July 28, 2015 – In something of a stealth opening, winemaker Ray Franscioni has remodeled and reopened the former Ventana tasting room in Monterey as the Roadhouse Wine Bar. There are no signs up yet, but the wine bar—attached to Tarpy’s Roadhouse on Highway 68—serves wines every day from 11am to 7pm from Franscioni’s Puma Road and Pessagno wineries—two of Monterey County’s most prestigious labels. “It’s a great central location and a building with lots of character,” says manager Tracie Wilkinson.
Renovation of the old stone house included removing interior walls to open up views of the outdoor pond. A semi-private dining space with a fireplace was created for small group tastings or meetings and there are two tasting bars.
Wilkinson pours a full spectrum of 18 Puma Road varietals, including a new late-harvest Riesling, and 11 Pessagno wines. Tasting flights are $15 for five wines and wine is also available by the glass.
While food is not yet available, customers are encouraged to bring in appetizers from Tarpy’s or buy a bottle of wine to take to dinner there after the tasting. It’s planned that eventually Tarpy’s will offer some kind of food service at the wine bar, Wilkinson said.
There are no plans at present to close Franscioni’s popular Carmel Tasting kiosk at The Tuck Box. Puma Road wines are also available at the winery tasting room on River Road in Soledad.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
