A perfect day of wine tasting in Carmel Valley thanks to Matthew's recommendations. Matthew went out of his way to make sure our adventure was perfect. Not only did we enjoy the wines but Matthew also suggested many of his favorite (local) restaurants & bars throughout the Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey and Pacific Grove areas that will make the rest of our trip even better! We have already recommended Cane & Spur Wine Tours to three couples today and we look forward to touring with him when we return in the near future! read more

The experience that Cane and Spur provided was exceptional! To start off, the owner Matt was incredibly accommodating; he worked with me despite having a fully booked tours on the day I wanted to come. I ended up taking the Private Tesla tour and I have to tell you, that is the way to do it! Prior to the tour, they took my wine preferences to make a customized route of tasting rooms. Since we took the private tour, the Tesla arrived at our hotel to pick us up, which was incredibly convenient and saved us an Uber. Our tour guide Jake was absolutely fantastic. He was personable, knowledgeable on wine and so friendly! One by one we visited each tasting room, and each had a different vibe. There is nothing cookie cutter about this tour. We didn't feel ANY pressure to purchase bottles at any location either (even though we left with atleast one from each anyways). During our tastings, Jake booked us a dinner at a restaurant in Carmel, took our bags to and from the car and helped us navigate the rest of our trip in Monterey- it was like having a personal concierge the whole time. After we finished our tastings, we were taken to the beach where we got to watch the sun set and my goodness was it beautiful! To finish off the trip, we were dropped off at our dinner restaurant. I was WOWed from start to finish. I would 100% recommend this tour if you're in the area. Whether it's the private tour or the bus tour, you will not be disappointed! read more

Took the tour back at the end of January and it was so much fun. We did the Carmel food and wine tour. It was AWESOME! Our tour group ended up just being the two of us with our lovely guide, Jake. At first, we were a little bummed because we assumed it would be a dinner date with a presenter but it couldn't have gone any better. Jake is such a fun character! He's knowledgeable (taught us a lot), personable, stylish and charismatic. He's passionate about life, wine and was a great conversationalist. We went to 4 different restaurants and each place treated us to a lovely meal and drink or two. Each place was different and had its own style, cuisine and atmosphere. 1. Portabello- first up was duo 1/2 cups of soup: the mushroom bisque and the crab & corn bisque. Let me tell you as a crab fanatic that I probably could have ate the whole pot of that crab bisque. It was so rich and decadent 1a. Our second dish was a mushroom risotto. Also delicious and this was a much bigger portion. 1b. This was all paired with a glass of local Pinot Noir which delicious and medium bodied as well as a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand which was crisp, refreshing and wonderful fruit notes. I'm not a big white wine fan but I would buy this bottle. The owner came out and introduced himself, made small talk and then let us know that he would see us at the last restaurant since he owns it as well. 2. Flying fish - this place was our second stop and it was packed! I was immediately excited as obviously this was a good sign of things to come. Got greeted by a lovely waiter (sorry forgot his name) and presented us with an Asian ginger salsa and wonton chips as a light starter. It was a nice surprise and the flavor was not overpowering. He then poured us a local Chardonnay which was okay but we both weren't a fan. The waiter then recommended us to pick one of the two house favorites. We decided to go with the Almond Sea Bass. Oh em gee!! This was amazing! The fish was buttery and literally melted away in our mouth with the whipped potato and cabbage. I was sad we only had one to share. 3. Il Grilo - the owner is very innovative and it's reflected in his dishes. We had the liver pate which definitely was a surprise. Not our first choice of things we'd select but when in Rome... it was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. We enjoyed the pork cheek pasta a lot more . This was paired with a red wine (can't remember the name) 4. Dametra Cafe, lies nowhere else. - dessert! Can we have a moment of silence for the baklava and tiramisu!!! The best I have ever had! I'm from New York the melting pot of the U.s and I thought I had the best when I was there but nope I was wrong! The baklava was sooooo flaky, crispy, sweet and sticky. The caramel drizzle and whipped cream on top was heaven! I literally ate 2/3 by myself. And I definitely ate 1/2 of that tiramisu. Light fluffy, rich, chocolatey, coffee and cheesy. Sounds like a lot but it was perfection. I couldn't help myself, I really didn't want to share. Luckily my partner in crime and Jake were kind enough to oblige my selfishness. This was paired with a lovely port / dessert wine. Fabulous! To end the night at the restaurant, we were treated to a lovely surprise... a live performance by the owner and his friend el cantante. It was beautiful and really set a mood of just love, fun, and living life to enjoy these type of moments that are truly once in a lifetime. It's soooooo hard to say which one was my favorite but I will say this, we left the evening satisfied and full but not stuffed (which is a good thing). Why? Because it was a walking food tour as well. So we burned off some of those delicious calories. The only criticism I could come up with is potentially asking future clients what their wine preferences are and if there are any foods they don't like or aren't willing to try. Other than that, this was fantastic and we are so glad we did this tour! read more

