The Bountiful Basket 

“Never enough Baskets”

In 1993, Tom and Linda McArthur of Pebble Beach, CA, began the early stages of The Bountiful Basket in their garage. Initially, it began as a hobby for Tom while his wife, Linda, spent time away as a head stewardess for United Airlines international flights.  The early years were primarily gift baskets for personal and business accounts.  As the economy picked up and the advent of web-based purchasing, the MacArthur’s built their basket business catering to large corporate clientele in California and across the nation, thanks to the Internet.  As the millennium came to a close, nearly 40% of their business was web based.

Due to their extensive world travels, they often brought back wines, oils, vinegars and other products from around the world.  Thus, the tasting bar concept was introduced and continues today.

In 1993, Steve and Sharon Cuneo, the current owners of the Basket, arrived in Carmel, CA from the San Francisco Bay Area.  One of their favorite stops was visiting Tom and Linda at their store.  In that same year, Steve began his venture into the Craft Beer and BrewPub industry. As Chief Financial Officer for Faultline Brewing Company, the partners operated 4 micro-brewery restaurants in the Bay Area. Their concept, “Fine Food, Fine Beer” deviated from the typical brewpub concept of “burgers in a basket,” by offering fine cuisine, superb hand crafted brews, and world class wines.  Meanwhile, Sharon, always a “foodie” herself while raising their three sons, managed to open her own gourmet food shop in 2002, “The Center Street Marketplace” in Carmel Valley Village.

In 2005, Steve and Sharon’s long association with the McArthur’s and the Bountiful Basket paid off when they acquired the store.  As the McArthur’s moved to London, the store was moved from the Crossroads Shopping Center to The Barnyard in Carmel.

The Cuneo’s continued the traditions set forth by the McArthur’s, and the store continues its tasting bar concept catering to old and new clientele. However, Sharon could not sit still; her taste buds were yearning for something different and with that she began experimenting with vinegars and fruit juices. Thus, the OMG line of premium fruit vinegars was born.

It took two years of research and development before the OMG Pomegranate Vinegars hit the shelves at the Bountiful Basket. The first bottles were sold “naked” without seals, tags or labels at the Carmel TomatoFest in 2007. Since then, the line has grown to 13 products with more to follow. Current flavors include our signature Pomegranates, 2 types of Pear, Blueberry, Cranberry, Key Lime, Pineapple, and our newest flavor Raspberry Balsamic. New ones yet to be released will feature unusual fruits such as Watermelon, Mango-Passion Fruit, Wild Strawberry, Date, and Black Cherry Cabernet.

The current location in downtown Carmel became available in 2008, and the business once again found a new home. Carmel-by-the-Sea is the perfect mix of local shops and natural beauty that makes it a destination for visitors from around the world. Wine tasting rooms and gourmet food shops have popped up showcasing the best that the area has to offer, and they are attracting more visitors looking for the wine and food experience making it a perfect spot for The Bountiful Basket.

We open our tasting room daily, sampling out more than 60 olive oils and vinegars from around the world, and showcasing small boutique wines from Northern and Central California. Next time you visit Carmel-by-the-Sea, please stop by and see us and have a taste or two.

                                                                        Cheers!

                                                                        Steve and Sharon Cuneo