If the name sounds a little unfamiliar, it’s because it used to be known as the River Road Wine Trail.
The Monterey Wine Trail encompasses the wineries along River Road and the surrounding area in the Salinas Valley. The winery closest to Monterey is less than 30 minutes away, but it’s over an hour from Monterey to the furthest ones.My tip for exploring the trail is to start at the furthest winery you plan on visiting and work your way back.
List of Wineries on the Monterey Wine Trail:
- Odonata Wines
- Rustique Wine
- Puma Road Winery
- Pessagno Winery
- Wrath Wines
- Mesa Del Sol – only available by appointment
- CRU Winery
- Joyce Wine Company Arroyo Seco
- Scheid Vineyards Greenfield
If you go during one of the Monterey County Vintners and Grower’s Association passport events, you can visit multiple participating wineries with a single event ticket.
While I usually only visit one or two of the wineries at a time, during the MCVGA Valentine’s Day Weekend Passport Event in 2024, I decided to visit multiple wineries.
(I received a ticket to the Valentine’s Day Weekend Passport 2024 for free, but I was under no obligation to write a favorable review. I only recommend experiences I truly enjoyed. Since this event, I have become an independent contractor for the MCVGA and manage their social media and marketing. All views stated in this post are my own.)
Joyce Wine Company
While Joyce Wine Company’s main tasting room is in Carmel Valley, their winery is in Arroyo Seco and is open seasonally for events. Winemaker Russell Joyce recently was featured in Edible Monterey Magazine in a profile by Laura Ness. Russell has two labels – Joyce Wine Co., which features wines from Arroyo Seco AVA, and his elevated eponymous Russle Joyce label, which focuses on single vineyards.
CRU Winery
CRU Winery is the furthest south of the tasting rooms on River Road, but not on the Monterey Wine Trail itself. Located atop a hill with sweeping views of the Salinas Valley, I think it has the best view of any tasting room on the trail. CRU is known for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and source grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Maria Valley. Their main winery is in Madera, CA, and they are one of the few wineries in Monterey in Monterey Wine Country that offer wines made from grapes outside of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties.
Rustique Wines
Chad Silacci, winemaker and co-owner of Rustique Wines, along with his sister Sara, is one of the younger winemakers in Monterey County. Chad focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also produces a Riesling, Syrah, and a Rosé. Rusique Wines often hosts concerts, makers markets, and even a comedy show once.
Odonata Winery
Owner and Winemaker Denis Hoey, of Odonata Wines, is one of the few, although the number is growing, winemakers in Monterey County that make sparkling wine. While he does have a traditional method Blanc de Blanc made from 100% Chardonnay, he also makes a sparkling Grenache Rouge and a sparkling Riesling. Between his two labels, Odonata and Cote du Denis, he produces red, white, and sparkling wines.
Please explore the trail responsibly – make sure to plan for a designated driver or to arrange for transportation.
