Beverage of the Week (B.O.W)

The story of Galante Vineyards is another chapter in the book of grower turned vintners. As is the case with all good farmers the land itself in the Carmel Valley is paramount. The Carmel Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Monterey County, which was first established in 1982. Most of the vineyards in the Carmel Valley (roughly 300 in sum) are planted at an elevation of 300 meters.

The Galante Family has a long history in the Monterey area. Owner Jack Galante's great-grandfather, J.F. Devendorf, was the founder of the town of Carmel. Jack Galante's parents bought a 700-acre cattle ranch in 1969. In 1983 the Galantes planted vineyards with an emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon. Just over a decade later Jack Galante decided that he wanted to utilize his own great fruit and built a winery in 1994.

At Galante Vineyards all of the wines are made with estate grown fruit. They have built a strong statewide reputation for their Cabernet Sauvignon. Galante produces three unique Cabs in the Carmel Valley. While we enjoyed all three Cabernets the "Blackjack Pasture" stood out. Sometimes you need only to look at the bottles in the post-tasting happy hour sessions to determine the crowd favorite.