July 18, 2017 – What a difference a year, or two, makes. After a successful launch in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Jim and Judy Schultze of Windy Oaks Estate in Corralitos, are expanding their wine tasting presence from Carmel to Carmel Valley Village. They are moving into the former Joyce tasting room at the east end of the village, since Russell and company have moved on to a bigger and more visible space next door to Testarossa in the middle of town.
Having a presence in both Carmel and Carmel Valley Village will make them the only winery to be perfectly situated to attract visitors on the coast as well as those who prefer the attractions of the Village.
Says Judy, “We will definitely keep downtown Carmel—it makes us money, so why not?! We have a good manager there, Jennifer Gray, who just passed her Level One Somm exam!”
Judy and Jim had their eyes on the Village for some time. “The opportunity presented itself, and one of the big reasons we wanted to have a presence there, is that the people who go out to Carmel Valley are Wine Tourists. The tourists in Carmel are so varied. All the wineries we’ve spoken with in Carmel Valley Village are really high on being there, and all are doing well,” she adds.
Windy Oaks just obtained its ABC license for Carmel Valley and plans a “soft opening” in the new location this weekend, July 22-23. A Grand Opening event will take place on Sunday, August 27.
The tasting room will be totally remodeled with new paint and new furniture, so it will be quite different from the previous Joyce vibe. Schultze describes it as more Carmel Valley rustic, less urban industrial. She says the furniture is rustic modern, very comfortable and casual. The new decor will really echo the spirit and ambiance of Carmel Valley with oak and other hardwoods, along with soft gray-greens inside the tasting room. Seated tastings will be offered, along with stools at the two bars. They are planning to offer small cheese and charcuterie plates, too.
Their son James, along with Bay Area wine expert, and native of Carmel Valley, Kerry Winslow, will be the co-managers of the new Windy Oaks location, where they plan to be open every day, 11:30am to 6pm.
Because it’s a generously sized space, Judy is happy that will finally have the luxury of room to host educational events, which will be led by Kerry, along with special dinners and private tastings for groups. Elbow room: definitely one of the benefits of Carmel Valley Village. We wish them all the best in their new outpost on the wine frontier, which is definitely east of Carmel.
Bargetto Adds Talent to Winemaking Team
In the wake of Olivia Teutschel’s departure for Treasury Estates in Paso Robles, long time Director of Winemaking John Bargetto has promoted Bobby Graviano to Associate Winemaker. Graviano graduated from the Cal Poly wine program, where he studied Enology, and has worked for Bargetto, alongside Teutschel, for the past three years. He was formerly with Testarossa in Los Gatos as a production assistant.
“This promotion to head winemaker means a lot to me,” says Graviano. “It is the culmination of years of hard work in the cellars, laboratories, and vineyards. It just so happened that I officially took over on the day of my 30th birthday, so in more than one way this is the start of a new chapter for me. I’m excited to carry on the tradition at Bargetto, an iconic Santa Cruz Mountains winery with such a storied history.”
Keegan Mayo has been named Assistant Winemaker at Bargetto, replacing Graviano. Mayo, who is originally from Hawaii and lives in Santa Cruz, graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Enology and Viticulture. Afterwards, he served as Testarossa’s associate winemaker for nearly nine years. Keegan has his own label, Assiduous Wines, for which he makes Chardonnay from the Coast View Vineyard in Monterey county and a Zinfandel from the Chiles Valley region of Napa. They are sold online and at Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective in Saratoga.
He credits his father’s good taste in food and wine for encouraging him to pursue a career in wine. Says Mayo, “I guess growing up, you are either taught that food and beverage are just sustenance, or you learn it means something more.”
Hahn Expands Winemaking Team
Hahn Family Wines based in the Santa Lucia Highlands, has added Hahn alum Juan Jose Verdina as winemaker and promoted Megan McCollough to winemaker for Smith & Hook. Both report to Paul Clifton, director of winemaking at Hahn Family Wines, who is in his 14th vintage with the winery. Way to hang in there, Paul!
A Cal Poly alum who began at Hahn as an enologist in 2011, Megan McCollough has managed the cellar with Clifton for the last four years. She will be responsible for the winery’s duo of Central Coast red wines paying homage to the Hahn family’s first Monterey County properties, known today as the Smith Vineyard and Hook Vineyard.
Juan Jose Verdina, winemaker, will focus on production of the Hahn and Boneshaker brands. Verdina has more than fifteen years of winemaking experience, mostly at Hahn and recently served as head of winemaking for Jamieson Ranch Vineyards in Napa Valley. Welcome back, Juan!
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
