Arroyo Seco dry canyon in Spanish is becoming known for its tropical fruit-flavored wines, especially Riesling and Chardonnay. For more than 150 years, the San Lucas area was used for cattle grazing until vines were planted in 1970. The area now produces Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, grown at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,200 feet. Carmel Valley , which sits high in elevation above the fog and is warm by day and cool by night, specializes in red Bordeaux varieties. But before you jump in the car and head for Monterey County for a taste of wine country, be aware that this is still the Wild West of the wine world.
Some wineries are difficult to reach, signage is poor and visits are by appointment only.
The Carmel Valley area known as Cachagua Spanish for hidden water, but it may as well mean hidden wineries because they are hard to find. On the curvy roads that wind up and down the Cachagua region, you will often be the only car on the road. At any moment you expect to see a gun-toting sheriff on horseback coming round the corner with a posse of men in tow. As if the fear of meeting an outlaw isn t enough, the area is still teeming with wildlife. After the Mission period from 1769 until 1834, ranchers and farmers brought livestock to the area.