A Monterey County Wine Guide
Find your way to wine country
Monterey County is one of the largest wine-growing regions in California: nine AVAs, 45,000 acres of vines and a cold blue bay that slows every grape to perfect ripeness. Start in a walkable village or out among the vineyards. Every road ends at a tasting room.
The Blue Grand Canyon
Great wine starts in deep water
Just offshore, Monterey Bay drops into a submarine canyon more than two miles deep. Its cold water sends fog up the Salinas Valley every morning and cool wind every afternoon, stretching the growing season and infusing every drop with structure and style. That slow ripening is the secret behind Monterey County's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Learn about our AVAs from the Monterey Vintners & Growers.
45,000
Acres of Premium Vineyards
9
Distinct AVAs
53
Varietals Grown
Popular Wine Regions
Four roads into wine country
Walkable village tasting rooms or estate wineries out in the vines: each region pours a different kind of afternoon. Start with the one that fits your trip.
Region 01
Monterey
Wine Trail
Estate wineries along scenic River Road, at the foot of the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Region 02
Carmel-
by-the-Sea
A dozen-plus tasting rooms tucked into storybook cottages and hidden courtyards, all walkable.
Region 03
Carmel
Valley
Sunshine, bold reds and garden patios, just twenty minutes inland from the coast.
Region 04
Monterey
Local pours steps from Cannery Row and Old Fisherman's Wharf. No car required.
Bird's-Eye View
Map of wineries & tasting rooms
From the rugged coastline to sun-drenched inland valleys, wine country stretches across a remarkable range of microclimates. Use the map to plot your route through vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms.
Featured AVA
Santa Lucia Highlands
On the terraces above the Salinas Valley, about 90 minutes from San Jose, morning fog and afternoon wind off Monterey Bay give the Santa Lucia Highlands one of the longest growing seasons in California, and some of its most sought-after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Its vineyards are farmed by multi-generational families, and 2026 marks the AVA's 35th anniversary. Meet the growers along the Monterey Wine Trail.
Visitor Favorites
Top wineries & tasting rooms
Every tasting room here pours something worth the stop, but these favorites are where first-timers should start: a bay-window wine bistro on Cannery Row, sparkling wine in Carmel-by-the-Sea, garden tastings in Carmel Valley and estates on River Road.
Skip the Driving
Ag Venture Tours
Full-day winery tours with hotel pickup, educational vineyard walks and a side of farm country around Monterey Bay.
Skip the Driving
Carmel Wine & Wandering
Walking tastings through Carmel-by-the-Sea that mix wine with local history and stories between pours.
Skip the Driving
Kombi Wine & Brew Tours
Three winery stops in a vintage 1970s Volkswagen bus. Small groups, big views, and nobody has to drive.
The Full List
All wineries & tasting rooms
From walkable tasting rooms in Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea to vineyard estates along River Road and in Carmel Valley, search and filter every winery and tasting room in Monterey County.
Chocolates and Cheers
Wrath Wines Carmel
Windy Oaks Carmel-by-the-Sea
Windy Oaks
VIN by the Sea
The Barrel Room
Keep Sipping
More ways into wine country
A three-day itinerary, the food & drink events calendar, and Marina's urban wine row for your next glass.
Ready When You Are
So… where will you sip first?
Let Mindtrip build a custom wine country itinerary in seconds, or book a stay and map your own route from tasting room to tasting room.