Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming coastal town in Monterey County, just 2 hours south of San Francisco, which offers with many wine tasting rooms that showcase local wines from Monterey County. Carmel has excellent restaurants, cute cafes and storybook-like architecture, which makes it a wonderful day trip or weekend getaway from the Bay Area.
Here are 7 things to know before wine tasting in Carmel (Summer 2023 Update)
1. Wine tasting can be indoors or outdoors depending on the location
Depending on the wine tasting room, wine tasting may be indoors or it may be outdoors. Keep in mind the tasting rooms are in town, and the indoor and outdoor space is not as expansive as a sprawling vineyard estate – think cafe-style tables and chairs or standing at the bar. If you are looking to visit large wineries with lots of outdoor space, you’ll want to drive over to the River Road Wine Trail.
2. You can make wine tasting reservations in advance
Carmel gets busy on the weekend! Call ahead or visit the tasting room’s website and make a reservation at least a few days before if possible. Most of the tasting rooms take walk-ins as well, but depending on the day and time you may have a long wait. Luckily there are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants to visit while you wait. I always like to walk around Carmel Plaza and pop in to the Cheese Store if I have time to spare.
3. You can walk between tasting rooms in downtown Carmel
The tasting rooms in Carmel are all within walking distance of each other. Most of them are only a few blocks away. With over 12 tasting rooms, you can easily plan a full day of wine tasting without leaving downtown Carmel. Don’t forget to wear comfy shoes! Make sure to check out the official Carmel Wine Walk a free guide and perks at participating wineries.
4. Most of the tasting rooms do not offer food
If you are looking to pair your wine with a charcuterie board or other delicious morsels while you wine taste, you may be disappointed. Most of the tasting rooms don’t have food for sale, however some of them allow you to bring your own food – make sure to check in advance! By the way, if you are hungry Carmel has many amazing restaurants and cafes with a variety of price ranges.
5. Not all of the tasting rooms in Carmel have restrooms for customers
Seriously take this into account! Not all of the tasting rooms have public restrooms so plan accordingly. There are a few public restrooms in Carmel, but it may be a few blocks walk to one and there will be a line.
6. Parking can be a challenge in Carmel
Carmel is often busy on weekends and parking can be difficult. Street parking is free however, most parking spots are only for an hour and monitored diligently. Make sure to read the posted parking signs and be careful. There are a couple of paid parking lots are a few all-day parking spots in front of the Sunset Center, but these go quickly!I recommend getting to Carmel early and looking for parking a few blocks away from Ocean Avenue. If you are parking on the residential streets, please be mindful of blocking driveways. (Remember if you are driving and wine tasting, have a designated driver or take an Uber!)
7. There aren’t street addresses in Carmel-by-the-Sea
This one is always really confusing to visitors and hard to explain. Directions instead will be the cross streets. This can be a little confusing at first, but it’s part of the charm of but the town is laid out on a grid pattern. I recommend looking at Google Street View beforehand if you aren’t sure of exactly where you need to go. Note: Local Rideshare drivers usually know where they are going and if you use the Rideshare app you will select the business’s name and location via GPS, not street address.
Enjoy your time in Carmel and happy wine tasting! If you are looking for wine room recommendations check out my Guide to Wine Tasting in Carmel and What to Wear Wine Tasting in Carmel.
