Outdoor wine tasting approved in Carmel-by-the-Sea
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. (KION)
Coming in just ahead of the deadline – hours before new restrictions in Monterey County would close local wine tasting rooms - Carmel-by-the-Sea approved outdoor wine tasting.
While restaurants have been given the go ahead to serve customers outside, places like tasting rooms and “specialty restaurants” have not, until Tuesday night. The city council voted to approve the idea, according to the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association.
This allows for tasting rooms to continue activities on their private property outdoors, with some approved to set up seating in public parking spots in front of their building.
The association’s Executive Director, Kim Stemler, tells KION Carmel’s decision means all tasting rooms in the county are approved for outdoor service, with other municipalities already approving similar plans.
"Even though they will have to decrease their space by moving outside, and they have already decreased the number of people that can be served as a preventative measure under COVID, that there is some businesses that can continue is very good news," Stemler said.
Wineries were told to close indoor operations as part of California’s restrictions for counties on their “monitoring list” for more than three consecutive days. Monterey County’s new roll back begins Wednesday and continues for three weeks.
This is a developing story.