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Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley

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We were invited to attend a media event at Holman Ranch. We were provided this experience in order to facilitate this article. holmanranchwine

A couple weeks ago Pete and I went on a little adventure. We left the girls happily at home with their grandparents and we set off on a trip up the coast from San Diego, through Orange County, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and into Monterey County where we stayed for our first night at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley. 

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Holman Ranch has a long history in Carmel Valley dating way back to the early 1900’s. And although it changed hands a few times, each owner left a lasting impression on the the ranch which deepened its charm.
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The ranch is many things, but most notably an amazing place to host a wedding, corporate retreat or even a family reunion. The views are breathtaking everywhere you look and if you love wine you are in for a treat!

Holman Ranch is family owned by the Lowder family. Located 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean the gentle hills provide the optimum growing conditions for their organic grapes to grow. Their 100% estate grown wine is created from grapes that is grown on 21 acres of beautiful terrain. “The wines produced are unfined and crafted to deliver the true varietal of the grape from harvest to bottle.” Admittedly, I am not a wine connoisseur and although I have covered wine events before, this one really opened my eyes to many of the elements that make a good wine. There is so much more to wine than just taste and it is fascinating to hear people who really know wine speak about it. At Holman Ranch they really know wine and they are more than happy to share their knowledge with others. The estate wines of Holman Ranch include: Pinot NoirPinot GrisChardonnaySauvignon Blanc, and Rosé of Pinot Noir

They even have a wine club that you can join and enjoy all of their wines. In addition to having exclusive access to their wines, they have some very amazing opportunities that are only open to the wine club members.

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Their wedding and event facilities include this beautiful building that can be used for dining or dancing! At night the sparkling lights draped through the trees and arches are stunning! 

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We took a tour of the property and I loved seeing the grapes growing on their vines.

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The architecture is reminiscent of its early years beginning with a modern flair that makes it classic and functional.

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One of the benefits of having your wedding at Holman Ranch is that they have everything you will want to make your wedding spectacular and nothing you don’t want. They have an onsite prep kitchen and no requirements for you to use their food services as they don’t have one on site so you can have any caterer you would like. Carmel Valley has some of the most amazing restaurants and caterers so there are plenty in the area to choose from.

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These are some of the famous people that have visited the Ranch over the last decade!
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Pete really enjoyed the Pinot Noir. He knows a lot more about wine than I do and he said it was exceptional! I loved it before I even tasted it {loved it even more than} because of the name “Heather’s Hill”. 

If you love wineries where the wine is created with love by a family that is really dedicated to every step of the process you must try Holman Ranch. Each of their wines is named after the owners 2 daughters!
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One of the perks to being a wine club member of hosting a retreat or wedding at Holman Ranch are the guest accommodations. Think very comfortable old Western style. Our night there was one of the most relaxing evenings I’ve ever had and we slept very well and woke up to the sounds of nature. 

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This is one of the views that took my breath away! Can you imagine exchanging your vows or connecting with your coworkers with this in the background? 

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After a great day and relaxing night at Holman Ranch, we got back into the Kia for the rest of our vacation, but first, we headed down to the Holman Ranch tasting room which is a 5-minute drive away. I wanted to try their estate olive oil because the property is landscaped with olive trees and they harvest their olive tree grove to produce and produce their own amazing Olive Oil which can be purchased as you try the wines at their tasting room.

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After we left the ranch we got back in the 2014 Kia Cadenza which was our car for the trip and headed back down to the tasting room. Loved this car so much! I wrote more about it throughout the rest of our trip posts so be sure to check those out!

The tasting room has some really special pieces from the ranch and the prior owners. We enjoyed tasting some wine and learning more about this special town.

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Holman Ranch 19 E. Carmel Valley Rd. Suite C, Carmel Valley, CA 93924

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

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