Along with Monterey County’s recognition
as a Top 10 worldwide wine destination,
new dining and lodging options are
coming to the Santa Lucia Highlands
We may finally be reaching a fork in the road: River Road, that is. Home to 14 wineries and tasting rooms, and two of Monterey County’s American Viticultural Areas (Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco), it’s among the best-loved “wine trails” in Monterey wine country. Yet, unlike the county’s Carmel Valley AVA, dining and lodging of the caliber of the wines have been few. That’s slowly changing, and just in time, given the recent naming of Monterey County as a Top 10 wine country destination by Wine Enthusiast magazine (February 2013). The county was one of just three regions in the United States that made the list, and the only one in California.
Talbott Vineyards winemaker Dan Karlsen says wine tastes better on its home turf. Hanging out with the vines, seeing their view and feeling their weather help you grok wine at a deeper level.
So Talbott is retrofitting a century-old farmhouse at its Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in Gonzales, transforming it into a culinary demonstration center. Something of a sustainable Garden of Eden will surround it, providing guest chefs with a bounty of produce to use for food- and wine-pairing sessions and evening meals. The intent is that ensconced in this charming retreat, visitors will enjoy the wonder of the Highlands in a way that usually only those who live there can.
But for now, if you plan to stay in the area, the historic Mesa Del Sol Estate Retreat & Winery, just off River Road on Arroyo Seco, offers its stunning guest cottages within its own eco-paradise for week-long periods during the summer season and weekends the rest of the year. (See EMB Fall 2012, p. 53.) The Inn at the Pinnacles, close to Chalone Vineyards, provides bed and breakfast on week- ends, and the Arroyo Seco Recreational Area offers camping.
Few vineyard properties on River Road have such dead-on views of the entire Salinas Valley and the stunning Pinnacles National Monument as Hahn Estates, which has long planned a culinary center for the site.
In something of a first phase, Brian Overhauser, the estate’s resident chef, last summer launched a popular “Wine Country Tapas” program—an opportunity for guests to enjoy three small plates of seasonal, garden-fresh food, paired with three Hahn estate wines. There are two seatings, by reservation only, on Saturdays at noon and 1:30pm, from April through October. The cost is $25 per person.
A recent menu included 2010 Hahn Estate SLH Chardonnay paired with a lobster and mango salad, velvety 2011 Hahn Estate SLH Pinot Noir paired with a rich croque-madame topped with quail egg and a muscular, smoky 2010 Hahn Estate SLH Syrah beautifully synced with Wagyu short rib, black truffles and cauliflower purée.
New in 2013 is Hahn’s “Alchemy of Flavors” program. “While Wine Country Tapas gives you three different dishes to pair with three wines, Alchemy of Flavors provides three unique creations to pair with a single wine,” says Overhauser, so guests can experience the nuances in the wine brought out by different dishes. These monthly stand-up social mingling experiences are $15 per person.
Overhauser also plans to offer an internship program for the at-risk youth who attend nearby Rancho Cielo’s Drummond Culinary Academy, which could lead to further expansion of Hahn’s dining program.
Meantime, no matter which area winery you head to, one of the best ways to enjoy the Santa Lucia Highlands and its wines—especially as the spring sun warms the vineyards—is to pack a picnic.
For provisions, the River Road area boasts five farmers’ markets where artisanal foods and fresh local produce may be purchased. (See King City, Salinas and Soledad entries in Spring Farmers’ Markets, p. 56.) And if your visit doesn’t fall on a farmers’ market day, The Bakery Station in Salinas provides not just delicious artisanal breads and pastries made on the premises, but also sumptuous sandwiches full of organic and local ingredients. And for sheer selection of local artisanal products and produce, Salinas’ Star Market fits the bill— and also provides an array of prepared foods.
The area’s many wineries, of course, will be more than happy to supply the wine.
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.
