This CORK & FORK sample itinerary has been developed based on a group of 12 individuals and is provided merely as a glimpse of the sort of customized travel experience CORK & FORK would delight in developing for independent travelers and groups.  
 
Highlights:
•   7-day/6-night wine travel program focused on the spectacular California Central Coast including the Monterey Peninsula, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County, to provide exposure to the range of outstanding varietals that thrive in this region
•   Three customized private guide wine tours featuring private tastings, tours and winemaker/owner meetings at some of the finest boutique wineries in California
•   Luxury accommodations including Bernardus Lodge, an intimate 57-room hideaway with a strong epicurean focus, Hotel Cheval, a boutique, 16-room property just off the charming grassy town square of wine boom town, Paso Robles, and the Ojai Valley Inn, a classic resort property that sparkles thanks to a recent $100-million expansion and refurbishment
•   Ojai Valley Inn resort activity (golf, spa and many more from which to choose) or optional interactive epicurean experience including lunch with a local chef at an Ojai culinary studio
•   A complete set of recommended activities for time at leisure, ranging from shopping to cultural visits, etc.
•   A customized fine dining program that will expose you to the outstanding range of cuisine and fresh local produce available year round on the Central Coast.
•   Transfers via luxury minicoach throughout the program
 
 
Contact Jim Dondero at CORK & FORK to discuss this itinerary.
919.536.3200 • jim@corkandfork.net

Day One : Arrival to San Jose International Airport at or before 2:30 p.m. Private transfer 1 hour 30 minutes to the
Carmel Valley. Late afternoon at leisure at Bernardus Lodge. Wine dinner on property at Marinus, the award-winning
fine dining restaurant at Bernardus. Marinus was recognized in 2003 as the top resort restaurant in the world by the
prestigious Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report and was designated a Grand Award winner on two occasions by Wine
Spectator. Your private group dinner, held in the Magnum Room at Marinus, will feature a four-course tasting menu
paired with exceptional Central Coast wines. The Marinus sommelier will provide commentary on each wine selected
from their 1,800-bottle cellar, and, based on availability that evening, you will meet Marinus's standout chef, Cal
Stemenov. Accommodations: Bernardus Lodge, an intimate getaway deep in the Carmel Valley
Day Two : Morning at leisure at Bernardus or transfer to Carmel Village, where shopping and charm are abundant.
Lunch in Carmel (lunch pricing not included, but CORK & FORK will provide lunch venue recommendations). Afternoon customized private wine tour of the Santa Lucia Highlands featuring exceptional Pinots and Chards of this cool-climate appellation (see wine country overview section for recommended wineries). Visits with private tastings and at least one winemaker meeting are included in this program. A viticulturist and consultant to the local agricultural industry will lead the tour. That evening, you will be certain to enjoy a private group dinner in the 4500-bottle wine cellar of L’Auberge Carmel’s restaurant, Aubergine. The epicurean media have bestowed numerous accolades upon Aubergine, including 20th best restaurant in the U.S. (Gourmet, 2006). Your four-course dinner will feature wine pairings, which the sommelier will review with you. Accommodations: Bernardus Lodge
Day Three : Your private transfer will depart Carmel in late morning, perhaps stopping for lunch at Nepenthe, a CORK & FORK favorite on the coast at Big Sur that features a million-dollar coastline view. Continue on the highly-scenic Pacific Coast Highway 2 hours 15 minutes (and many more views) to San Simeon where you will enjoy a tour of Hearst Castle. We recommend the "Experience Tour." This 1-hour 45-minute tour includes highlights of the main house and Casa del Sol, the 18-room guesthouse overlooking the Pacific, as well as the sensational esplanade and gardens featuring marble sculptures and seasonal flowers. Following the tour, your driver will take you into the booming wine town of Paso Robles (45-minute transfer). In the evening, enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride through the town of Paso, courtesy of Hotel Cheval and Chester, followed by dinner at Villa Creek, a Sonoran-style, relatively informal restaurant that is extremely popular with area winemakers and the wine trade. The owner, Cris Cherry, is a winemaker (Villa Creek Cellars) and will select your wines and take care of the group during this dinner. Accommodations: Hotel Cheval, a new, 16-room boutique property that quickly has made a name for itself as one of the premier small properties in the Central Coast.    
Day Four : We’ve scheduled day four as a leisurely day in the Paso area. Following a continental breakfast in your room, enjoy the morning at leisure in Paso Robles. After a picnic lunch in wine country, relish a customized private wine tour of some of the finest boutique Rhone and Zin producers of Paso Robles (see wine country overview section for recommended wineries). In the evening, walk to dinner at Artisan, another top Paso restaurant. This acclaimed spot, which specializes in Contemporary American Cuisine, is more formal than Villa Creek, but Paso is only so formal! Accommodations: Hotel Cheval
Day Five : Start the day with continental breakfast in your room at Hotel Cheval. Depart mid-morning via a private, two hour scenic transfer to Santa Barbara. Enjoy lunch in Santa Barbara at The Wine Cask (lunch pricing not included) followed by a visit to and tour of their fabulous wine shop that features one of the most outstanding selections of Burgundian wines from Santa Barbara County and the rest of the world. Tastings may be arranged. Take some time for shopping in Santa Barbara, and we would be happy to coordinate an optional historical architectural walking tour of the Spanish-inspired downtown district and perhaps the old mission, located above the downtown. When ready, your driver will transfer you 45 minutes to the impossibly beautiful and majestic Ojai Valley for check in at the Ojai Valley Inn, a landmark resort property established in the 1920s. Late afternoon will be at leisure. Enjoy dinner on property at the Inn at one of several restaurants. Accommodations: Ojai Valley Inn
Day Six : Morning will be at leisure at the resort. Included in your program is a resort activity such as a spa treatment or another activity such as golf (rental clubs have not been included in the pricing), kayaking, fishing, etc. Another option for all or part of the group is to schedule a half-day epicurean experience with Chef Laurence Hauben. Born in France, Laurence has lived in Santa Barbara for more than 20 years. She formally directed the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market and operated a very successful restaurant in town. One possible venue for this experience is a culinary studio in Ojai. A morning cooking lesson featuring local ingredients would be followed by lunch. Those individuals not participating in the lesson might be interested in joining for lunch at the studio following their time at leisure at the resort. This option has not been included in the program pricing. After lunch, you will enjoy a private guided wine tour of Santa Barbara Wine Country (see wine country overview section for recommended wineries). Visits with private tastings and at least one winemaker meeting are included in this program. Return to the Inn by 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be either be on property (at a different resort restaurant than the previous night) or at Suzanne’s Cuisine, the pinnacle of fine dining in town where you will enjoy inventive French-Italian fare, the freshest local ingredients and their attentive staff. Accommodations: Ojai Valley Inn
Day Seven : Departure from Ojai. 90-minute transfer to Los Angeles International Airport for return flight.


