Somm Select
Caraccioli Cellars, Sparkling, Brut Cuvee
Today, we feature Caraccioli Cellars first vintege - the 2006 - and what a remarkable vintage it is.
Press
The San Francisco Chronicle, December 17, 2015
Why aren't there more California sparkling wine producers?
What does it take to start a sparkling wine project in California?
Vacationidea.com, December 28, 2015
20 Best Things to Do in Carmel
Caraccioli Cellars is a renowned family winery founded in 2006 that takes pride in using only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from their own 124-acre Escolle Vineyard in Santa Lucia Highlands. Their goal is to produce high quality, distinct wines by fully controlling the wine making process.
Wine Enthusiast, 2015
L.A's Best Eateries
Caraccioli Cellars Santa Lucia Highlands sparkling rosé with uni-infused spaghetti? Revelatory!
Wine Food Explorer, 2015
A Wine Tasting Day in Carmel Village
Both the Brut and Blanc de Noir are fine-bubbled and beautifully rendered, and the elegantly-crafted tasting room, rich with wood to provide the ambiance of a French Champagne cave, will set the mood for a day of magic.
The Extract, December 24, 2015
Interview with Scott Caraccioli of Caraccioli Cellars
Without a doubt the most exciting sparkling wine project in the western hemisphere! Caraccioli's 'Grower Champagne' style sparklings from Santa Lucia Highlands are absolutely on fire and we have Scott Caraccioli on hand to talk about their meteoric rise...
I'll Drink to That!, November 27, 2015
Carmel-by-the-Sea – A Food and Wine Weekend Getaway
Start your special wine weekend off right with bubbles! Caraccioli Cellars produces a Brut Cuvée and a Brut Rosé that are just the thing to help you toast your getaway weekend, and to take home to share with friends as you toast the holidays and New Year.
Wine Enthusiast, November 25, 2015
Old Meets New on the Cool Central Coast
"Our goal is to produce not only distinctive still wines, but also high-quality vintage sparkling wines that highlight the ideal Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and Chardonnay,” says Scott Caraccioli, the company’s vice president of marketing and sales. The winery operates a tasting room in Carmel-By-The-Sea.
The Monterey Herald, September 22, 2015
Quick Bites: Alton Brown returns to Cooking for Solutions
Caraccioli Cellars wines will be paired with food from Cantinetta Luca during the “Hunt and Catch” winemaker’s dinner in Carmel on Oct. 2.
The Bubbleista, September 11, 2015
FIZZ FRIDAY ROUNDUP: THE CHAMP, THE LOSER, THE HARVEST, AND THE LITTLE CORK THAT DID
Best US Sparkling Wine 2015 – Caraccioli Cellars 2007 Brut
Drinks International, September 3, 2015
Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2015
Best US Sparkling Wine 2015 - Caraccioli Cellars 2007 Brut.
Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 23, 2015
Made in Monterey? Proposal to require Monterey County wines to be labeled as such
I’m proud that my winery and grapes come from Monterey County, and we all should be.
Viator: Things to Do San Francisco, March 10, 2015
Wine Tasting in Carmel
Even though they’re close together, the personality of the tasting rooms and what they pour varies from place to place.
The Californian, December 28, 2014
Monterey County vintners uncork a bit of bubbly
The world is beginning to notice. Caraccioli Cellars 2006 Brut Rosé was awarded the Best USA Rosé World Champion Winner in the 2014 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (out of 650 wines).
San Jose Mercury News, December 22, 2014
New Year's Eve: 12 great sparkling wines under $30
A tiny producer that I admire is Caraccioli Cellars in the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Decanter, November 19, 2014
Monterey: Frontier fever
‘I could open a good business selling sweaters to people who arrive in Monterey expecting it to be hotter than it is,’ Scott Caraccioli of Caraccioli Cellars tells me as we taste through his range of Chardonnay and pinot Noir.
Monterey County Weekly, October 28, 2014
Monterey County wine tasting rooms: The complete Carmel-by-the-Sea trail.
Caraccioli delivers a classy place to match high-end, carefully crafted bubbles, a true rarity in Monterey County.
Monterey County Weekly, September 9, 2014
Quick Bites
Caraccioli Cellars just took Best in the U.S. for Rosé for their 2006 Brut Rosé in the 2014 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships in Sussex, England.
K & L Uncorked, August 27, 2014
Super Sparkling Wine from Santa Lucia Highlands
The 2008 Brut had a nice richness to it, with brioche, nectarine, peach and ripe stone fruit notes.
1888 Press Release, August 13, 2014
Caraccioli Cellars Brings Home The Gold In The Champagne And Sparkling Wine World Championships
Caraccioli Cellars is pleased to announce 2 Gold medals in the Champagne and Sparkling Wine Championships. The prestigious and selective process recognized Caraccioli Cellars 2006 and 2007 Brut Rosé with gold medals.
White Page Communications, August 12, 2014
Caraccioli Cellars brings home 2 gold medals in the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships
Caraccioli Cellars is proud to announce the award of two gold medals and one silver in the first “Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.”
Carpe Travel Blog, May 21, 2014
Interview with a Winemaker: Caraccioli Cellars
Caraccioli Cellars was one of the more unique tasting rooms we visited and the only one with a focus on bubbles.
Minnesota Girl in the World Blog, April 27, 2014
Best Deal in Carmel: The Carmel Wine Walk
If you’re craving a little sparkly, stopping into Caraccioli will have you covered. Their focus is on sparkling wine.
Comstock's, September 1, 2013
Message in a Bottle
On a late afternoon in the Caraccioli Cellars tasting room, the scrape of bar stools on the concrete floor signals the arrival of yet another couple exploring Monterey’s thriving wine scene.
