48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ROB CULPEPPER - HOLMAN RANCH / SEE MONTEREY pintos on the ranch. Operating as a winery, olive grove and wedding venue, the property offers tastings and tours of its vineyard and wine cave. Though pinot noir isn’t typically the red I reach for, I find myself savoring every sip of Holman Ranch’s 2023 vintage, a vibrant bouquet of strawberry and cranberry, as we visit the vines. “It’s a very finicky grape, pinot noir. It requires a very specific climate,” notes Zoee. GRAPES GALORE You’ll find Carmel Valley awash in great wine with well over a dozen tasting rooms dotting its half-mile-long downtown. If you’re one for whimsy, Scratch Wines beckons with blue velvet couches, boldly patterned carpets, funky sculptures and amiable staff. For a sophisticated Restoration Hardware-esque space, sip your chardonnay in the modern-luxe lounge or spacious patio at Pelio Estate Wines. For an enchanting afternoon set amidst a storybook-style chateau {due west} and live music, find your way to Folktale Winery. We recommend keeping your glass company with a wood-fired flatbread or panini. Still thirsty? Keep the pinot pouring at Joyce Winery and I. Brand & Family. FARMSIDE FUN We all know what goes great with wine. Stock up on cheese at Carmel Valley Creamery Co., where small batches are crafted on site from the milk of California Grade A cows and goats. Through the viewing window, peek in on the robust rounds aging on the racks. Some have been biding their time back there since before the pandemic! Lean into the area’s rural charm at Earthbound Farm Stand to load up on organic local produce, curated houseware, specialty coffee and freshly-baked bread. Kick back in Adirondack chairs, wander the labyrinth or wind through the series of gardens. Head next door to Hacienda for a good ‘ol fashioned hay-and-feed general store
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