Château Julien Wine Estate: Entrance.
Chai (pronounced "shay") is Château Julien's warehouse-like structure built one story underground used to house its aging barrels and for private functions.
Bung: the plug or stopper used to seal an opening in a wine barrel (the bung hole).
Wine Thief: a glass tube used to draw wine samples from a barrel.
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Conviviality in Carmel Valley
Château Julien Wine Estate
December 5, 2008
The soul of a distinctive wine country experience is a small, limited production, family-owned winery. We found a friendly one in Steinbeck country, a short drive from Cannery Row, the Monterey Aquarium, 17-mile Drive, and of course, Pebble Beach.
Château Julien rises out of a vineyard of Sangiovese grapes in the shadow of the Carmel Valley mountains, complete with grand fireplace, great hall and beamed ceilings. Here Bob and Patty Brower replicated the home and hospitality they had enjoyed while traveling in Europe.
We arrived around 10:00 a.m. for the Grand Estate Tour, never revealing our Minute 00:60 identity. Our host, Patty Brower, greeted us in the parking lot, with a broad smile and four glasses of reserve wine. We instantly felt at ease, almost like we were old friends.
The Estate's renowned hospitality was evident from the moment of our arrival to the concluding wine and cheese tasting in a cobblestone courtyard. A barrel tasting in the "Chai" complete with bung and thief was a highpoint of a first rate tour. Patty graciously answered a barrage of questions, and arranged for the winemaker, Bill Anderson to answer ones she could not. Late for our next winery stop, Château Julien graciously called ahead to give them notice and provided us detailed driving instructions. True class.
Next time you are in the Monterey peninsula, stop by and savor the hospitality and award winning wines of Château Julien.
Château Julien Wine Estate
8940 Carmel Valley Road
Carmel, California 93923
Phone: 831 624-2600
www.ChateauJulien.com
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