Ever since I discovered the rich balanced flavors of Mer Soleil Chardonnay I’ve been hooked on Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands located in Monterey County.  This area is very unique for its morning and evening fog and heavy sun and wind in the afternoon. When I heard that all of the best vintners where coming together for one massive wine tasting event I was sure to attend.  On May 14th I had the pleasure of attending this event and tasting wines from over 30 producers.  Wines included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Viognier and Rosé.  All of these wines were spectacular and below are a few photos from the producers that I think really stood out.  The event was held at the beautiful Boekenoogen winery nestled in the Santa Lucia Highlands southern area of Soledad.  There was plenty of food and water to keep your palate fired up and most of the tables had maps of the area so you could learn the names and locations of all the vineyards.  I found this event to be very engaging, educational and worth every penny.  I look forward to next years event.  My only regret was that I was not able to taste the Boekenoogen wines… I just ran out of time.  I hope to taste their wine soon.