California Tasting Room Discoveries

The Los Olivos Tasting Room

Parsonage Village Vineyard

My preference is to taste wines where they are made, but in the case of smaller producers, this may not always be possible. On my most recent trip to California, I took advantage of local tasting rooms. I particularly liked The Los Olivos Tasting Room (five miles from Santa Ynez), where Chris Benzinger offers selections from curated wineries. And in Carmel Valley Village, where there is a cluster of tasting rooms, I especially enjoyed that of Parsonage Village Vineyard on East Carmel Valley Road.