the-Sea. We have visited them several times over the many years. I learned from Kaela that Jack’s great grandfather was actually the founder of Carmel-by-the-Sea! Their roots in the area run deep! According to their website, Jack’s parents bought a cattle ranch in Carmel Valley and began growing grapes (focused on Cabernet Sauvignon) in 1983. Over a decade later, Jack decided to build a winery and make his own wine. There is definitely a ranch/cowboy theme in his tasting room and in his wines! If you are a big red drinker, you will find something to please your palate at Galante! The ranch is located in the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley, home to several wineries large and small producing rich Bordeaux varietals. I contend that the climate and terroir of Cachagua result in some of the finest wines produced in Monterey County. I like my reds big – and the fruit in this region seems extra delicious. Today I am presenting 6 Galante red wines. The winery notes come from their website linked above.

I have been to tasting rooms throughout California’s wine regions and can say without hesitation that Galante is as intimate and relaxing a tasting room where I had the pleasure to taste. The best way to describe the tasting experience at Galante is to say it’s tough to leave. Sure, there are plenty of places to visit, but when you’re enjoying yourself and the wine is that good, why leave! The Galante Family has a long history in the Monterey area. Owner Jack Galante’s great grandfather, J.F. Devendorf, was the founder of the town of Carmel. He later built the Pine Inn and the prestigious Highlands Inn. In 1969, Jack’s parents purchased a 700-acre cattle ranch in rustic Carmel Valley. While still maintaining a working cattle ranch, the Galantes, in 1983, began growing premium grapes on their property, specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1994, Jack Galante decided to build a winery and use some of his grapes to produce ultra-premium estate bottled wines. Jack and his wife Dawn have both Galante and Dawn’s Dream – that opened five years ago. Look for a story on Dawn’s Dream in the next month here. To Jack, having a winery – or two – makes perfect sense. “I just drank heavily in college,” said Galante with a laugh as to why he started a winery. “Actually, it was a process of things. It was a natural field for me to go into.” As was the case with his family founding Carmel, Galante was the pace setter for wines in Carmel. They were the first tasting room to open in Carmel and with it, they brought a different perspective of what should make up a tasting room. Instead of being one of the grandiose facilities, Galante and his team opted for small and personal. “The whole thing to me is bring in the people you want to get to know,” said Galante. “To me, villas and chateaus are not real places for people to taste wine.” With so much going on the in the greater Monterey Peninsula, the growth, in terms of numbers and quality of wine in the area is often lost. Sometimes it takes extenuating circumstances to get the word out. “When the wild fires hit Napa and Sonoma, there were a lot of people that were re-routed down here,” said Galante. “Many of them had no idea there were so many wineries in the area. They were amazed, and I think it opened a lot of eyes.” As the region has grown in the wine world, Galante has stayed true to their original game plan. Stay affordable with your tasting fees, staying confident that once you get them in the door, the charm of the experience and the quality of wine will take over. “We don’t even cover our costs with our tasting fees, but we have a different philosophy down here,” explained Galante. “We have an 85 percent buy after tasting. People really enjoy the product and we love the experience of having them here.” And the wine is good. My favorite was the Blackjack Pasture, a strong Cabernet Sauvignon, but there is plenty of quality from which to choose. The Kickass is a fun blend, with the 2013 made up of 70% Malbec, 20% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Centennial Cabernet Sauvignon, made in honor of the 100-year-anniverserary of Carmel is another strong bottle of wine. Galante has also produced some special bottles of wines for celebrities. His most recent was for John Daly. Having been in the tasting room on a couple of occasions, it’s clear the staff has fun with the customers and it’s an attitude that starts from the top. Jack Galante has a passion for both producing the wine and making it fun for the customers. “For me personally, there are two best things to being in the business,” said Galante. “One – the creation of the product from the ground all the way through to putting it in the bottle. I never get bored with the process. Second, on the social side it’s about creating a product that people don’t need, but they enjoy. Ninety-nine percent of the time we are dealing with happy people. There are a lot of choices for people to visit in the wine industry.” It’s a belief that permeates throughout the wineries in the area. “In Carmel, we all work 100 percent together,” said Galante. “There is none of the “I will be better than you.’ We are not vying for shelf space and we go out of the way to refer other wineries.” See the online story here  https://acesgolf.com/galante-vineyards-great-wines-and-a-great-time/

Dark berries, crushed gravel and muddy clay make for a rustic but compelling nose on this bottling from a warm valley. It's tightly wound on the palate, where a chalky mouthfeel delivers bright blackberry and red-currant flavors. MATT KETTMAN (Wine Enthusiast, 11/1/19) 90 POINTS

Theres a history Jon & Lynn Guess share with Galante. Introduced to the wines at the Taste of Monterey; Jon was looking for a “nice, upscale” bottle for a gift at Christmas………And so, the love affair began with Blackjack Pasture 11 years ago. Jon fell over the top and Galante has been his go-to ever since. In fact, 50% of their cellar is Galante wines including a Blackjack vertical beginning with 2005! After this Christmas it will be slightly less tho, as Santa is bringing 50 Saddlepack boxes packaged with 150 Galante wines…. home for the holidays. Lyn is enamored with Bulls Eye High. It was love at first sight, or shall we say taste…. Although, the bottle itself is rather a kick!Their most treasured bottle in the cellar is a vintage 1.5L Hock Magnum from 1994, etched with Red Roses. Presently, it contains 2012 Blackjack, until the next refill - - when Jon will proudly package up his prized Galante bottle in its custom wooden case, and send it back for what will likely be 2013 Blackjack Pasture. The Guess’s have earned their bragging rights as Foreman in the Wine Gang - but their real claim to fame is the one and only correct answer in the trivia competition at the Wine Gang Muster this year. “What was only year Blackjack Pasture was not bottled?”