When it comes to knowing about where to find the best Monterey wines, dining spots or golf courses with affordable greens fees, few know the score better than Ridge Watson, partner and winemaker at Joullian Vineyards in Carmel Valley, and an avid golfer whose brother just happens to be PGA legend Tom Watson.
Few know the local wine scene better than Ridge Watson, who oversaw the creation of Joullian Vineyards (www.joullian.com) back in 1990 and is often the genial host for corporate groups participating in his popular wine seminars. Not only do participants go down into the cellar to taste the wines right from the barrel and then try their hand at wine blending, they also get their hands dirty.
“I take people out into the vineyards and put them to work, inspecting the leaves and so on,” Watson says. “People say they have learned more about winemaking than they ever dreamed existed.”
The bucolic winery, which specializes in estate-produced Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel, is also a venue for more laid-back events, including picnics held in a grove shaded by 300-year-old white oak trees.
In the wine business for 35 years and a Northern California resident since 1965, Watson is passionate about the local wine and dining scene. He recommends that visitors to Monterey stop by A Taste of Monterey’s Visitor Center on Cannery Row, where the organization (www.tastemonterey.com), which represents over 70 local wineries, shows an informative video and offers the chance to taste a wide variety of wines from the region.
When it comes to a great dining experience, Watson says Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley is hard to beat, especially for small groups.
“You can have a very special dinner in their wine cellar, which is lit by chandeliers and very atmospheric,” he says. “If I needed to entertain a board of directors, this is where I’d take them.”
Others of his favorites in the area include Will’s Fargo for grilled meats, the Monterey Fish House for seafood and Cafe Rustica for continental food and a huge selection of wines by the glass.
Although Watson has been lucky enough to play on some of the region’s most storied golf courses with his famous sibling, he also likes to search out courses where the greens fees cost less than three figures.
“I don’t get to play golf as often as Tom does, as he has to make a living from it,” he says. “When I do, I like such hidden gems as the Laguna Seca Golf Course, an older course designed by Robert Trent Jones with a lot of lakes. I also like the two golf courses at Fort Ord, which have both been renovated. They include the Bayonet Course, which is the most challenging golf course on the Monterey Peninsula, bar none.”
