Monterey County's top five most social wine tasting places.

The explosion of Monterey County wine and its tasting rooms has been well-documented.

Of late, a related phenomenon has added oomph to the boom.

Call it the loungeification of the local wine situation: In the last year and change, a surprising number of tasting lounges have popped up.

In this week's print edition, I spotlight the half dozen newest and best with the Edible Complex column, "Bakai debut feeds Monterey County's wine lounge boom," and Weekly contributor Daniel DeCamp explores one of them, The Wine Experience on Cannery Row, more closely.

Meanwhile, existing tasting rooms have evolved their space and calendar around a more social approach.

Combined with the lounges, these socially savvy wine houses make for a refreshing era of interactive sipping and swirling.

It also inspires this list of my favorite vineyards on the social side of things, in alphabetical order:

De Tierra Vineyards

Events at Mission and Fifth in Carmel (622-9704) arrive every single day—with promotions like Yoga + Meditation Mondays, Ladies Night Wednesdays, and $5 Flight Thursdays—and go well with a youthful staff and the big L-shaped bar that usually has several conversations going. Opposite the chalkboard wall and its specials appear two areas to kick back. On top of that, the special event social calendar ranks among the busiest in the business, with additional trivia nights, wine dinners and pop-ups at local restaurants.

Folktale Winery & Vineyards

Folktale took over for Chateau Julien at 8940 Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley last spring via a $12 million deal and some brazen language: They’d be more punk rock than anything else. Like the Kurt Cobain quote reading “Punk is saying, doing and playing what you want,” they’ve done an admirable job at it, fighting off neighbors resistant to their ongoing Live in the Vines collaboration with KRML (look for Aoife O’Donovan this weekend) and hosting fun hospitality nights with local wineries like Mercy and Chesebro and purveyors like Corkscrew Bistro and Happy Girl Kitchen—to go with giant Jenga and beer pong. The property has been updated by Carissa Duncan (design) and Fred Ballerina (landscaping) to include a selection of lounge spaces and play backdrop to afternoon and lawn games like corn hole and horse shoes in the “wine garden.”

Joyce Vineyards

With a stylish tasting room nestled among a string of superb local wineries on a short stretch that packs in six on East Carmel Valley Road’s far end, Joyce (659-2885) stood out from the start for its contemporary design and emphasis on hang-out areas to go with a long and stylish tasting bar, Tondre and Santa Rita Hills Pinots and a strong local following. Events like pumpkin carvings, DJ-driven pink party rosé releases and painting-with-wine tutorials ramp up the fun flavoring.

Pierce Ranch Vineyards

It’s hard to say what’s a better story: How a family-owned Salinas Valley vineyard with all sorts of interesting varietals transformed a cute little home into a welcoming tasting venue or how a fun group of progressive promoters and traveling artists turned a cute tasting outpost into one of the best venues for touring indie groups in the area. The good news here: They’re both true, so no need debating whether the affordable Iberian varietals (like the worthy Tourbillon and Touriga) or the intimate concert opportunities (with the likes of Chloe and the Giant Peach with Jordan Smart coming March 12) are more remarkable. They make one another better, and the simple porch and the pebble patio help too.

Submit your nominees for most social wine venues to edible@mcweekly.com.