Page 100 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

Monterey Guided Wine Tours owner of the tour company, Sammy, at the hotel.
After Ron’s bike ride, we were ready to explore Sammy’s a big guy, with a big heart, big charisma
and incredibly knowledgeable about most every-
Monterey wine country. It’s a big one, home to 225
vineyards, 82 wineries, 65 tasting rooms and over thing Monterey.
30 varietals, including the top Wine Spectator- We settled into his immaculate and roomy Lin-
ranked Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wine Enthusi- coln Town car. Before he started the car, he turned
ast magazine naming Monterey as a 2013 Top 10 to us and said, first we only have one rule and it
Wine Destination in the world. must be obeyed. We started thinking, Oh oh, what
We asked the knowledgeable folks at our Mon- have we gotten ourselves into. He paused and
terey Plaza Hotel to help us plan our exploration broke out in a broad grin. And that rule is that you
of Monterey wine country. Without hesitation, both have fun, it’s mandatory on my tours. Then he
that recommended Sammy at Monterey Guided handed us each a mimosa in a champagne flute,
and we both broke out our broad grins.
Wine Tours. We looked on and Yelp and it was all
glowing reviews, all five stars, so we felt good As we were driving out of town, Sammy gave us
about our choice. We met with our guide and the history and significance of Monterey and why
the culinary scene is the heart of the county. From

100 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021