What’s Included:
•   6 nights accommodations based on double occupancy in higher-end room categories: 2 nights Bernardus Lodge-Carmel Valley (Premium Croquet room), 2 nights Hotel Cheval-Paso Robles (Deluxe room category), 2 nights Ojai Valley Inn (Shangri La Fireplace King room category - new construction)
•   3 deluxe wine tours with winemaker meetings, private tours and tastings as specified
•   6 high-end dinners, most of which feature wine pairing menus or sommelier-led discussion of the pairings. Wine pairings and ½-bottle of wine per person is included.
•   6 breakfasts including 2 continental breakfasts at Hotel Cheval
•   1 wine country picnic in Paso Robles
•   Ojai Valley Inn activity: 1 round of golf, spa treatment (up to $150 treatment) or other resort activity
•   Admission to Hearst Castle ("Experience Tour")
•   Horse-drawn carriage through downtown Paso Robles from hotel to dinner
•   All transfers (airport transfers, private wine tour transfers, dinner transfers, transfers along the Central Coast, etc.) for activities included in this program
•   All CORK & FORK fees, taxes and gratuities for service included in this program
•   All taxes, CORK & FORK fees and gratuities. Please note that this program does not include a group escort. CORK & FORK will coordinate arrangements and provide detailed program notes/schedules/contact information for a designated group leader.
 
Price Per Person (based on a group of 10/double occupancy): $4,295
 
We would be happy to develop a personalized itinerary to accommodate your budget. Pricing and arrangements are
subject to availability and price fluctuation. Pricing will be guaranteed prior to final booking.
   
Contact Jim Dondero at CORK & FORK to discuss this itinerary: 919.536.3200, jim@corkandfork.net
 
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