Chalone Vineyard

i had a private tour of this place. i’m not a big fan of the white wines but this place had some awesome whites! they were very friendly and helpful. i’m sad that their tasting room is closed, i hope in the future they will reopen it

Unfortunately they do not have a tasting room anymore. Disappointed and was looking forward after my Pinnacles hike to enjoy these great wines. :(

Oh you bet this place is the real deal, this was one of the first places which really showed the world that California wine is world class. That said, it’s a LONG ride to get out here, but it’s worth it — if for no other reason to experience a California wine which isn’t an over-​oaked fruit bomb.

This winery sits right on the edge of Pinnacles National Monument, so for the last stretch of our gorgeous and grueling hike, I kept envisioning how nice it would be to reward ourselves with a bit of vino… and it was! Given the remoteness of the location we had relatively low expectations in regard to the quality of the pours, but of the list of eight we sampled (four white, four red) all were quite good. The various newspaper articles and awards adorning the walls would seem to vouch that this is a legit winery, who knew?! Prices per bottle started at about $ 18 for one of the whites and went up to $ 45 for the Heritage Pinot (my favorite). The pourer waved the $ 5 tasting fee when the Boy couldn’t resist purchasing a bottle of the unique Pinot Blanc.
There was a casual vibe about the tasting room (no one seemed fazed by our hiking gear) and the man pouring the tastings was happy to chat everyone up, as well as give an extra pour if you had a favorite you wanted to try again. Unfortunately the deck was closed (though it would have only provided views to the parking lot), and the tasting room is large and orderly but without much atmosphere to speak of, so you better be there for the wine. I’m not sure if it’s worth seeking this place out, as it’s definitely off the beaten path, but it’s a perfect end to a day at Pinnacles.