Monterey County
United States
Connect with Monterey County:
Monterey Wine Country’s growing region is vast, stretching 90 miles from north to south. There are nine distinct and separate AVAs within the 45,000 cultivated wine grape acres of Monterey County. The AVAs are Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley, Chalone, Hames Valley, Monterey, San Antonio Valley, San Bernabe, San Lucas and Santa Lucia Highlands. The AVAs all share low rainfall, significant diurnal temperature variations, and strong ocean influence. The gently sloping land is suitable for drainage while the terrain and soil characteristics are the most ideal for planting, cultivating, and harvesting grapes away from urbanization. The soil temperatures are cooler than in other parts of the state. This factor naturally limits the size of the crop, thereby increasing grape and wine quality.
Region
45,000 acres of growing area
9 appellations
72 wineries
225 vineyards
Impact
7,000 wine industry FTE jobs
$361 million USD annual wages & benefits
481,000 annual visitors
$64 million USD tourism revenue
$7 million+ USD annual charitable contributions
Primary Grape Varietals
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah
Grenache
Viognier