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Our tour with Cane & Spur was like visiting a college friend who wants to show you his hometown and introduce you to his friends. Matthew asked us about the wines we currently like and planned our itinerary accordingly. He picked us up at the hotel and was fun from the get go. This was our first time in Monterey and Matthew went above and beyond taking us to 4 tasting rooms, an actual vineyard, and a tour of the area. We spent all day with the poor guy! There is a downside. Our wine tastes have improved so we've had to allocate more to the wine budget:) Thanks, Matthew!!! read more

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Beautiful day in Carmel Valley, great ride, great scenery, even better tour guide and wine tasting. For living in the peninsula my entire life, we decided to book a wine tour for my birthday in Camel Valley. I was highly recommended to book with Cane and Spur. Just as I imagined, Matt was knowledgeable, fun and entertaining. The wineries were great - a good selection from high-end style wines for special occasions down to what I would consider everyday style wines... ALL of them very good. It was evident Matt has a personal relationship with all the wineries as they roll out the red carpet as soon as we walked in. The staff at all the wineries were very accommodating and welcoming... and did I mention there was wine? Lots of wine! He also took us to Dinner at the SUR restaurant, yummm. To end the evening, we stopped by the Carmel beach to watch the sunset. Breathtaking! Overall this tour was incredible! Thank you Matt, for making my birthday such a memorable day . I would do it again and recommend others do it as well. read more

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Just finished the Carmel Valley Tour with Matthew and it was fantastic! As soon as I booked, we (my boy friend and I) were asked about the type of wines we liked, to try to adjust the tour to our preferences. We arrived at the meeting point (since we were not staying at a hotel) and Matthew met us promptly with a great attitude. At first we were a little wary because we booked on a weekday and it was just us, but Matthew made it a blast! We went to 4 different wineries, enjoying both the wine and the company. After the first two stops, we sampled some cheese, meat, and other snacks which were timed perfectly. Matthew also showed us around different parts of Monterey and Carmel since we were unfamiliar with the area. I highly recommend booking with Cane & Spur, it was one of the most enjoyable times around the area! Niki and Joe! read more

Cane and Spur Wine Tours - Enjoying our awesome time with Mathew on the Carmel Valley Tour! - Wine Tours Near Me

My husband and I took a tour in December of 2019 on our 1st anniversary and we couldn't have asked for a better time. We were blown away by how much knowledge Matt had of the winery's and vineyards in Monterrey-Carmel. Matt truly makes you feel like you're hanging out with a friend who is showing you the best of the best in wine and introduces you to all his friends along the way. You won't regret taking this tour. It's worth every minute, penny and drop of wine!!! (Don't forget to make room in that suitcase too...we took home 7 bottles!) Thank you again, Matt, for such a wonderful time! read more

Cane and Spur Wine Tours - Windy Oaks Estate Tasting Room in Dec. 2019 - Wine Tours Near Me

