The Monterey wine growing region is located below San Francisco on the central California coast and is served by San Francisco International Airports and local airports in Monterey and San Jose. Find fine wines from cool climate grapes such as Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chenin Blanc.

Known for the rugged beauty of Big Sur, the charm of Carmel and the lore of Pebble Beach, Monterey County is also home to 38,200 acres of wine grapes and about 75 wineries and growers. San Bernabe, the world’s largest contiguous vineyard at over 8,700 acres, is also located in the area. Chardonnay is a very important variety, comprising 43 percent of total grape acreage with 17,350 acres planted. The second largest variety is Merlot with 6,300 acres planted in the warmer, southern area of the appellation. There are roughly 2,800 acres of winegrapes planted in San Benito County and eight wineries. Together the two counties account for 7.7 percent of the total state winegrape crush.

The climate of Monterey County reflects the cooling influence of the Monterey Bay and lack of abundant rainfall. There are enough warm days to ripen the grapes, however the marine influence predominates. Due to the cool growing conditions, harvest is typically two weeks later than other regions, allowing for a long season and slow fruit maturation. The steep slopes and rolling hills provide good drainage, and Monterey soil temperatures are cooler than other parts of the state, limiting crop size.