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The Salinas River has, over eons, cut a path south from Monterey Bay between two mountain ranges. The resulting alluvial fans, complex soils, and wind tunnel-like access to the Bay’s cooling influence come together to form perfect conditions for growing world-class fruit. Well-drained soils along the river basins, consisting of gravel and loam, coupled with cool micro-climates (Region I) continue to yield grapes with high acid and intense flavors. Even though soils in the valleys have low water retention capacity, the region's cool climate enables growers to apply only moderate amounts of water for irrigation and still maintain healthy vines.

Monterey soil temperatures are generally cooler than in other parts of the state with the exception of the Arroyo Seco area and its "Greenfield Potatoes" – underlying cobblestones which absorb heat during the day and radiate this heat after sunset. Each of these factors naturally limits root growth and the size of the crop, thereby increasing grape and wine quality.

The southern-most regions of Monterey County are protected from the fog and wind, therefore experiencing much warmer temperatures and a dryer climate. The soils in this area are more gravelly or volcanic and tend to have higher elevations ranging from 500 feet in the Hames Valley region to 1800 feet in the Chalone appellation. Out of Hames Valley comes big red wines such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon while the Chalone appellation produces Burgundian style wines and is known for a vary rare combination of a limestone, clay and decomposed granite in its soil.

To get a true sense of what makes Monterey County stand out among California's grape growing regions, sample wines from each appellation and see how our microclimates and divers soils contribute to our harvest.