Highly recommend Matthew and this tour. We had a group of four girls in Monterey for the weekend who love wine (and a good time!). He kicked of the tour showing us some Big Little Lies spots in Monterey. Matthew was very accommodating, took note of what kind of wine we liked. We loved each winery and we had a great experience at each one. As others have noted, Matthew knows the wineries and owners very well having grown up in the area. Matthew is very fun and he felt like a friend along with our group all day. Our group has been to Napa / Sonoma several times - and we would go back to this area of California in a heartbeat. While the Carmel Valley wineries are tasting rooms versus tasting on the actual vineyards (the vineyards aren't pretty this time of year anyway), we loved the boutique / smaller spots like what we visited with Cane and Spur. Highly recommend a weekend visit to this area - one day with Cane and Spur, and give time to drive out to Big Sur, Carmel by the Sea or Monterey - it's all very close together! Thank you Matt!!!!! read more

Put this down as a "must do" while visiting the area. The experience that Matt gave our group of 6 was fantastic. We are not wine connoisseurs but we may take a trip back to the valley just to take their tour again. We stopped by 4 or 5 tasting rooms and one vineyard. The tasting fees were included in the tour and we were given preferential treatment at each stop with no waiting so we could maximize our day. read more

I was really looking forward to rating our experience with Cane & Spur! First of all, our tour guide Matthew was nothing short of...amazing!!...informative, prompt, courteous, and a lot of fun...especially participating in his mastery of the navigating the Tesla he picked us up in; wow!!! This day was to be a memorable one; I was to propose to the love of my life at some some point during the tour. First, we toured a winery in Corralitos...Windy Oaks Winery; beautiful scenery, fabulous wine and a delicious lunch was provided. Then, we drove into Carmel/Monterey taking advantage of Matt's Tesla skills and showing us some incredible hillside views. We were treated to four more tasting rooms in Carmel, each with their own special attribute...wine and ambiance! Carmel beach at sunset was amazing conclusion of our perfect day; and,...that's where I proposed, on one knee, to my love...she said YES!! Thank you Matthew and company for making this a very, very special day and an incredible experience. Private wine tour with your honey gentleman!!...with Cane &Spur, the only way to go!! Regards, Joe and Kim read more

We really had a great time! Matthew is extremely knowledgeable about wine; we learned a lot from him. We discovered a new wine we had never heard of. Score!! A++++ We loved the personal attention we got for our tour. I would recommend this. Ps. Pretty awesome driving around in a Tesla today. read more

Cane and Spur offered a beautiful experience along the central coast. We started at river road and were able to taste some delicious sparkling wine then we made our way to Carmel Valley. The ride was pleasant and it was a beautiful day. Our guide was well known at every tasting room we went too. Cane and Spur allowed us to have a wonderful afternoon with friends and wine! What more could you ask for? read more

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We tried to get a wine tour of Carmel last minute at a reasonable price. I had seen reviews of Cane and Spur but not many so didn't book. Once we arrived at our hotel they recommend Matt. OMG, best decision we ever made. Matt was very obliging, took us for a cruise around Pebble Bay while filling in time as we early for a pick up. Explained the area well. We visited 4 tasting rooms in Carmel and finished the trip with a trip around Carmel by the Sea. Spectacular views. The 4 tasting rooms we visited were exactly what we asked for, lots of Pinot Noir! This tour makes you feel so at home and at ease. The Texas couple were lovely that we met and made the whole trip very enjoyable. Highly recommended Matt at Cane and Spur for your tour of Carmel. Price is 2nd to none as is the tour itself. Thanks Matt! read more

Mathew made our first wine tour experience wonderful! We decided to book for my 21st birthday and I'm so happy we did! He was very knowledgeable about the wineries in the area and made sure we had a good time. He was very personable and answered any questions we had. He provided us with water which came in handy with all the wine drinking and a yummy cheese platter! Overall our experience was 10/10 and I totally would recommend to anyone looking for a charming and memorable experience. read more