Departures.com, June 12, 2013
Wine Tasting in Monterey County, California
Visit Caraccioli Cellars, maker of sparkling wines.
Themomreviews.com, March 16, 2013
Carmel-by-The-Sea Wine Walk: Caraccioli Cellars @Caraccioliwine @CarmelWineWalk
The tasting room was gorgeous with it’s dark walls and mirror and wine accessory displays. Plenty of tables to enjoy the wine plus stools at the bar.
7x7, March 4, 2013
So Many Places to Sip Wine in Monterey, So Little Time
Caraccioli Cellars is a nice change of pace, offering two sparkling wines along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs.
Aftertaste, November 30, 2012
Sparkler in the Raw
The bubbles cleanly stripped the fish of their spices and soy sauce, leaving a pure marine flavor on the finish.
Wine and Vines, June 8, 2012
Wineries Cluster in Carmel
The sparkling wine specialist is under the guidance of Michel Salgues, founding winemaker at Mendocino County’s Roederer Estates. Scott Caraccioli told Wines & Vines, “We make all the wine in Carmel Valley.…It’s not really conducive to a lot of visitors."
The International Wine Review, October 2011
Caraccioli Cellars Enters the Scene. Caraccioli is one of the most exciting new ventures in Monterey. It was launched in 2006 when native-born Gary Caraccioli enticed his Uncle Jim and brother Phil to expand into the wine business with the goal of making an exclusive and original wine not made anywhere in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Download the article here
Carmel Valley By The Glass Blog, July 19, 2011
Good and Classy
Caraccioli Cellar’s slogan—“definitive elegance”—is very fitting for all that we experienced on our visit to their tasting room. Located in downtown Carmel on Dolores between Ocean and 7th, the tasting room is very attractive and inviting, with a bar made of Brazilian parota wood and a large ornate mirror behind the bar.
The Salinas Californian, July 2, 2011
Their Salad Days May Be Ahead Of Them
By Laura Ness
The Caracciolis are legend in this Steinbeckian land of consumable vegetation: the Swiss-Italian family has been growing row crops for two generations. Now they’re growing grapes in the Santa Lucia Highlands and recently launched their eponymous wine brand, using fruit from Sleep Hollow Vineyard until theirs comes on line. And they’re producing sparkling wines.
Wine & Travel Magazine, March 2011
Voice of the Vintner
By Scott Caraccioli
As a young child I remember my fascination while watching my grandfather harvest grapes and the long nights of production that went along with the process.
Several years ago I began working with my family’s winery, an eye-opening experience exposing me to the pace and skill at which my grandfather worked to produce
grapes. Live With Gene Burns Radio Show - Carmel By The Sea, CA, March 2011 Click here to listen to an exclusive interview with Gary and Scott Caraccioli.
BlogMonterey.com, May 3, 2011
Caraccioli Cellars: The Wine Trail
By Nicole Gustas
On a recent Saturday, I stopped in at Caraccioli Cellars in Carmel-by-the-Sea, which just opened on January 21. Caraccioli Cellars has managed to nail it right out of the gate with their first vintage, serving up distinctive Burgundian-Chablis-style wines in an atmosphere that’s unique among Carmel tasting rooms.
Nile Guide - Monterey County Travel Blog, February 25, 2011
Alluring Review of Caraccioli Cellars in Carmel
By MFITZSIMMONS
Mark C. Anderson, the Managing Editor at the Monterey County Weekly and a mentor of mine, highlighted Caraccioli Cellars in Carmel in the latest edition of Edible Complex, the tantalizing food blog he writes for the Weekly.
So when he says something is good I, and most of his readers, believe him. His latest venture to Caraccioli Cellars, Carmel’s newest wine bar, caught my eye because the place has only been open a few weeks and already the reviews are stellar. Or, even more telling, the place is cracking even at opening.
Monterey County Weekly, February 24, 2011
Carmel's Newest Tasting Room: Also It's Most Unique
By Mark C. Anderson
There’s something different about Carmel’s newest tasting room, Caraccioli Cellars. It’s the lively-but-loungy, hip-but-old-world feel generated by architect Si Teller’s eye, the ceiling-high riddling wall in the back (above), the hanging glass shelves and varying stone, wood and leather textures. (Riddling walls allowed vitners to rotate bottles of fermenting, yeasty Champagne over time.) No, it’s the fact that C.C. ferments both sparkling and still Monterey County wines with differentiated excellence. OK, it’s all of the above, and each of the elements is striking.
MyVineSpace.com, January 21, 2011
This Nose Knows Bubbles: Salgues's Sparkling Secrets
By Laura Ness
If you ask Michel Salgues, heralded sparkling winemaker and veteran of the French Champagne industry for nearly 30 years, both here and there, Americans, and especially Californians, don’t drink enough of the really good bubbly. And it might not be our fault.
MyVineSpace.com, December 27, 2011
Make The Holidays Sparkle
By Laura Ness
Do you want a real French connection? Look to the Italians, with a French twist. Caraccioli makes Santa Lucia Highlands sparkling in the dry, yeasty, leesy style that delivers aromas and flavors of a French morning on the Left Bank, brimming over with freshly baked brioche and baguette.
MyRecipes.com - You've Got to Taste This, July 28, 2010
Caraccioli Cellars: Our Little Secret
By Amber Sandoval-Griffin
When most people think of California wine country, they think Napa Valley and Sonoma County, and considering that these are the largest wine producers in the Golden State, they are correct in thinking that. However, I’m about to let you in on a little secret: There are other great winemakers outside of Napa and Sonoma. I recently came across Caraccioli Cellars of the Central Coast and they stole this wino’s heart with their brilliant Brut Cuveé.
