Monterey Map
It's all about the grapes
 | | Vines cover the slopes of a Monterey County vineyard. The region produces many high-quality varietals. |
It would be difficult for a Monterey County winemaker to name the single most unique feature of the area when it comes to growing grapes.
A strong argument could be made about its two separate and distinct areas — generally speaking, the northern half and the southern half — which have vastly different climatic and geographic characteristics.
An alternate opinion might make a claim for what is widely acknowledged to be the county’s premier grape, chardonnay, which makes up more than 50 percent of its total grape production, much of which is sold to well-known and respected producers outside the county.
But perhaps what stands out most is the extra ripening time Monterey County grapes enjoy compared to some of California’s better-known regions, like Napa and Sonoma. This bonus, of anywhere from one to two months depending on the year and particular vineyard, is granted by the cooling effect of fog that rolls in off the cold water in Monterey Bay. The result is what gives many Monterey County wines more intense fruit flavors, more subtle textures and more pleasurable acidity than you would expect from this previously unremarkable grape-growing region.
When a groundbreaking study of California wine-growing regions was published in the early 1960s, it rated the Monterey County climate as equivalent to not only Napa and Sonoma but also France’s famous wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Naturally, interest in the area by California winemakers and grape growers was sparked.
 | | Grapes are gathered and stored in large casks before being crushed. |
Over the next 40 years, Monterey County earned its seven unique American Viticultural Areas — from the 1,700-foot-elevation Chalone AVA isolated in the Gavilan Mountain Range to the warm and dry Hames Valley AVA protected from the cool, afternoon Monterey Bay winds. These winds move inland down a long, narrow valley more famous for growing Brussels sprouts and broccoli than premium wine grapes.
Through these decades of growth came experimentation with many different grapes, soils and growing methods until Monterey County found its strengths in making wines that can be compared with those from any of the world’s great wine regions.
Visiting the wine country of Monterey County requires a different approach from the usual wine trails of Napa, Sonoma or even the San Luis Obispo region and Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County. Don’t expect the typical chain of wineries along tree-covered roads or quaint little villages. To see and visit Monterey County wineries takes a little drive time, but it’s worth the effort. Besides, this gives you more time to think about the wines and enjoy the magnificent scenery.
Like any other wine-producing region, Monterey is composed of grape growers who either sell their grapes to wineries throughout the state or make their own wines off-premises, and wineries that grow grapes and produce estate-grown wines. There are more than 50 wineries and vineyards, clustered primarily in or near either the 80-mile-long Salinas Valley or the small, bucolic Carmel Valley.
Within the Salinas Valley are the AVAs of San Lucas, a fertile, cattle-grazing range for more than 150 years; Arroyo Seco, having both a warm, protected canyon and a cool valley floor; and the Santa Lucia Highlands, a terraced region above the Salinas River that receives much of the cool ocean fog streaming in from Monterey Bay.
 | | Wine is served straight from the cask at an event sponsored by the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. |
Carmel Valley, a picturesque region about 20 miles from the coastal city of Monterey, has been growing grapes since the 1800s. It possesses a moderate climate and gravelly soil similar to Bordeaux in France. The Chalone AVA, near the Pinnacles National Monument, experiences temperature swings of nearly 50 degrees a day during the growing season and is recognized for its exceptional soils of granite and limestone that produce almost entirely Burgundy-style wines. The southernmost and most recently granted AVA is Hames Valley, having the warmest climate in the county.
Wines from Monterey County are of consistently good quality and relative affordability. And although the majority of the wines are of the ubiquitous chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir varieties, the county offers a range of other varieties, as well, including sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, riesling, syrah, zinfandel, Gewürztraminer, petit verdot, cabernet franc, chenin blanc and muscat.
There’s a reason Monterey County is recognized mainly for its Burgundy- and Bordeaux-style wines. It’s because of its highly skilled viticulturists and winemakers, who have learned how to take advantage of the region’s various microclimates and geographies when deciding which grapes will perform best. Those winning combinations have produced some stunning chardonnay, pinot noir and merlot.
A broad array of chardonnay from Talbott Vineyards in Carmel Valley range in quality from good to world-class. Their best, the Diamond T Estate wine, has the elegance of a fine Burgundy with ample acidity and silky fruitiness. Moving from one highland area to another, just across the valley, comes a contrasting style no less impressive.
Chalone Vineyard’s widely acclaimed chardonnay is rich and firm and reflects its limestone and decomposed granite soils that add a pleasant mineral characteristic. Of equal stature, if not greater, is the Chalone pinot noir, having a complexity and texture not found in many California wines of this particular variety. Grapes for both Talbott and Chalone wines come from the higher elevations in the county.
 | | Guests are served wine before dinner at one of the many events sponsored annually by the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. |
Among the best sauvignon blancs coming from the Central Coast is one from Joullian Vineyards in Carmel Valley. Blended with the semillon grape, also a Bordeaux variety, this wine has a crisp, citric edge with a wonderful aroma of a mixed bouquet of flowers and freshly cut grass. Joullian is also making an exotic and dense zinfandel, blended nicely with petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon.
Some excellent red Bordeaux varieties are being made by three producers located in three distinctly different corners of the county. Bernardus produces a notable meritage-style (Bordeaux blend) wine called marinus (pronounced Ma-ree-nus). Grapes grown in the Cachagua region of the upper Carmel Valley produce this smooth, complex and flavorful wine. Midway down the Salinas Valley is the Jekel Vineyards tasting room, not far from an organically farmed riverbed vineyard that grows the winery’s cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Called the Sanctuary Estate wine, it has a spicy richness in a well-balanced, fruit-filled blend. Then, some 40 miles farther south is the relatively young Hames Valley Vineyard that is making surprisingly sophisticated wines. Its forthcoming merlot blend and the currently available but limited-production syrah are both outstanding.
Monterey-grown wines come from small, family-operated estates, like Hames Valley, as well as some of the biggest California names. In fact, a good portion of vineyard acreage is owned by companies based outside the county, You’ll find wines by Mondavi, Kendall-Jackson, Delicato, Fetzer, Hess, Raymond and Gallo labeled with the Central Coast AVA and made with Monterey grapes.
Today, many good to great wines come from Monterey County. Some names are generally recognizable, like Mirassou, Morgan, Wente, Lockwood, J. Lohr and Estancia. Others, like Baywood Cellars, Chateau Julien, Cobblestone, Pavona and San Saba, may not be. Regardless of the size or notoriety of the producer, if it comes from Monterey County, you can expect the best of California quality with coastal wine style. And when it comes to sampling the wines of the county, you have the option of buying any of the wines, and tasting some of them, in either of the wine visitor centers located in the cities of Monterey and Salinas.
As noteworthy as the wines of Monterey County are the people who own, grow, manage, produce and market the wines. Maybe because of the constant comparisons with their competitors in more recognized areas, Monterey winery proprietors go out of their way to make sure your wine-tasting experience is enjoyable, educational and memorable. The county has a proud heritage of winemaking and grape-growing and the current generation of producers and growers includes some of the best in California. It takes persistence, talent and time to take a cattle-grazing, salad-farmed land and make it into one of the state’s most desirable regions for growing grapes.
Just like the cool, dense fog that powers down from Monterey Bay, the wines of Monterey County are making a lasting impression with anyone who takes the time to visit this vast and productive region.
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