Dawn's Dream Winery

What a beautiful, hospitable, lovely, warm and nice wine tasting room! I was greeted by Doug and he was very friendly and welcoming. He made me comfortable at the tasting bar and my dog was also welcomed. We had a busy day in Carmel. My dog and I were tired and needed some nice relaxing time/experience. I chose red wine tasting as it was a foggy day in Carmel and I loved Rachel Pinot so much!!! It is very decadent and flavorful. You will say Wow when you have a first sip. I also enjoyed talking to happy guests who also were enjoying their wine tasting. In ordered a cheese and salami mini platter that comes with buttery bread sticks in a mason jar. I loved everything, everything was fresh and delicious! My dog also enjoyed some cheese, bread sticks bites and love of the guests who said hello to her. I recommend this winery tasting room if you like good ambiance, good wine, friendly atmosphere and romantic design. 5 stars. Thank you Doug for taking such a good care of us! It was nice to connect with you, the guests and the Carmel locals who are the members of this place.

I had the pleasure of having Jodie walk myself and partner through a wine tasting…with the power out! It was an extremely romantic atmosphere and the hospitality was great as the power was out throughout Carmel. Highly recommend anyone stop by and have a drink!

This is a beautiful & charming winery nestled in carmel-by-the-sea. We landed on the really delicious Rose which has won the best Rose in Monterey county for the past 13 years. Sarah was our pourer who was super fun to be with, we shared many stories and just is a great person to get to know and hang out with. They also have a bathtub in the wine room that you can have a photo in which is very unique. The outside fire pit table is perfect for the sometimes chili days in caramel when the fog is around or in the winter time. Especially love the breadsticks and nuts that she gave us along with our wine. The Pinot noir that we tried was excellent and was very smooth, complex with a variety of tasting notes, little bit fruit forward and a very drinkable everyday wine.

I had a glass of wine here and then, naturally, nature called... Guess what? NO BATHROOM! They will send you a block and a half away to a public restroom. Unbelievable!

Friendly staff and a cozy environment. Wines were good, too!

Great wine and lovely atmosphere. Ask for Sarah, she’s super nice . Thanks for the recommendation, the Pinot was great.

Such a lovely experience!! My friends and I stumbled upon Dawns in Carmel, we were immediately seated at a prime firepit table and served by the AMAZING Doug. He provided awesome service and knowledge about different wines, carmel recs etc. He was so friendly, kind and made us feel at home. Overall amazing wine tasting experience and we can’t wait to return friends or family!!!

Cute, friendly, and tied to the community. Their wine club is a fun option, too.

Stumbled upon this winery during a Bachelorette trip in the middle of March and the experience was memorable. They sat us quickly and allowed us to try three different wines before we purchased a bottle. I can't remember clearly what wine we decided to go with other than that it was a white wine and we decided to purchase two more bottles after finishing the first one! (to take home of course). They gave complimentary breadsticks and water.

A buddy and I stopped here prior to meeting our wives for dinner in Carmel. Jimmy and Patrick were super hosts. We enjoyed everything we drank, especially the Sangiovese. Hidden down an alley, this tasting room is worth seeking out.

I happened upon this tasting room trying to duck in from the rain. They welcomed my dog and me and even provided a dog mat :) . The room is extremely comfortable, and the staff is warm and social. I love that Dawn has based her business on giving back to the community. It motivated me to donate to her cause of the year. What a wonderful place!

Excellent experience and great vibes! This woman-owned winery was definitely one of the highlights of the trip to Carmel by the Sea. Jodi was the person helping us and she was amazing! I have been to a number of wine tasting rooms, but this was the first time that I felt like the experience was so personal. Jodi genuinely cared about the wine, what flavors we would be interested in, and tailored the flight to our preferences. She didn't just pour, talk, and walk away. She answered so many questions and gave a lot of good recommendations about wine pairings. The wines she included in our flight were excellent. We brought a few home. But more than just talking about the wine, she made our experience personal by sharing stories about her life and family, and we did the same. By the end of the tasting, we were all laughing, sharing pictures, and hugging goodbye. This place really felt like more than just a wine tasting room; it was such a warm welcoming environment and felt like we were on a good friend's patio, catching up over good wine. If I am ever back in town, I will definitely be returning. Also, they are committed to community service so a portion of their proceeds go to charity. All around, this place is great!

