Wine Line: Shopping or sipping in Carmel

My wife and I like Carmel-by-the-sea. I mean what's not to like about this beautiful, artsy, dog-loving, white, sandy beach, shop-'til-you-drop kind of village?

She loves to shop, me, not so much. In the past four years a few tasting rooms have opened in the village and this makes for the perfect compromise for spending a day in Carmel. Here are some options.

The Cheese Shop is one of the original shops in the Carmel Plaza. CEO (Cheese Eating Oenophile) Kent Torrey has created a small, cozy tasting bar in the back of the shop with the wines changing daily.

Russ Winton -

If you like the tasting selections you can have the staff make up a cheese plate and take it out on the plaza to enjoy with your wine. This is a great place to lay out your gameplan for the day.

Cima Collina is a small winery that makes handcrafted wines in small lots from family-owned vineyards in Carmel Valley and Monterey.

The tasting room is located on the west side of San Carlos between Ocean and Seventh streets. The tasting room is unique because it shares space with an art gallery. The wines are excellent and the $5 tasting fee is refunded with purchase.

Bubbly Fish, located across the courtyard from Cima Collina, is a unique restaurant with 35 champagnes and wines by the glass and small plates featuring "indulgences" such as caviar, cheeses, salami, paté, oysters, chocolate, cheesecake, soups and salads.

This could be the perfect place to end your day with a glass of bubbly while you listen to live music on the heated courtyard. Bubbly Fish is pet friendly and provides a complimentary three course doggie menu.

The Bountiful Basket, a tasting bar featuring wines, vinegars and olive oils, just recently moved from the Barnyard Shopping Center to this San Carlos Avenue location. Owner Sharon Cuneo selects small production Central Coast wineries for the tasting bar and charges $5 for six tastes.

This fee is refundable upon purchase and if you mention this Wine Line column, she will waive the fee! Bountiful Basket has a great assortment of top-of-the-line wine accessories and gifts and a well priced selection of wines.

Galante Vineyards was the first tasting room to open in Carmel, almost five years ago. They are located on Dolores, between Ocean and Seventh streets. They are known for their ultra-premium 100 percent estate-grown wines with a strong focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, featuring Blackjack Pasture, Red Rose Hill and Rancho Galante.

Southern Latitudes Wines features wines from the southern latitudes; think Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Located on Lincoln between Ocean and Sixth streets, the tasting bar features six two-ounce pours for $15 or tastes by the glass.

This dog-friendly tasting room is filled with 90 plus rated wines with excellent prices and tremendous values.

Shopping or sipping? Or maybe a bit of both? Whatever you decide, enjoy your day in Carmel because if it is 100 degrees in Merced it's more than likely cool and foggy there.

What's On Our Table

2007 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc: This has been on our table for many years. An Australian winemaker making a New Zealand-style Sauvignon Blanc at an American winery. Go figure! It is the most awarded Sauvignon Blanc the last three years and recently won a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle tasting. Cheers!

Questions, comments, suggestions? Reach me at rgwinton@yahoo.com