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Matthew picked my wife & I up at our hotel to start the day & we all hit it off instantly. We went to 5 wonderful tasting rooms where Matthew had excellent rapport w the employees. This made for a very personalized feeling for the entire afternoon. In addition to sampling ( & purchasing ) numerous fantastic wines, Matthew also took us to his favorite vineyard w scenic overlook views & introduced us the the growers. We were able to watch this small batch vineyard in the pressing process of the grapes. After a couple of bonus tastings, Matthew completed our day w a quick scenic trip along Carmel by the Sea & then dropped us off back at our hotel w wonderful "pearls" as to many other things to see and do while in the area. He also gave us top-notch info on the best places to eat & drink in the Monterrey Peninsula! We later ran across him at one of these fine establishments where we shared a meal followed by after dinner cocktails. Clearly, we'd felt as if we'd made an instant friend. It was a WONDERFUL day for my wife & I and we will most certainly use this tour group again. I give it my highest ratings w no reservation. You're in for a great treat w this tour! read more

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"Fun, knowledgeable and entertaining afternoon, Thanks Cane & Spur" We had a delightful afternoon wine tour with Monterey's newest wine tour company. CANE & SPUR WINE TOURS. Matt our guide was fun from the moment we met up. He took us to two different winery tasting rooms in the Carmel Valley. Parsonage was a real find with some wonderful wines and our hostess Summer was a delight. Then he took us to Boekenoogen where Matt took care of us. Cane & Spur provided scrumptious individual servings of gourmet cheese, meats and nuts from Monterey's The Wharf marketplace. Then we tasted some more wonderful wines from the Carmel valley courtesy of Boekenoogen. Being wined out, Matt then proceeded to give us a tour of potential dining spots and other attractions in the Carmel area. A great way to spend an afternoon or morning in the Monterey area. Visited March 2017 read more

This was a very fun Carmel Valley wine tour! Matthew was an amazing, sweet and informative host who took us to some great tastings/wineries. In addition to the tour, Matthew joined us later in the evening for some drinks and dinner in Monterey. Was a great day, would absolutely recommend it to friends and family! read more

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This was the best tour I have been on. New exactly what we wanted and took us to the best wineries! We went to ones not open to the public read more

Cane and Spur Wine Tours - Best tour ever - Wine Tours Near Me

We took a tour this weekend and we loved it. Matthew was knowledgeable of each winery and the types of wines they poured. We visited Boekenoogen, Boëté, Parsonage and Odonata winery's. We had a VIP feeling with the winemakers pouring wine and sharing their stories along side a personal box of meats, cheeses olives and other delicious snacks from The Wharf Marketplace all included in one price. Hands down the best wine tour I've experienced. I will definitely book again. read more

Cane and Spur Wine Tours - Best Wine Tour! - Wine Tours Near Me

Went in with a group of friends. Booking was easy. Matthew was accommodating and very pleasant. Turns out he's also well versed in wine. We got up close and personal with the vineyards, met vitners and of course drank delectable wines. We all learned a lot that day. Especially about Randy's wine tolerance and affinity for wearing his underwear on his head. But that's another story. Bottom line this is a safe, comfortable, clean and wonderful tour. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to begin their wine education all the way to the wine aficionados who know their vino. read more

Matt and Jake were great couldn't have asked for better hosts. This was a great day of wine tasting, something I would do again and as well recommend to other people. We went to six wineries! Luckily they were all close by which was very nice and convenient. read more

Awesome day in Carmel Valley! Amazing wine, pretty views, and fun mom and pop wineries. Matthew was a fantastic wine guide- very knowledgeable about wine and took the time to understand our tasting preferences which made for a great day! I would highly recommend Cane and Spur to anyone looking to book a wine tour in the area! read more