Walked in on a beautiful Sunday (8/3/25) afternoon expecting to have a wonderful experience as I've been wanting to visit for some time now, the gentleman behind the bar was visiting with patrons, looked over at us and then looked away, no welcoming greeting not even any acknowledgment after about 5 minutes we left. If I could give 0 stars I definitely would.

I really wanted to like dawns dream winery because our friends are long time "Dream Catcher" members there but our experience left us all a little bit more than disappointed. The positive: The decor and overall ambiance of the tasting room is quite nice. Seating is spaced out, the tables and chairs are comfortable, and the large windows make the whole space feel larger than it is and quite inviting. The neutral: The wine itself is average at best. Our tasting consisted of a Chardonnay, a rosé, and three Pinot noirs. None of these wines had any stand out qualities from others we've tried in neighboring tasting rooms and their profiles catered to someone who enjoys lighter flavors, even within the context of Pinot Noir. I was curious to try the Zinfandel but at $10 for a taste of it, and with how let down I was with the preceding wines, I didn't have any hope it would be much better. The bad: The service was truly disappointing. Our tasting was hosted by a gentleman with long grey curly hair who came off as mechanical and dry. Perhaps even self absorbed? I learned that he came from a marketing background and retired from that industry to explore his interest in wine. Outside of his interest in talking about himself I felt that we were an imposition to being there which isn't ever a nice feeling. There was a women sitting next to us that seemed intoxicated and perhaps he was avoiding her due to her behavior. Our interaction with the other gentleman working there who has short grey hair was quite positive and I wish he was our host instead. This maybe would have saved the entire experience. At the time of check out, our group ordered a couple bottles to go. The Rosé and the Alyssa Pinot. Our group of four was oddly charged a tasting fee as well ($30) which I questioned because the "Dream Catcher" wine club membership offers complimentary tastings for the Member + 3 guests. Our party size was a total of 4 (the member plus 3 guests) so why were we charged a tasting fee? At the end of the day, questioning the tasting fee any further than asking why one person was charged as part of the group wasn't worth the time. It's just poor hospitality and shows that staff need additional training. I likely won't return because there are plenty of other tasting rooms in the area with much more welcoming staff. It's a shame, I heard good things about Dawns Dream.

Dawn's has some of the best red wine, and I'm not a big red wine person. I love how it's tucked away off the street, it really makes it feel like it's a hidden gem in Carmel. I really love the Alyssa wine

Really upsetting visits upon multiple occasions. Moved to Carmel a year or so ago and my wife wanted to join this little community of local wine drinkers They were so nice on our initial visit and three hundred dollars later we were members. Since then we've visited several times and the experience was extremely disappointing. You're treated like second class citizens, unless you're part of their little clique. On every occasion, we've been passed by, while the staff attends to paying customers. We finally go to bar, get our member pour then are once again ignored. Really should be ashamed. My wife is one of nicest people you'll find in life and you really have hurt her feelings to a degree that I don't understand. We wish you nothing but success but Unfortunately I think we will be moving on to a friendlier local experience.

Great ambience, charming host and a lovely selection of wine. Service was attentive and the host happily discussed wine as I sipped :) Really enjoyed the Rose!

We had a nice, relaxing time here during a recent excursion to Carmel. We'd heard about the rosé and it did not disappoint. We ended up ordering a case of it later shipped straight to our home! This is a gem of a spot and we learned a lot, sipped a lot, and had a really pleasant time hanging out. Delicious wines and friendly service. Make sure you check them out if you find yourself looking for wine out this way!

Dawns Dream was, well, a dream. Friendly service, beautiful indoor and outdoor space, dog friendly, and great wines. We did a flight for $30 and the bartender let us try a 5th wine for free. Wished we could've taken some wine home... will definitely be visiting when I return!

Super nice staff and profesional..loved it !!! They made us feel like home with friends

Patrick was awesome! Had great recommendations and was very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend for anyone visiting!

I was on a girls trip and we saw this place close to our hotel, so we stopped in. Three of the six girls ended up wandering elsewhere as they weren't fans of the varietals available. I think that the premise of the winery is amazing with donations made - however, we weren't a huge fan of the wines. This was our third tasting and we enjoyed the other two tastings more. It was definitely a quaint location and the outdoor patio was being well used when we were there. Loved how dog friendly it was! The guy giving us the tasting was super friendly and had a good amount of information. He was the only one there though, so when we had indicated a few times that we needed to head out it was tough to snag him down to cash out.

