Monterey County

Central Coast's fog-bound Monterey County, south of San Francisco, covers with 17,000 ha of mainly cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Since the early 1960s the Central Coast's Monterey County AVA's with its benign climate and silt soils, has proved the perfect market garden, America's (fruit) salad bowl if you like. 

Dominated by the Salinas Valley AVA, the wide river valley is constantly cooled by Pacific fogs and ocean on-shore breezes, although irrigation is mandatory. Fresh grapefruit-flavoured Chardonnays is the what this region does best.