Ep 3: Wine from the Ashes: A Story of Perseverance and Rhone Varietals with Lenora Carey of Big Sur Vineyards

Lenora Carey of Big Sur Vineyards is a California native with an undeniable spirit of adventure. In her first career as a documentary filmmaker, diving with sharks and tracing the footsteps of human origins were all part of a day’s work. But it was in Southern France, working on a film about wine barrel making, that she discovered her love for Rhone wines. A life change was on the horizon, and in 2005 she left San Francisco and moved her family to Big Sur to “raise a couple of kids and live off the land in one of the most beautiful places on earth." She honed her wine knowledge at Sonoma-Cutrer and when she started experimenting with grape growing on her land in Big Sur, she discovered that the Rhone varieties she had come to love grew particularly well in Monterey County. Three years after her first vintage, and months after opening a tasting room, the 2016 Soberanes fire devoured her home, vineyards, and olive grove. Without missing a step, and with great determination, she continued making wine and building her business. Lenora’s boldness and energy are reflected in her wines in their bright, complex, and vibrant style.

In this episode, Lenora is taking us to the beautiful place of Carmel Valley and shares with us 6 of her wine picks. Let’s dive in! 

[00:00 - 9:12] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our topic for this episode 
• Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below
• I welcome our guest, Lenora Carey
• Lenora talks about how she discovered wine as a passion

[08:13 - 22:09] How Big Sur Vineyards Came About

• Lenora walks us through the early days of Big Sur Vineyards
• • Incorporating the feeling of Big Sur
• Check out her eating and drinking guide in the link below
• • Top 2 places in Carmel Valley that listeners should check out
• Big Sur and Rhone wine varietals
• Where Lenora sources her fruit 
•  Join my wine club and connect with other wine lovers! 
• • See link below

[22:10 - 27:56] Wine Picks for the Month

• Monterey County being known for Pinot and Chardonnay
• Serve six wines in our tasting
• • Rose
  • Big Sur White
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot
  • Big Sur Red
  • Syrach 
• Lenora recommends wine pairings

[27:57 - 39:59] Closing Segment

• Ingredients for success
• What’s next for Big Sur Vineyards
• Misconceptions about wine packaging
• Possible wine trends in the future
• Lenora shares her favorite wine
• Lenora’s favorite wine resource
• Connect with Lenora through the links below 

Resources Mentioned: 

The Wine Folly

Tweetable Quotes:

“I think a big misconception now is that if a bottle doesn't have foil, or you know, it doesn't have a cork or whatever, that's not good wine. I think it's good to make sure people understand that that's not always a choice. It's just simply a winemaker's decision about how they want to present their wine.” - Kris Levy

“There's nothing more beautiful than having the right cheese with the right wine. And that's just that it's almost a meal for me because if you have two or three different styles of cheese, you have a couple of different wines.” - Lenora Carey

Connect with Lenora through Instagram, Facebook, or checkout their website at www.bigsurvineyards.com.

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

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JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.