Central Coast
AVA · Monterey County · District 7 — 31.19% of this appellation; also in San Luis Obispo (19.92%), Santa Barbara (12.14%), San Benito (9.16%), Santa Clara (7.51%), Alameda (5.46%), San Mateo (4.3%), Santa Cruz (4.2%), Contra Costa (3.89%)
27 CFR 9.75 · established 1985-10-24 · last amended 2024-03-15
Heat class III · 1991-2020 normals
Climate normals in three numbers
, Apr 1 – Oct 31
1806 GridMET cells cover this region
season rain, Apr 1 – Oct 31
28 mm of it in the , Sep 1 – Oct 31
Warm and cool vintages since 1980
loading vintages…
Rain across the season, and at harvest
loading vintages…
The boundary
Hovering a shaded region names it; a click opens its page.
Measured vineyard area
loading crop mapping…
Drought categories, year by year
Monterey County — not Central Coast
loading drought monitor…
What's in the ground
6.8
pH, 1:1 water
13.9cm
, whole profile
104cm
to
Well drained
, dominant condition
Distribution across 2161 · mean ◆, median │, p10–p90 bar
Dominant
- 5.3%
- 4.5%
- 4.0%
- 3.2%
- 3.0%
2161 map units · soil described over 92.2% of the region’s area · 11.6% is water, rock outcrop or other non-soil · 73% of the described area has a restrictive layer within the profile.
Sand, silt and clay, against every other appellation
Loam
44% sand · 32% silt · 24% clay
Sandier than 59% of California appellations and clayier than 66%. Each grey point is one appellation’s topsoil; appellations nest, so this is a distribution of places rather than of land.
Plus 12% rock fragments by volume, which the triangle does not describe — the three fractions are of the fine-earth material only.
Elevation, slope and aspect
loading terrain…
Bearing acreage by variety
Monterey County · District 7 — 31.19% of this appellation; also in San Luis Obispo (19.92%), Santa Barbara (12.14%), San Benito (9.16%), Santa Clara (7.51%), Alameda (5.46%), San Mateo (4.3%), Santa Cruz (4.2%), Contra Costa (3.89%)
loading acreage…
Price per ton
Monterey County · District 7 — 31.19% of this appellation; also in San Luis Obispo (19.92%), Santa Barbara (12.14%), San Benito (9.16%), Santa Clara (7.51%), Alameda (5.46%), San Mateo (4.3%), Santa Cruz (4.2%), Contra Costa (3.89%)
loading crush report…
The appellation in federal law
The boundary, in the government’s own words (1,602 words)
(c) Boundary. The Central Coast viticultural area is located in the following California counties: Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Contra Costa. The Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural area is excluded. (The boundaries of the Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural area are described in 27 CFR § 9.31.) (1) The beginning point is the point at which the Pajaro River flows into Monterey Bay. (Monterey map) (2) The boundary follows north along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean (across the Watsonville West, Soquel, Santa Cruz, Davenport, Año Nuevo, Franklin Point, Pigeon Point, San Gregorio, Half Moon Bay, Montara Mountain and San Francisco South maps) to the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. (San Francisco North Quadrangle) (3) From this point, the boundary proceeds east on the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge to the Alameda County shoreline. (Oakland West Quadrangle) (4) From this point, the boundary proceeds east along the shoreline of Alameda County and Contra Costa County across the Richmond, San Quentin, Mare Island, Benicia (2018 edition), Vine Hill (2018 edition), Honker Bay (2018 edition), and Antioch North maps and onto the Jersey Island map to the intersection of the shoreline with Bethel Island Road. (5) Proceed southeast in a straight line 0.7 mile to the intersection of Wells Road and Sandmound Road. (6) Proceed northeast in a straight line 2.7 miles, crossing onto the Bouldin Island map, to the northernmost point of Holland Tract Road. (7) Proceed south 1.9 miles along Holland Tract Road, crossing onto the Woodward Island map, to the road's intersection with the 10-foot elevation contour. (8) Proceed south-southeast in a straight line 4.1 miles to the intersection of Orwood Road and the