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Monterey is a beautifully picturesque region of California wine country with wonderful conditions, making it a favorite vacation destination as well as a great wine making area. The location, soil, and climate suit the grape growing and wine making process perfectly. Monterey County has eight smaller AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) as well as a larger Monterrey appellation. Monterey encompasses the area from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Carmel Valley in the north to San Antonio Valley and San Bernabe in the south.
Monterey and Carmel Wines
Every grape grown in Monterey County is for wine making. No grapes are used for juice or to be sold as fruit. Monterey vineyard wines are easily distinguishable from other California wines because of the grape varietal qualities. Monterey grapes have an intense flavor, meaning the wine carries the same flavor.
Forty percent of the grapes grown in this region are Chardonnay grapes. These grapes grow extremely well there and are prized by winemakers throughout California wine country. The northern areas are planted with Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc grapes. The southern areas are warmer and are planted with red grapes such as Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
History of Monterey Wine Making
Franciscan friars planted the first wine grapes more than two centuries ago. No trace remains today of those original vineyards. The area was rediscovered in the 1960s as having excellent wine producing conditions and Monterey County was classified as a Region I and II, as good as the premium regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa and Sonoma.
New vineyards were established in the 1960s, including the Mirassou, Wente, Paul Masson, Chalone, and J. Lohr vineyards and Monterey wine is now known and respected worldwide.
Monterey Vineyards Today
There are over forty five thousand vineyard acres in modern Monterey, making it one of the biggest premium wine grape growing areas in the wine country of California. The soil, the near perfect climate, and the blend of new and traditional methods used by winemakers today are behind the great success of modern Monterey and Carmel vineyards.
Monterey and Carmel Wineries
Monterey's oldest winery is the Bargetto Winery, which was founded in 1933. The Bargetto Winery produces Gewürztraminer in dry or medium dry, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc as their white wines. Red wines produced here include Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons, and a Pinot Noir. Bargetto also produce dessert wines including mead, Muscat, pomegranate dessert wine and many more. There is a tasting room so this is a great winery to visit on a wine tour.
The Galante Vineyard is found in the rustic Cachagua Valley, in the hills by Carmel Valley. This winery specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. As well as producing wine and cattle, Galante is one of the biggest growers of Californian Garden Roses. Galante produces ultra-premium Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon and a very limited quantity of Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Cachagua experiences extreme daily temperature variations, meaning the growing season is long and harvest usually takes place as late as mid October. This gives the grapes more time to ripen slowly, which intensifies their flavors. The crops are thinned to two tons per acre annually, which provides a low yield of excellent quality grapes.
Monterey and the Carmel Valley is a beautiful place on the map of California wine country and it is the ideal spot to take a relaxing vacation or do a wine tour. Monterey wines are unmistakable in their intensity and flavor and are a delight to the palate.
Author: California Wine Guide Staff Writer
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