McIntyre to take over Boekenoogen brand and tasting room

May 7, 2024 – There is a family affair in the Santa Lucia Highlands involving the Boekenoogens and the McIntyres. It’s perfect.

McIntyre purchased the Carmel Valley tasting room, owned and operated by the Boekenoogen family for nearly 20 years, along with the wine inventory.

McIntyre Tasting Studio’s current location in Crossroads will eventually close and both brands will be sold out of the Carmel Valley tasting room, which will continue to operate with existing staff.

A grand opening of the combined tasting room will take place May 25 and 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 24 W. Carmel Valley Rd. in Carmel Valley Village.

“It was such a serendipitous situation,” says Steve McIntyre. “We were looking for a tasting room and everything fell into place.”

“The partnership between the two families is natural, we have the same values ​​and the same agricultural interests, it was a question of being in the right place at the right time,” he adds.

His daughter Kristen, Managing Director of McIntyre Family Wines, says: “This opportunity to continue a family legacy was written in the stars, we are so lucky!

An email to McIntyre wine club members also included this statement from Garrett and Holly Boekenoogen:

“Our family is turning the page to begin a beautiful new chapter. As we have created a family legacy here in Monterey County, it was essential for us to identify someone who would honor and continue what we have accomplished. We were looking for the ideal person to take over our family wine brand. Another multi-generational farming family who shared our deep respect for family values, had expertise as stewards of the land and livestock, dedicated to educating the next generation about regenerative and sustainable agriculture.

Boekenoogen Family Wines chose to sell our brand and family wine to a long-respected family, the McIntyres. Our wines will continue to be available in the Carmel Valley tasting room, along with employees, and the legacy will continue with a designated Boekenoogen Vineyard wine made by the McIntyres. We cannot imagine a better solution and are honored to know that our father John’s dream guided us to this exciting decision.

For longtime fans and members of the Boekenoogen wine club, the announcement regarding the brand’s future may not come as a surprise. Obviously, Boekenoogen Winery was the dream of the late John Boekenoogen, who considered it a family heirloom.

None of us who have ever attended a club outing at the ranch off River Road will ever forget the feeling of pure excitement John displayed as he shared the first Chardonnay Boekenoogen to receive critical acclaim from the Wall Street Journal, or the first isolated Pinot clone. Black made into a single bottle. We also can’t forget the club’s launch party at Bell Ranch, where the first Viognier and Zinfandel under the Boekenoogen label were released. The parties were epic and the warm hospitality displayed by the entire family carried over to the Carmel Valley tasting room that John was so proud of. It seemed like a fairy tale.

John’s enthusiasm and love for the wine industry knew no bounds: no one made you more proud to stand here and witness the evolution of livestock, dairy and row crops until in the vineyard. In many ways, this affable but astute man helped establish and strengthen the reputation of a burgeoning wine region into the flagship region that the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is today.

It is fitting that Steve McIntyre, the industry’s most vocal and vocal advocate for sustainability in agriculture, is the Boekenoogen’s chosen partner to manage this legendary brand.

Sales are underway for the Boekenoogen Bell Ranch and Paloma Vineyard properties in Carmel Valley, which are being offered separately. The Bookenoogen family will maintain their vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands and continue to sell grapes.

Kirsten also told us: “As for wine club members, we will continue to offer all the delicious Boekenoogen wines bottled to date as well as producing pinot noir from their estate vineyard. All of our members combined will enjoy numerous benefits, curated experiences and more in the months to come.

In the email to club members, she wrote: “In a world where small businesses are disappearing, we are fortunate to have cultivated a deep-rooted passion for life to share through our wine. We sincerely hope that you will join us, the McIntyre family and the Boekenoogen family, in celebrating our shared passions and new beginnings.

The grand opening of the combined Boekenoogen and McIntyre tasting room will be May 25 and 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 24 W. Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village.