New Wine House is the locals’ drinking ‘clubhouse’ of choice
A telling thing happens regularly at the new Wine House in Carmel Valley: A pleased guest flags down co-creators Rachel Beshoff or her sister Charlotte BeshoffJoyce as they hustle about the cozy-but-airy space serving drinks and snacks.
“Please tell your boss I think you’re doing an awesome job,” the customers say, not realizing they just did.
The sisters, ages 25 and 28, respectively, have put their youthful energy to work cultivating a welcoming vibe. Guests also comment on the tasteful interior design — from the retro-chic wallpaper to the glasspaneled wine room to the indoor-outdoor serving window next to the quartz bar — which the pair can also take credit for.
“We designed it, built it and now we’re behind the bar,” Rachel says. “We’ve been there through the whole process, and people like to see us working in our own place.”
The transformation has also garnered positive feedback from hospitality pros who aren’t easily impressed. Many of the servers from the constellation of standout tasting rooms on the nearby East End Wine Row (which includes Chesebro, the Tasting Experience, I. Brand & Family Wines, Parsonage and Cima Collina) swing by after their shifts. They come to sip from a list of 50 local and European wines, as well as beers from the constantly rotating collection featuring the likes of Alvarado Street Brewery and North Coast Brewing Co.
“They call it their clubhouse,” Charlotte says.
The Wine House is the latest piece of the multifaceted wine-centric destination more and more locals know as “1 East,” as in 1 E. Carmel Valley Road. The complex of three courtyard-connected tasting spaces was formerly a huge lot for high-end fountains and gigantic patio artifacts called Jan de Luz (it was sold to the Joyce and Beshoff families last summer) and a place few locals or visitors had any reason to check out.
“A lot of people say, ‘We’d never been on the property before now,’ and ‘The valley really needed it,’ ” Charlotte says. “They saw what we saw.”
The gorgeous Joyce Vineyards and Testarossa Winery tasting rooms occupy the west side of 1 East and share common patio space with the smaller and homier
Wine House. Raised decks out the Wine House’s back door overlook more patio space dotted with oversize fire pits and comfy country-style seating, a bocce ball court with a trellis dangling trumpet flower blossoms, and a gate that opens to central Carmel Valley, giving the village new connectivity.
Popular food trucks, including Tacos Don Beto, Kuki’s Bowl and Poke Lab, make regular appearances, and easygoing acoustic music on weekends deepens the friendly and open feel.
“People just hang out all day,” says Testarossa tasting room manager Dana Parsons. “It’s a really cool vibe.”