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The focus of the Bernardus Vineyards & Winery is to create wines that flatter the palate and stimulate the imagination. Our Marinus Estate Bordeaux-style red wine is the centerpiece of Ben Pon's dream. It is complemented by Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from cool coastal climate vineyards. We also offer limited bottlings of small production and vineyard designate wines, which are available exclusively through the tasting room and wine club...taste a dream. History Owner Ben Pon appreciates wine as an art - a form of art that transcends the ordinary. His dream with Bernardus is to make a red wine equal to the finest from Bordeaux. To achieve this purpose, Ben, a Dutchman who could have planted vineyards anywhere in the world, has chosen the Carmel Valley for his estate vineyards and winery. Since the early 1970's, there has been a growing awareness of the outstanding potential for Bordeaux varieties from this new viticultural appellation. The Bernardus estate vineyards of Marinus and Featherbow Ranch are located in the Cachagua region of the Carmel Valley. We have been told that Cachagua is the Spanish word Native Americans used for deep or hidden water. It has been said that Native Americans believed that all things in nature were sacred and interrelated. Their respect for balance in nature is carried on in the vineyards of Bernardus. More than 300 live oaks have been preserved to thrive among carefully planted vines. Of the 220 acres, 50 acres have been planted to vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc. Bernardus ventures forth as the fifth winery to establish vineyards in this sacred valley. While growing Bordeaux-style varieties in our estate vineyards, at Bernardus we are committed to cultivating Chardonnay in cool coastal climates, specifically the Monterey County growing region. Grapes from other superior coastal appellations in California are used to add nuances to the Bernardus blend. The vineyard components are then complemented by many different yeasts and oaks during the winemaking procedure. Winemaker Dean DeKorth integrates his experience working with the methods and practices of Bernardus winemaking with his own personal intuition and technical expertise. Dean DeKorth, an American, is a French winemaker—all of his early impressions about wine came from his education and apprenticeship in France. A very important part of Dean’s Burgundian training was focused on distinguishing aromas and flavor qualities, as well as textural elements in the wine. With this old-world sense of taste, Dean seeks to make wines that flatter the palate. A viticulturalist, enologist, scholar, craftsman, and artist, Dean DeKorth brings to his winemaking a time-honored knowledge of wine and an endless passion –­ a passion labeled Bernardus. At Bernardus the textural element-"the mouth feel'-is the most important expression of wine. At a time when there is an increasing conversion of established French wine estates from seasoned wooden tanks to rows of stainless steel, Bernardus Winery was constructed to create traditional wines. Wines are aged in oak tanks and barrels specially crafted for Bernardus in the French region of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Oak is purchased from many coopers in France to allow for blending of different flavors, or "the spice rack approach". It is the goal of Ben Pon to create wines from the promising viticultural region of Carmel Valley that will rival in style and quality the finest traditional wines. With an unequaled commitment and the resources and talent to support this commitment, Bernardus is embarking upon the next frontier in American winemaking. Wines Estate Ingrid's Vineyard Marinus Vineyard Monterey County Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sauvignon Blanc Vineyard Designate Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sauvignon Blanc Press Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Marinus Pinot Noir Tasting Room Location: 5 West Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, California
Hours: 11am-5pm everyday
Phone: 831-659-1900
Toll Free: 1-800-223-2533 There is a $5 Tasting Fee or Mr. Pon's Reserve pour for $10.
It is recommended that groups of 8 or more make a reservation.

   Château Sinnet's Tasting Room is located in quaint Carmel Valley Village and is open this summer from 12 to 6 pm, 7 days a week.  It is nothing but fun and good times.    Château Sinnet is proud to feature its wines every Friday evening from 4-6 PM at the magnificent Seven Gables Inn. A representative of the winery will be present to provide information about the wines and the winery. This event is open only to guests of the hotel so next time you book your stay, select the beautiful Seven Gables Inn. You'll be glad you did. Wine List Red Varietal Wines


Château Sinnet
2005 Sangiovese
Monterey County
List Price: $22.00
It is no wonder why this Italian varietal is the principle red wine in Tuscany with it's soft tannins that frame the flavors of cherry, vanilla, spice, and chocolate.   

