Sometimes it pays to ask, like back on 10 February 2003 when we were walking around Cannery Row, but a nice pristine version, compared to the writings of John Steinbeck.  I got carried away, but we had eaten at the famed Sardine Factory and stumbled onto “A Taste of Monterey” where they had wine tastings, a wine club, and they could legally ship to Michigan.  We had a governor that was eventually sued and lost the ability to maintain Michigan as a felony state for wine shipments to one’s home; now she is trying to eliminate people having gas stoves for cooking, I guess some people have an innate need to suppress and create problems for other people. We joined, and eventually we could stop sending cartons of “olive oil” to my place of work from California trips.

Four times a year, we receive three bottles of wine from their “Reserve Wine Selections.”  The first wine is Mesa Del Sol Syrah Arroyo Seco 2017.   Mesa Del Sol Estate Retreat & Winery is located on an upland promontory at the junction of three major watersheds, and has been a favorite place for travelers for over a century.  There is a small stone water house and a portion of one of the cabins that date back to the 1800’s and it is believed to be a stop for the overland conveyance from the Mission San Antonio to the Carmel Valley.  The hot dry air of the Arroyo Seco Highlands became a health center for those suffering from tuberculosis and other similar ailments.  One of the more prominent visitors back then was Teddy Roosevelt.  In 1927, a California Senator Fred Weybret purchased the property for his family and the new main home was built in 1936, and the family resided there until his death in 1945.  The property then was purchased by a noted lettuce baron from Salinas, who named the property Mesa Del Sol, adding more buildings, gardens, and a pool for his family.  In 1998 another Salinas agricultural family purchased the property, they planted the vineyards and a trout pond was reinstalled.  Since the gentleman’s death his widow has continued to restore the fourteen-acre vineyard estate, won awards for the wines, and has crops of fragrant Provence Lavender that is used in sachets, lotions, and oils.  While the property was settled in 1899, the first vines were planted in 1999, and they now have three-thousand vines encompassing eight varietals. They produce 350 cases per year.  The wine is described as “lively and elegant on the nose, palate, and finish. Hints of elderberry and currant, lavender, black pepper, and sweet tobacco along with soft and lovely tannins on the finish.”

We then received a bottle of Lepe Cellars Petit Verdot San Antonio Valley AVA 2020. Miguel Lepe studied enology and viticulture at California Polytechnic State University – SLO. He began his career working for various well-respected wineries across California’s Central Coast and South America. Passionate abouot his craft, Miguel’s hard work and dedication has led him on a new journey – creating Lepe Cellars to showcase the best of Monterey County wines.   They take great pride in blending the best of Old World and New World techniques, enabling the wine to develop naturally over time and allowing the journey to be kept as pure as possible, highlighting the region’s true terroir. The goal is simple: to capture the true expression of the vines by farming in a way that respects the biodiversity within the land. They are able to achieve our sustainable and natural approach by spending our time in the vineyards where winemaking begins. From here there is a continuous flow into the cellar where low-intervention artisanal methods are used to express a sense of place surrounding the Monterey wine region.  The wine is described as having “elegant aromas of wild strawberry, savory soy, and light licorice show on the nose of this pure varietal.  Dark plum and cherries show up on the first sip, with a bit of earthy forest floor woven with pepper, oak, and tannin creating a velvety, rich texture.”

The last bottle in the carton was a Bernardus Cabernet Sauvignon Monterey 2018.  Bernardus Winery and Vineyards was founded by Ben Marinus Pon over twenty-five years ago with the intention of creating premier wines in the Carmel Valley.  His intent was to produce single vineyard designated wines and a Bordeaux blended wine.  Bernardus has three estate vineyards: Marinus planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec; Featherbow planted with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon; and Ingrid’s Vineyard planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  All fifty-four acres of estate vineyards are in the Carmel Valley AVA.  To compliment the estate vineyards Bernardus also has contracts with vineyards the Arroyo Seco, Santa Lucia Highlands, and others in the Monterey County. I am sorry to say, that Mr. Pon passed away in September of 2019 and his vision will be continued by Robert van der Wallen the current owner, who also understand the passion that Mr. Pon had for his winery.  As a non-wine note, they have recently opened Bernardus Golf in Holland, and it will be the host for the Dutch KLM open.  The wine is a blend of ninety percent Cabernet Sauvignon and ten percent Merlot.  The fruit for this wine was picked early from selected blocks, fermenting them at cool temperatures, and using special yeasts which enhance fruitfulness.  The wine was aged for six months in twenty-eight-year-old neutral French Oak tanks to allow the fruit to shine.  The wine is described as “the 2018 Cabernet exudes spicy aromas of red berry and cranberry.  The palate beautifully reflects the aromas showing juicy red fruit flavors with a subtle, refreshing acidity.”