Dawn’s Dream Chardonnay
7th and San Carlos, Carmel 659-2649, dawnsdreamwinery.com
The eponymous Dawn Galante sources dry-farmed grapes for her Dawn’s Dream Escolle Chardonnay from the Escolle Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands – a growing method and appellation that lends a nice minerality to the finished wine, she says. After harvest, the Chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel with just a hint of oak. “It’s a great balance of styles, and it really has just become a staple for us,” Galante says. Chardonnay lovers, clearly, agree.