As long time members (6+ years) my wife and I still consider a visit to the tasting room to be a treat. The people there are like family and greet us and our "special needs" dog Scully like they feel the same. We feel like Dawn (and husband Jack) make the best Pinot Noirs in Monterey County. They are reason enough to be members but what prompted us to join those many years ago was the fact that Dawn and the winery support a charity organization every year with a portion of all sales going to support that year's charity. Doing some good while sipping fabulous wine (the Rachel is my favorite)....what a great combination!

My boyfriend and I visited this winery with some family members and the service was absolutely horrible. We continuously got ignored while other guests were offered waters and nuts. Not sure what the discrepancy in service treatment was all about. We ordered 2 bottles and literally had to hunt down the staff to get a second pour of the alcohol that we were paying for. The wine was good but definitely wouldn't go here again.

Doug was fantastic , so much information & such great customer service. Would definitely recommend!

It pains me to not give a better review to a woman owned business like Dawn's Dream. We stopped in one afternoon during the week. The tasting room itself is cute and comfortable with both indoor and outdoor seating. Since it was a bit chilly, we bellied up to the bar to enjoy a tasting with the friendly gentleman who greeted us. The tasting experience itself was fine. Each wine, as well as the history of how the winery began, was explained by our knowledgable guide. I do love how the owner is passionate about giving back to women/children to help them achieve their dreams. Dawn's Dream is the brain child of Dawn Galante, spouse of Jack Galante (Galante Vineyards). We tasted a chardonnay, rose and three pinots. I will say the wines were not really my preference. I really enjoy oaky chardonnays and more bold reds. However, other patrons in the shop were quite happy with the wines, so again simply my preference. We did each have a glass of pinot before heading on. I did think the wines were a bit high in price with a chardonnay at $33 up to a reserve Pinot at $76, but we are in downtown Carmel after all. I was a bit taken aback when I asked to use the restroom and was told I would have to walk clear back to the Carmel Plaza. I'm not sure if this was COVID related (our visit was only about 1 month ago), but I have to imagine they have a restroom for staff that customers could share. At any rate, I see many people enjoying their visits, but I will probably not return. I do recommend you see for yourself if these wines are for you!

Dog friendly inside and out. Patio is chill and away from foot traffic. Friendly service. Flights or by the glass.

Fantastic tasting with Doug! Very welcoming and knowledgeable. A plus that they're pet friendly. Our doodle had an amazing time :) Also please try their Rose. It's delicious!

Request Jimmy if you come here and get the Rosé (off the menu, but 9x winner) and Chardonnay!

My husband and I had a wonderful time at Dawn's Dream. We come to Carmel by the Sea every summer and we have this on our list of things we must do every year. The wines were all amazing, esp the Rose! Doug was great! He was attentive and fun to chat with. Wonderful wine and atmosphere! Highly recommend! We will come back soon!

Great wine! Really nice servers. FYI They do not allow customers in their bathroom - need to walk a few blocks to public one.

While celebrating our anniversary, my husband and I found this little gem while strolling through downtown Carmel. We were warmly welcomed inside, and we proceeded to have the BEST experience at Dawn's Dream Wine! Not only was the wine wonderful, our new friend Jimmy gave us SUCH a enjoyable experience. We instantly joined the wine club and we are looking forward to the next visit to pick up more more of their magical wine! Jimmy is so friendly, sweet, intelligent, hilarious and genuine, I guarantee you will leave incredibly satisfied with your wine tasting experience! And even if you don't drink, go introduce yourself to Jimmy! We honestly still talk about how that experience was the highlight of our trip.

Fun stop in Carmel! The older gentleman who was working on our visit was awesome. He definitely made our experience memorable and fun. All of the wines that we tried were delicious. We loved the stories about the family and the names of all the wines.

We were looking for the perfect wine stop while walking around downtown Carmel and waiting for the dinner hour. This is a really cute little tasting room with a cozy intimate feeling to it and was perfect for our friend reunion we were on. It has lots of nice seating including couches, some individual barrel tables with chairs, and seating at the bar. Their tasting fee is quite reasonable at 10 dollars for 4 wines. They also have a very nice cheese plate option if you're getting a little munchie from all that hard 'wine drinking' work you're doing. I might add, this is also guilt-free wine drinking you're doing by the way. Dawn's Dream Winery donates a portion of every sale as well as product, additional monetary donations, and volunteer hours to charities and nonprofit organizations. She particularly assists groups helping women and children rise out of poverty. I like any excuse to drink wine but a philanthropic one is always a winner. The wines were great with the pinots being a fav among our red drinking group. The person pouring was incredibly friendly and helpful and even assisted us in taking a group photo..in the wine tub! That's right, there's a wine tub! So if you can't find any other reason to visit this place the allure of a tub dedicated to drinking wine should be enough.