Château Sinnet
2005 Merlot
Monterey County
List Price: $22.00
Assistance from our friends and wine sommelier helped produce a full-bodied wine with intense full fruit flavors, fine-grained tannins and a persistant, well-integrated finish.   

Château Sinnet
2005 Cabernet Franc
Monterey County
List Price: $22.00
Our selectively low yields produce a grape with exceptional quality from our Jolon Vineyard Estate vines in Monterey County. Fifteen Months of seasoning in French Oak barrels produces a full-bodied wine complete with mild tannins balancing sour cherry and spicy flavors.   

Château Sinnet
2002 & 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Carmel Valley
List Price: $22.00
Our Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied with full, rich fruit flavors seasoned for 22 months in French Oak. This Carmel Valley Cabernet is grown in sunny Carmel Valley at Horn Toad Vineyard.   

Château Sinnet
2002 & 5 Zinfandel
Monterey County
List Price: $22.00
Our Zinfandel is carefully nurtured from vine to wine. Our selectively low yields produce a grape with exceptional quality from our Jolon Vineyard Estate vines in Monterey County. Fifteen months of seasoning in American Oak barrels produces a full-bodied wine complete with tannins, cherry aromas and a generous spicy taste making it Gary's personal favorite.   

White Varietal Wines

Château Sinnet
2005 Chardonnay
Monterey County
List Price: $17.00

Sparkling Wines by Château Sinnet Cellars

California Champagne
Grand Cuvee
List Price: $16.00

California Champagne
Select Cuvee
List Price: $16.00

California Champagne
Almond Cuvee
List Price: $16.00

Specialty Wine Apertifs by Château Sinnet Cellars

Sold in 750 ml bottles.

Cranberry Renoir L'Orange
List Price: $16.00
Superior Northwestern cranberry fruit, spicy cloves and zesty orange peel are used to produce a smooth lingering finish. Our Cranberry Renoir L'Orange Wine is drinking beautifully now and complements a wide range of foods. Enjoy as the perfect apertif before dinner or with desert. For a special treat, serve hot. The flavors of the orange peel and cloves are enhanced when heated. Garnish with a cinamon stick.   

Pomegranate Toulouse
List Price: $16.00
We can assure you that our Pomegranate Toulouse Wine has been given the most meticulous care, warmth and sincerity in the artistry of its blending. An exquisite blend of a pleasant white table wine with a bright red fruit of top quality pomegranates. Fresh and full-bodied enough to handle seafood salads, smoked fish or grilled salmon. Perfect for a midday picnic, luncheon or evening hot tub.   

Peach Monet with Honey
List Price: $16.00
Top quality peaches, nutmeg, cinamon and cloves define its honeysuckle aromas. An extremely complex wine that comes together in balance with the sweetness of honey. Our Peach Monet Wine is drinking beautifully now and complements a wide range of foods. For a special treat, serve over sliced peaches and other fruits, or as a glaze for meats and poultry.   

Fruit Wine Apertifs by Château Sinnet Cellars

Concord Mostel
List Price: $16.00
Our Concord Mostel Wine was judged #1 at our annual fruit and wine tasting event in Carmel Valley, California. You'll be thrilled by its Labrusca type wild grape flavor with a hint of spice. Enjoy with light Northern Italian style faire, antipasto and fruit plate or as an awesome end to any day.   

Plum Matisse
List Price: $16.00
The bouquet shows intriguing nuances of vanilla that tease with scents of passionfruit. Our Plum Matisse Wine aims to please. Perfect for a midday picnic, luncheon or sunday brunch. Think Peking Duck with plum sauce, a good stilton cheese or a plate of roasted walnuts. Enjoy as the perfect apertif before dinner or with desert.   