Mokelumne Aqueduct. (9) Proceed south-southwest 5.5 miles, crossing onto the Clifton Court Forebay map, to the stream gauging station on Italian Slough, just west of Widdows Island and the shared Contra Costa-San Joaquin County line. (10) Proceed due west in a straight line to the western shore of Italian Slough, then proceed southwesterly along the shore of Italian Slough to its confluence with Brushy Creek. (11) Proceed westerly along Brushy Creek, crossing onto the Byron Hot Springs (2018 edition) map and continuing southwesterly along the creek to its intersection with Vasco Road. (12) Proceed northwest in a straight line 4.3 miles to the intersection of Kellogg Creek and Walnut Boulevard. (13) Proceed west-southwest in a straight line 2.9 miles, crossing onto the Tassajara (2018 edition) map, to the intersection of Marsh Creek and Miwok Trail. (14) Proceed northwesterly along Marsh Creek 2.4 miles, crossing onto the Antioch South map, to the creek's intersection with Deer Valley Road. (15) Proceed northerly along Deer Valley Road 3.1 miles to its intersection with Chadbourne Road. (16) Proceed northwest in a straight line 0.6 mile to the southwestern terminus of Tour Way. (17) Proceed northwest in a straight line 3 miles to the intersection of Oil Canyon Trail, Stewartville Trail, and Chadbourne Road. (18) Proceed northeasterly along the Stewartville Trail 1.9 miles to its intersection with the Contra Loma Trail. (19) Proceed northwest in a straight line 2.5 miles to the intersection of Somersville Road and Donlan Boulevard. (20) Proceed west-southwest in a straight line 2.5 miles, crossing onto the Clayton (2018 edition) map, to the intersection of Nortonville Road and Kirker Pass Road. (21) Proceed southwesterly along Kirker Pass Road approximately 2.5 miles to its intersection with Hess Road. (22) Proceed southeasterly in a straight line to the 3,849-foot summit of Mt. Diablo. (23) The boundary proceeds in a southeasterly direction in a straight line across the Diablo and Tassajara maps to Brushy Peak elevation 1,702. (Byron Hot Springs Quadrangle) (24) The boundary proceeds due south, approximately 400 feet, to the northern boundaries of Section 13, Township 2 South, Range 2 East. (Byron Hot Springs Quadrangle) (25) The boundary proceeds due east along the northern boundaries of Section 13 and Section 18, Township 2 South, Range 3 East, to the northeast corner of Section 18. (Byron Hot Springs Quadrangle) (26) Then proceed southeast in a straight line approximately 1.8 miles to BM 720 in Section 21, Township 2 South, Range 3 East. (Altamont Quadrangle) (27) Then proceed south-southeast approximately 1 mile to an unnamed 1,147-foot peak in Section 28, Township 2 South, Range 3 East. (Altamont Quadrangle) (28) Then proceed south-southwest in a straight line approximately 1.1 miles to the intersection of the eastern boundary of Section 32 with Highway 580, Township 2 South, Range 3 East. (Altamont Quadrangle) (29) Then proceed south-southeast in a straight line approximately 2.7 miles to BM 1602 in Patterson Pass in Section 10, Township 3 South, Range 3 East. (Altamont Quadrangle) (30) Then proceed south-southeast in a straight line approximately 2.8 miles to BM 1600, adjacent to Tesla Road in Section 26. (Midway Quadrangle) (31) Then proceed south in a straight line approximately 4.2 miles to BM 1878, 40 feet north of Mines Road, in Section 14, Township 4 South, Range 3 East. (Cedar Mtn. Quadrangle) (32) Then proceed west-southwest in a straight line approximately 4.2 miles to the southeast corner of Section 19, Township 4 South, Range 3 East. (Mendenhall Springs Quadrangle) (33) The boundary follows the east-west section line west along the southern boundary of Section 19 in Township 4 South, Range 3 east, and west along the southern boundary of Section 24 in Township 4 South, Range 2 east, to the southwest corner of that Section 24. (Mendenhall Springs Quadrangle) (34) The boundary follows the north-south section line north along the western boundary of Section 24 in Township 4 South, Range 2 east, to the northwest corner of that Section 24. (Mendenhall Springs