I loved this spot! The woman helping us was so sweet. She let us take our time, took us through the wines, and gave us other suggestions for places to stop in the area. The wine flight was great, though I really would've drank anything to sit outside in their courtyard. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. I loved the Rachael Pinot noir 2019 and 2021 Pinot noir rose clone 236.

Wonderful wine and atmosphere! Tobey was a wonderful person to serve us our wine tasting! Thank you for everything!

Stopped at Dawn's Dream in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea...what a treat. Tried the 5-wine tasting from the menu (approx $25 per person) and still thinking about the delicious Chardonnay, Rose and the 3 Pinots. Lovely storytelling by the staff about why is the place called Dawn's dream, complete with a picture to show. I found the staff on their feet courteous and general visitors respectful in social distancing -- keeping a nice quiet hum that made it possible for me to enjoy my wine in peace :) Loved, loved, loved the experience. Thank you!

This is such a cool place to visit! Cool music, great vibe, and really outstanding wines! The owner Dawn created this to support women's groups, so we were told by our very knowledgeable educator Toby. He's from Britain and has the accent to endear you to this place! his knowledge and understanding of wines is not limited to just this area. he gave us great ideas about who and were to visit in Napa and Sonoma. He also was gracious enough to suggest places to dine here in Carmel - we went to the Hidden gem at his suggestion which was lovely. He also (and we have never had this happen in all the tastings we have been to) told us of other favorite tasting rooms of his here in Carmel! We first went to Dawn's husband Jack Galante;'s space just a block away for beautiful big reds - think cabs and merlots and other great big wines that we. think matched anything in Napa. We bought wines at both places and will enjoy them. You should too!

Lovely outdoor seating! First stop in our wine tasting tour. Definitely recommend taking the time to check out their wine selection. Anna was a delight, thank you for taking care of us.

Jimmy was absolutely incredible!!! He was extremely charismatic and knew every detail about the wine. We stayed for a long time because he made us feel at home. HE NEEDS/DESERVES a raise!!! 10/10 would recommend this place!

Stopped by to have wine tasting - only one out of 6 wines tasted good and they were all supposed to be expensive wines if you wanted to purchase the bottle. You can also buy by the glass, but they don't advertise how much it is and with less than a regular pour it was $30, wine tasting was also $30. I don't recommend this place. Get a few bottles from Trader Joe's and you will be happier.

Cutest place ever!! I am glad my mom and I discovered this place. Unfortunately with covid, things are different and you can't do tastings. We bought a bottle of the Pinot and the plastic Dawns Dream Winery cups. We enjoy drinking our wine in new glasses. We have a friend name Dawn and that's what drew us to this place. The wine was delicious and now we have something to look forward to do when Covid is better. The gentlemen who helped us was friendly and made learning about the wines they are selling even better. We hope to do a tasting someday. If you are in the area buy some wine to enjoy at home or at the beach.

Great place! Ambiance was stellar, staff was friendly. Pizza on Friday while wine tasting.

My bf and I made a point to canvass every side street off Ocean Avenue and we found Dawn's Dream Winery! Dawn's was crowded so I knew that was a good sign. We found comfy seats and were warmly greeted. I was a huge fan of the Chardonnay because it was not oaky. Their award winning Rose was really good, but a little too light for me. I enjoy Inversion's Rose based out of the Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley area the best. The three Pinot's were all great and they're each named after Dawn's three daughters I was told by our wine host. I loved Rachael the best, but they were all truly good. Would I return? Absolutely. Our wine host recommended their Air Bnb to check out coupled with their other tasting room, Galante. Seems like they're established well in Carmel. I noticed they had TV's in the tasting room; may be beneficial to put out their Air Bnb and additional tasting room over that so it doesn't come across "pushy." The only negative was not having a restroom.

