Tom During our visit to the wine countries of Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, we chanced upon the Monterey Wine Trolley in the small but beautiful city of Monterey. There, we also got the chance to visit the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium as well as Exotics on Cannery Row – a luxury car exhibition.
About Monterey Wine Trolley
Monterey Wine Trolley, as the name suggests, is a vehicle (think San Francisco Trolleys) that brings you to Carmel Valley for sessions of wine tasting. Depending on the package that you choose, you will have different number of tastings according to the following…
Trolley Special ($109): Wine Tasting @ 3 Venues / Lunch
Fore Play ($129): Wine Tasting @ 4 Venues / Lunch / Bottle of Wine
High Life ($149): Wine Tasting @ 5 Venues / Lunch / Bottle of Wine / Wine Trolley Glass
High Life ($189): Wine Tasting @ 4 Venues / Lunch / Bottle of Wine / Wine Trolley Glass / Entry to Moto Talbott Museum
You’ll meet up at Wharf Market Place (290 Figueroa St., Monterey) where you’ll collect your tickets and items (according to the package that you choose above). Once all the passengers are onboard, you’ll leave on one of the historic trolleys of either “Glory” or “Mona Lisa”. There could also be a possibility that you’ll be leaving on a van if there is a really small turn-out. Do confirm your “ride” before the day of the tour to avoid disappointment!
Wine Tastings at Carmel Valley
After a 20 minutes ride from Monterey (enjoy the beautiful views!), you’ll arrive at the wine tasting zone at East Carmel Valley Road. There, we were shown all the wineries where we can use our wine tasting coasters.
Each guest will receive the number of coasters according to your package. This time, we chose the basic Trolley Special with 3 wine tastings. With 3 tastings, we received 3 coasters. Once you’re at the winery, simply place your coaster on the bar and you’ll be treated to the wine tastings (between 3 to 7 tastes) at that winery.
Before we left on our own to visit the wineries, we were told that we can travel between wineries by taking this tractor…
Aboard, you’ll also be treated to some beers. Simply tip $5 and you can get a couple of beers as well as the transfer. Not too bad 😉
Monterey Wine Trolley Wineries
During our visit to Carmel Valley with Monterey Wine Tours, we visited Chesebro Wines
Lunch at Roux Restaurant Carmel which was quite good. It consisted of an appetizer, sangria as well as a mains (choice of burger or pasta).
Next, we headed to Heller Estate Organic Vineyards
Then Boekenoogen Winery Tasting
Then Joyce Vineyards
And lastly, Cima Collina Tasting Room
At this point, you’ll be wondering…”Tom & Kate, didn’t you guys opt for the Trolley Special that allows only 3 venues? How did you guys visit 5 tasting rooms instead?”
For us, besides the first tasting at Chesebro Wines where we had individual tastings, we actually shared tastings at the remaining 4 wine tasting sessions. A great option if you’d like to enjoy the tastings but not get too wasted. This option was just nice for us by the way. But if you really want to have your own flight at each wine tasting room, you can actually go back to the trolley and purchase more coasters at a slightly cheaper price compared than at the tasting room itself.
Where to stay in Monterey?
Due to the rich (and stylish) staying at the areas of Carmel and Monterey City, there are several top hotels in Monterey such as the Intercontinental The Clement Monterey as well as Portola Hotel and Spa. Located next to the Pacific Ocean, these hotels offer breath-taking views and some of the best spa services in Monterey!
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Video Tour of our wine tastings with Monterey Wine Trolley Tours
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the Monterey Wine Tours at Carmel Valley. Visit Tours Monterey make a booking for a Monterey Wine Trolley trip today!