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Thank you Matt for a perfect wine tasting day in the Carmel Valley! We would highly recommend Cane and Spur Wine Tours. The communication with Matt was outstanding in the planning and preparation of our tour. Matt had excellent knowledge of the wines and an excellent relationship with the owners of the wineries. We went to a half dozen wineries, 4 recommended by Matt and 2 of my requests were honored as well along the trail! My wife and I, on vacation, had a wonderful day with wonderful hosts. We joined a wine club and also purchased a dozen bottles of our favorites which Matt shipped to our home in New Jersey for us for a nominal shipping fee. 5 STAR SERVICE! When we finished the tour, Matt even dropped us at our hotel. If you ever have the opportunity when visiting this area, I totally recommend you spend an afternoon with Cane and Spur in wine country. The day was special, thank you Matt. read more

A few friends and I took a wine tour with Matt for my birthday earlier this month. I can't recommend the Cane & Spur experience enough! My fiancée and I were already big fans of Carmel Valley wines, but Matt made sure we had new experiences, introducing us to two new producers we really enjoyed! Throughout the day he helped answer any questions we had about the wine making process, and even introduced us to some of the vintners that happened to be in the tasting rooms. It really felt like a custom tailored experience that many other wine tour companies seem to fall short on. If you find yourself in the Monterey area definitely give Cane & Spur a call! read more

My wife and I visited Carmel Valley with Matt and Cane & Spur a few weeks ago. It was an absolute blast. Matt has a great combination of wine knowledge and relationships with the best wineries in Carmel Valley. My favorite part is probably that Matt tailors the tour to your personal palate. Rather than wasting time visiting too many wineries with flashy marketing and mediocre wine, let Matt take you to the best. read more

My husband and I took the Carmel food and wine tour in April. We only spent two nights in Carmel, so it was nice to be able to sample several different places in town. It ended up only being my husband and I on the tour which was great. We had our own private food and wine tour!! I've been on other tours in which they have canceled the tour because there wasn't enough people. We appreciated being able to still participate in the tour despite being only two of us. We had a great time and highly recommended doing this while you are in Carmel! read more

We were a corporate group of 20 and did an all-day tour. Matt arranged for a bus which picked us up from and dropped us off at our hotel; Matt met us at the hotel with a driver and we had a comfortable ride to Carmel Valley. Totally flexible with our choice of wineries and wines. We had agreed on visiting three wineries, but Matt stretched it to five day of. We were met by tasting room managers at each location who talked about their wines and were available for questions. Matt provided lunch--a selection of five small sandwiches for each person from Jerome's Carmel Valley Market, which Jerome delivered to one of the wineries. They were super fresh, delicious and out of the ordinary. Matt also arranged for a charcuterie plate for later in the afternoon at another winery, also provided by Jerome. Great selection of European cheeses, cured meats and breads; not your ordinary offering. Matt's very reasonable fee included the bus rental, driver, tasting fees and food. And, of course, Matt's wine expertise and familiarity with local wines. I would highly recommend Cane and Spur for both large and small groups. Great experience and well worth repeating! read more

My husband and i went to California on our anniversary trip. We had a great experience with Cane and Spur. Matthew was great-friendly and knowledgeable. He took us to places with great wine and a great ambiance that we never would have found on our own! read more

This review is for Cane and Spur's Carmel wine and food pairing evening tour. Our evening with Matthew was the highlight of our time in the area. We met at Portabella in downtown Carmel at 6:30 and had the best crab bisque and mushroom risotto accompanied by a nice sparkling wine and then a very good Sauvignon Blanc. Next stop was the Flying Fish for an amazing Japanese fusion sea bass accompanied by perfect crisp Chardonnay. From there, we went on to Il Grillo for an excellent house made pasta with bolognese, accompanied by a very nice local Chianti. This was followed by an outstanding flourless chocolate cake. By this time we were pretty satisfied, but Matthew had one more stop planned. We ended up at Dametra for baklava, port, and a little singing and dancing. The servers and principals at all the restaurants were friendly and attentive. The food and wine was outstanding and the overall experience was fun, informative and delicious. Matthew clearly knows his way around the food scene in Carmel. Can't wait to see what he has planned the next time we visit. read more

My wife and I took the tour at the end of March, and Matthew did a wonderful job. He selected some excellent winemakers to visit, and was a great guide and host. He went above and beyond to make sure our preferences were taken into account in terms of which kinds of wines we tasted. I highly recommend Cane and Spur Wine Tours! read more

Took the all-day Tesla tour through Carmel and Carmel Valley and loved it. Highly recommended.

