Carmel Wine Walk-by-the-Sea

Strolling one of the planet's prettiest nooks and tasting vino? Okay.

PARLOR GAMES: There are some mind-benders played after dinner that have to do with opposites. What's the opposite of a loud noise? A soft whisper. What's the opposite of orange? Blue. And if someone were to put forth to a group of Californians "what's the opposite of a Monday morning when everything looks dour and funky?" the answer might be "a Friday spent strolling the wine tasting rooms of Carmel-by-the-Sea." We'll even put forth that the Carmel answer is the opposite of a lot of things people may not be exactly jazzed about, because it represents so many lovely things. Carmel, vino, probably some snacking, and the promise of a getaway. Yes, indeed, Monday morning, you have found your opposite. And it comes with a map: the Carmel Chamber offers a helpful way to hoof it around one of the most charming cities on the planet.

YES, WE SAID IT: We're all hand-in-hand on that one, right? The cottages and the white sand beach and the smoke-fragrant air? Good. Now the map includes spots like Figge Cellars, Cima Collina, The Cheese Shop, and Tudor Wines. As you would expect with the very walkable burg, all the tasting rooms and eateries are clustered together just off Ocean Avenue. The map, in fact, suggests less of a wine walk than a wine scoot -- that's how close together some of the places are. So, does Carmel and wine tasting represent the happy side of the opposite spectrum for you? Then we'll see you there, pinot in hand, soaking up some of that sweet cottage-y picturesque goodness.

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