Blackberry Chagall
List Price: $16.00
Be assured this wine has been given the most meticulous care, warmth, and sincerity in its artitry from fruit to bottle. Only top quality berries from Oregon's great and fertile Williamette Valley are used to make this extraordinary Berry Wine. Château Sinnet has long thought that a glass or two of chilled Blackberry Chagall Wine on a summer evening is one of life's greatest pleasures.

Joullian Vineyards was created by the Joullian and Sias families of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with the goal of producing estate-crafted wines with the complexity, finesse and ageability characteristic of the finest wines of the world. Recognizing the need for estate control, the partnership embarked upon a long-term plan and soon engaged Ridge Watson, with international winemaking experience, to seek and develop the unique combination of land, vineyards and winery facilities necessary for fine wine production. Early in 1982, Joullian Vineyards, Ltd. purchased 655 acres of hillside benchland at an elevation of 1400 feet, in the heart of the remote Carmel Valley viticulture appellation. Following extensive contouring and terracing, 40 acres of high density-spaced vines were planted in the rocky Arroyo Seco series loam. The planting emphasized Bordeaux varieties and allocated two-thirds of the vineyard to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon...plus Carmel Valley’s first Zinfandel, which was personally planted by owner Dick Sias.The remaining acreage, originally planted to Chardonnay, was grafted to more pre-Prohibition Zinfandel selections throughout the 1990’s. Pursuing complexity in the wines, Watson planted multiple clones of each varietal from reputed sources such as Mount Veeder, 3 Palms, Diamond Mountain, Sterling, Ventana, Brandlin, St. Peter’s Church and Lytton springs. The Winery, completed in the spring of 1991, was designed to handle each vineyard block separately to insure that the complex subtleties and nuances produced in the field could be transferred into the bottle. Due to the winery’s remote location, Joullian opened its tasting room in the charm- ing Carmel Valley Village to welcome and introduce visitors to Joullian wines. Located at 2 Village Drive in Carmel Valley, the Village Tasting Room is open daily from 11am-5pm excluding major holidays (Tel. 831 659-8100). It’s the perfect place to experience Carmel Valley’s renowned climate, cuisine and nectar of the gods. Joullian welcomes visitors to the winery for its annual Saturday Open House events, held seasonally. Owners, Dick and Jeannette Joullian Sias, are committed to growing superb grapes that create memorable wines, and we hope that each time you uncork a bottle of Joullian wine, you will taste the difference and appreciate our dedication to producing the finest wines from our area.

Bill and Mary Ellen Parsons fell in love with serious wines during the 1990s when they became partners in a Northern California vineyard. With a few viticultural and oenology classes at UC Davis under his belt, Bill established Parsonage Village Vineyard in 1998 with the goal of growing a small quantity of the finest quality grapes to produce powerful wines of intense flavor.

The Parsons selected a nine-acre parcel of land just past the Carmel Valley Village for the vineyard. The small size was intentional to allow for attention to each vine. The entire Parsons family participates in the operation of the vineyard and winery ensuring consistency and a high standard of care.

At Parsonage, the focus is on quality over quantity; the vineyard is managed to yield only two and a half to three tons per acre. At full production, the winery will generate 1,200 to 1,400 cases per year.

In the Fall of 2000, the first small crop was harvested. This vintage, consisting of 200 cases of a Syrah and a Cabernet Sauvignon, sold out in 4 months.

The 2001 through 2007 harvests each netted an average of 15 to 21 tons of exquisitely ripe fruit. The 2005 harvest was the largest at 25 tons and 2007 the smallest at only 8 tons. These harvests are a volume sufficient to produce some 950 to 1,200 cases of estate wines. All vintages, 2001 to 2005, share a common denominator of elegance, complexity and balance derived from the unique terroir of the Parsonage hillside vineyard. The trend from 2001 to 2007 has been toward a more powerful structural base and a broader and deeper level of nuance and complexity.