We had a very enjoyable wine tasting tour with Matthew. His knowledge of red and white wines and the history of the wineries made for a fun and informative afternoon. Thanks again Matthew. We will do it again soon!! Dave and Anna. read more

Absolutely loved this tour! Our guide, Matt gauged our interests perfectly. He took us to venues we would not have discovered without a guide--and they were all fabulous. We had a fantastic private tour of local wineries with great service and amazing wines! There was no pressure to purchase (although there were several bottles we couldn't live without!). We met the people behind the scenes, heard great stories, tasted wonderful wines...all with a great guide. Matt was very familiar with the local wineries; offering exceptional service at a great price!! You cannot miss this tour! read more

Cane and Spur Wine Tours - Wine Tours Near Me

Great experience. My friend and I enjoyed Matt's tour and the wonderful wineries we visited.

Cane and Spur provided us with an amazing time on our vacation. Like fine wine and fine dining they have paired their outstanding customer service with a memorable experience that we can't wait to have again. Big thanks to Mathew for a great time that I highly recommend to anyone looking to meet amazing people and try fantastic wines. read more

We had a wonderful wine tasting tour with Matthew. He really personalized our tour by asking us about our tastes, likes and dislikes. He picked us up at our hotel at the set time and made us all feel comfortable. On our drive he got to know us better and told us about the wineries in the area. Matthew took us to see an actual orchard and the owners before we started trying wines. He was very knowledgable about the wines in the area and he accommodated all of our different tastes. Two things were very refreshing about this tour- one was the food he provided half way through (tasty and a good idea!) and the other was that this was not a cookie cutter tour- he knows the area and the wineries and he seems to change it up to match the people on the tour. The next day I was happy to find an email from Matthew following up with the details of all of the tastings and even some ideas on where to eat. I highly recommend this tour- you will not be disappointed. read more

Some of the BEST FOOD I have ever had in my life! I am a local and a foodie and I went on this food tour...can't believe there were so many dishes I had not tried! Loved chatting and laughing my way through courses with the fellow foodies and i found our host, Matthew to be personable and pretty easy on the eyes too ;) If you love truffles, fresh fish, duck, dessert and fabulous wine, this is something you shouldn't miss!! read more

Our wine tour with Cane and Spur was the highlight of our trip to Monterey. Matt went above and beyond to make sure we had a good experience from beginning to end. We started by going to a gorgeous vineyard with the most beautiful views of their vines and the mountains. From there we went to 4 different tasting rooms that Matt specifically selected for our group based on our tastes, personalities, etc. You could tell he has taken the time to get to know the owners/winemakers at each as we were taken very good care of. At the third tasting room we each got a little individual cheese and meat plate that was delicious! It had 3 different types of cheeses and 2 types of meat along with some bread and nuts. After the tasting rooms Matt even drove us along the scenic road in Carmel by the Sea which of course was gorgeous! Overall this day felt like we were just hanging around with old friends, drinking wine in one of the most beautiful places to do so! I definitely recommend cane and spur if you are looking for a more personal and quality wine tour. read more

My husband and I had a wonderful wine tasting experience on Matthew's tour. He is knowledgeable, friendly and fun! I appreciate that he helped us "newbies" really find what types of wine we like and educated us along the way. He has great relationships with the tasting room personnel. Matthew goes above and beyond to make the tour feel customized just for you. read more

Excellent wine tasting tour! Matthew is very knowledgeable about all types of wine, taught me so much about wine! This was my first time wine tasting and coming out of this tour I now know so much about wine, and about the different ways wine is made. Would reccomend taking this tour if you are in the area, or locals wanting to have a DD take you out wine tasting! read more