Quadrangle) (35) The boundary follows the east-west section line west along the southern boundary of Section 14 in Township 4 South, Range 2 east, to the southwest corner of that Section 14. (Mendenhall Springs Quadrangel) (36) The boundary follows the north-south section line north along the western boundary of Section 14 in Township 4 South, Range 2 east, to the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct. (Mendenhall Springs Quadrangle) (37) The boundary follows the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct southwesterly to the range line dividing Range 1 East from Range 2 East. (San Jose map) (38) The boundary follows this range line south to its intersection with State Route 130. (San Jose map) (39) The boundary follows State Route 130 southeasterly to its intersection with the township line dividing Township 6 South from Township 7 South. (San Jose map) (40) From this point, the boundary proceeds in a straight line southeasterly to the intersection of the township line dividing Township 7 South from Township 8 South with the range line dividing Range 2 East from Range 3 East. (San Jose map) (41) From this point, the boundary proceeds in a straight line southeasterly to the intersection of the township line dividing Township 8 South from Township 9 South with the range line dividing Range 3 East from Range 4 East. (San Jose map) (42) From this point, the boundary proceeds in a straight line southeasterly to the intersection of Coyote Creek with the township line dividing Township 9 South from Township 10 South. (San Jose map) (43) From this point, the boundary proceeds in a straight line southeasterly to the intersection of the 37°00′ North latitude parallel with State Route 152. (San Jose map) (44) The boundary follows the 37°00′ North latitude parallel east to the range line dividing Range 5 East from Range 6 East. (Monterey map) (45) The boundary follows this range line south to the San Benito-Santa Clara County line. (Monterey map) (46) The boundary follows the San Benito-Santa Clara County line easterly to the San Benito-Merced County line. (Monterey map) (47) The boundary follows the San Benito-Merced County line southeasterly to the conjunction of the county lines of San Benito, Merced, and Fresno Counties. (Monterey map) (48) From this point, the boundary proceeds in a southwesterly extension of the Merced-Fresno County line to Salt Creek. (Monterey map) (49) From this point, the boundary proceeds in a straight line southeasterly to the conjunction of the county lines of Monterey, San Benito, and Fresno Counties. (Monterey map) (50) The boundary follows the Monterey-Fresno County line southeasterly to the Monterey-Kings County line. (Monterey and San Luis Obispo maps) (51) The boundary follows the Monterey-Kings County line southeasterly to the San Luis Obispo-Kings County line. (San Luis Obispo map) (52) The boundary follows the San Luis Obispo-Kings County line east to the San Luis Obispo-Kern County line. (San Luis Obispo map) (53) The boundary follows the San Luis Obispo-Kern County line south, then east, then south to the point at which the county line diverges easterly from the range line dividing Range 17 East from Range 18 East. (San Luis Obispo map) (54) The boundary follows this range line south to the township line dividing Township 28 South from Township 29 South. (San Luis Obispo map) (55) The boundary follows the township line west to the range line dividing Range 13 East from Range 14 East. (San Luis Obispo map) (56) The boundary follows this range line south to the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest. (San Luis Obispo map) (57) The boundary follows the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest southeasterly to the creek of Toro Canyon. (San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Los Angeles maps) (58) The boundary follows the creek of Toro Canyon southerly to the Pacific Ocean. (Los Angeles map) (59) The boundary follows the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay northerly to the beginning point. (Los Angeles, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey maps)