Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay are this region's most important vines.
The bay reaches from Santa Cruz in the north to Carmel in the south. The actual central area - Monterey Peninsula - spans over the three rather different communities of Carmel, Monterey, and Pacific Grove. The region became interesting as a wine region in the 1960's when UC Davis did a study of it. Today Monterey includes 40 vineyards, the most popular being Château Julien and Chalone Vineyard.
The climate is pretty dry, though it is often foggy in the mornings and evenings. A relativey constant wind blows from the Pacific throughout the entire growing preiod. The grapes blooming time is very early, harvest very late in the autumn. This results in small berries with a strongly concentrated taste. They give their wines body and fullness, as well as an intense flavour.
Salinas Valley is Monterey's most important wine region. The world's largest vineyard is here, and its size is over 3400 ha. The appellations here Santa Lucia Highlands, Chalone, San Lucas, Monterey, Hames Valley, and Carmel Valley. High quality, classic wines come from Chalone. Hames Valley is the younngest appellation (since 1994), where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are grown on the slopes of the Arroyo Seco Canyon. Chardonnay growns on the cooler valley floor. It is said that the birthplace of Californian wines is in Carmel Valley. Father Junípero Serra is said to have set the first vineyard up here.
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