Learning Center

It was realized early on that some vines had difficulties developing mature grapes with balanced fruit flavors and acids, while others were marred by an excessively vegetative character. The main challenge was highly abnormal growing conditions with a great deal of diversity in the mineral content of soils and lack of abundant rainfall.

In the early 1960s, these challenges led local growers to implement the first irrigation system in the west finally controlling the amount of water a vine receives. This allowed flexibility and the ability to give the grapevines water when they need it and to withhold water in order to concentrate the flavors of the grapes, and produce a harvest with not only great quality but also higher yields per acre. The early irrigation systems relied on sprinklers, however, today, many of the vineyards have converted to a drip irrigation system which is a more efficient method of distributing water.

Growers also developed new trellising and vine management techniques to cope with the unique conditions, and went on to become leaders in the development of mechanical harvesting. A machine, similar to a large tractor, was created and is today the most efficient method of removing grapes for the vines during harvest. The mechanical harvester gently vibrates the vines and allows the grapes to drop onto a conveyer belt. The grapes are then transported to a bin and either crushed and pressed immediately in the vineyard, or trucked to the winery for fermentation. This method of harvesting grapes is typically done at night to take advantage of the cool temperatures. The main benefit of mechanical harvesting is that once the grapes are ripe and have the ideal sugar acid balance, those grapes should be picked and delivered to the winery as soon as possible and mechanical harvesting is the most efficient method.

"Monterey County has established its reputation as California’s Other Wine Country."
-San Francisco Chronicle