So it started raining and ended up here by accident. It clearly is very popular- even in the rain. The staff was very accommodating although a staff member mentioned their pinot noir had very strong characteristics of Bordeaux, so....they do have several good selections but these wines are a tad pricey so choose carefully.

Same as I said in my review of Galante Vineyards Tasting Room (owned by Dawn and her husband Jack), this is one of only two tasting rooms in Carmel where we've had a fun time beyond just tasting good wine. Once again, we got lucky and found Rick, who also works at Galante, to walk us through the wines. He's a great "cheerleader" for both vineyards, and once again got us trying more than just the standard samples. We were also lucky enough to meet and get to know Dawn, who also had us trying more than what was on the sampling list. It's good to make friends at the the tasting rooms ;-) Dawn's offers free breadsticks for palate cleansing, and some small plates that were high quality and reasonably priced (unlike many of the other tasting rooms in Carmel). Dawn's and Galante will be on our must-stop lists from now on when we come back to Carmel every year.

We had such a wonderful time visiting here! The atmosphere is so nice and peaceful. The wine is absolutely incredible and I can easily see how it has won so many awards! The employees are so friendly and knowledgeable and were an absolute delight to talk to. We can't wait to come back!

Great wine selection and the owner was kind enough to let us get some wine just after closing time! Great little place, great atmosphere. Definitely will come back here every time we visit Carmel.

It's officially been a year since we became members at Dawn's Dream and we regret...nothing! Top 4 -The wine is top notch! Smooth, easy to drink, and bam...part of it goes to great causes! -Beautiful tasting room(#winetub anyone), friendly staff(kudos to Molly, Maegan, and Doug!) and always very welcoming! -Chocolates with the Pinot out of an adorable tub? Heck Yes! -The annual Spring fling is a MUST. The ranch is stunning and oh so inviting. Lastly, Dawn herself is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She's been nothing but amazing with me and my partner asking her five million questions every time we see her(LOL!) You can really feel this is more than just wine, but a true passion for helping others. Cheers for the 2020 Spring Fling and wine tastings to come!

Great outdoor patio to grab a glass of pinot at the end of the day in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Dawn's Dream is cutely decorated inside the tasting room and even has a bath tub for a great photo op! Once you are there you can read about what Dawn's dream is and her donations and values. I love that they donate money to charitable causes and are open about it. They have a really nice rose' and the "Nicole" pinot noir was my favorite pinot out of the multiple they produce. They are all pretty young wines and enjoyable. The tasting room associate was super friendly and really nice about taking photos for people that wanted a group picture in the tub. Overall, it is a cute tasting room and it is easy to find when you are in the Carmel downtown area. If you go to Galante's first, their "brother" winery you can get a two for one tasting coupon if you ask them about Dawn's.

Amazing atmosphere and even better wine!! This place is hidden gem in Carmel-By-The-Sea!! Our service was impeccable here and they are very dog friendly which is important to me because I take my dog with me as much as possible. My mom and I came here for a flight and ended up buying a couple bottles to take home. We cannot wait to come here again!

Excellent wines, excellent experience. Richard really took care of us when we dropped in unplanned for my mom's birthday. Dog friendly, people friendly, and Richard was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and generous. We will absolutely come back here again because of the quality of wine and the top notch treatment we received (as did everyone else around us). Highly recommended!! Thank you!

Walked in at 6. Hostess said she's closing and suggest we leave and come back the next day. Laziness. Went to Scheid's instead. Don't bother

Stopped here during a day of wine tasting and was not disappointed. The wines were delicious! The lady that served us was wonderful too. She made great recommendations on places to eat and bars to go to at night in the area. Make sure to take a picture in their bath tub too, it's kind of mandatory that you do!

I'm giving this 4 stars because our server was bubbly, bright, and welcoming. She was graceful yet upbeat and fun. It's a bright atmosphere. We did feel slightly rushed into a table and had a taste of Chardonnay poured before we could even see the other tastings. Eventually we saw the other wines available for tasting and they were the complete opposite of what we prefer. We tasted the Chardonnay and it was spectacular but we had to leave because we didn't want to pay for a wine tasting that included 4/5 wines we don't like. We offered to pay for the Chardonnay because we absolutely do not dine and dash. Great patio and indoor seating but music was too loud.

Legitness! The chard was outta my mind! I don't like chards but this one is legit! Rosè all day baby! We bought 3 bottles and can't wait to come back. Doug made some great conversation!