monterey wine country's thermal rainbow & blue grand canyon
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Monterey DistinctionsMonterey Wine Country 2010
Monterey Distinctions
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Eight Soil Types and Ten Inches of Rain Eight Soil Types and Ten Inches of Rain
The Thermal Rainbow ® The Thermal Rainbow ®
Other Key Distinctions Other Key Distinctions
Two Mountain Ranges Two Mountain Ranges
The Blue Grand Canyon® The Blue Grand Canyon®
Stewards of the Land Stewards of the Land
Touring - Monterey Wine Country Lifestyles
Touring - Monterey Wine Country Lifestyles
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and 40 Other Varietals
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and 40 Other Varietals
Monterey Wine Country – Location
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MontereyMonterey
San Antonio Valley
San Antonio Valley
Carmel ValleyCarmel Valley
Hames ValleyHames Valley
San LucasSan LucasSanta LuciaHighlands
Santa LuciaHighlands
Arroyo SecoArroyo Seco
ChaloneChalone
San BernabeSan Bernabe
From the cooler north, to the warmer south, Monterey County’s range and diversity of microclimates supply the “perfect conditions” niche for an array of varietals and styles.
Blue Grand Canyon ® Blue Grand Canyon ®
Monterey Wine Country – Location
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MontereyMonterey
San JoseSan Jose
San FranciscoSan Francisco
SalinasSalinas
OaklandOakland
Monterey BayMonterey Bay
Less than an hour from San Jose An afternoon drive, day trip or weekend
getaway
Blue Grand Canyon ® Blue Grand Canyon ®
San FranciscoSan FranciscoOaklandOakland
San JoseSan Jose
Monterey Distinctions
Monterey Wine Country is located less than an hour south of California’s famous Silicon Valley, yet thousands of miles away in so many respects. The region provides a which gracefully coexist and whose distinct communities range from chic tourist destinations to unpretentious farming towns.
Monterey County’s economy, lifestyle and wines are defined by the cooling influence of the ocean and especially of Monterey Bay and its very deep marine canyon, whose immensity and depth have earned it the nickname,
Winegrowing takes place in a 90-mile-long valley, with only The valley experiences a spreading north-to-south, cold to warm, providing diverse ever-warming micro-climates supporting
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A region on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, bursting with diversity, charm and great tasting wine!
diversity of experiences
“The Blue Grand Canyon ®.”
eight primary soil types.“Thermal Rainbow ®”
forty-two fine wine varietals.
The Blue Grand Canyon® is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
The Blue Grand Canyon® Monterey Submarine Canyon
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- 5280 ft- 5280 ft
Though the Blue Grand Canyon’s® surface is about 2 miles below the surface, the actual canyon is about a mile deep, making it of comparable depth to the Grand Canyon.
The Blue Grand Canyon ® is two miles deep
5000ft = 1 mile
The Blue Grand Canyon ® is two miles deep
5000ft = 1 mile
The Blue Grand Canyon®
Fast Facts
Beneath the surface of the Monterey Bay is an enormous canyon that is sixty miles long and two miles deep. This is the Blue Grand Canyon ®.
This submarine canyon is the largest and deepest on the west coast and the only one that closely approaches shore. This is the only submarine canyon of this size next to any major viticulture region.
The Monterey Canyon is as big and as deep as the Grand Canyon of Arizona. The seasonal water flow along the Monterey coastline is made up of the
California Current and the Davidson Current. The combination of these two dominant forces provides Monterey County with its unique weather patterns.
The Deep Sea averages about 13,000 feet in depth and its temperature 40 degrees. The Blue Grand Canyon® reaches the Deep Sea at 12,000 feet. The surface temperature of the Monterey Bay at the shoreline is 50 degrees.
The Monterey Bay is a prime upwelling zone, meaning deep nutrient-rich cold water near the bottom is driven to the surface by the combination of winds, the contour of the coastline and the rotation of the earth.
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The Blue Grand Canyon®
Summary
TThe Blue Grand Canyon® is the dominant influence on our viticultural regions in Monterey County.
It is cold-50 degrees at the coastline. It determines the growing areas for premium grapes. It provides the longest growing season in California. It determines the amount of rainfall we receive. It provides a constant and predictable weather pattern over
the grape growing areas that can easily be explained in terms of the Thermal Rainbow ®.
It is the largest and deepest water canyon on the west coast and the only one that is adjacent to a major wine region.
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Thermal Rainbow®
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8:00 am8:00 am11:00 am11:00 am1:00 pm1:00 pm4:00 pm4:00 pm8:00 pm8:00 pm
The Blue Grand Canyon®The Blue Grand Canyon®
Mid JulyMid July
Thermal Rainbow®
The Thermal Rainbow® explains the weather patterns over the growing regions of Monterey Country.
The coolest regions are north moving to the warmer regions in the south by time dependant thermal gradients that stretch down the valley.
The cool to warm gradients present a Thermal Rainbow® effect that reflects the diversity of growing regions and the specific varietals that are grown
within each AVA.
The temperature, at the peak of each summer day, can range from 50 to 100 degrees. However, heat days do not work, due to the Thermal
Rainbow®.
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Thermal Rainbow® – How it works.
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In the morning the entire valley is cool and for a large part of the year covered in a marine layer.
As the sun rises, the southern end of the valley begins to warm and creates a low pressure as the warm air rises.
The cool air from the ocean moves down the valley with increasing force as the day progresses, until the sun sets and the entire valley returns to its morning state.
Two Mountain RangesGabilan and Santa Lucia Ranges
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Gabilan Range
Gabilan Range
Santa Lucia Range
Santa Lucia Range
San Andreas FaultSan Andreas Fault
Great Valley sequence
Franciscan assemblage
Salinian block
Fault – dashed where approx. located
Creeping fault segment
…forms a channel down the valley
3250 ft3250 ft
4450 ft4450 ft
The Blue Grand Canyon®The Blue Grand Canyon®
San JoseSan Jose
Two Mountain RangesSummary
The Gabilan range is to the north of the Monterey Wine Country and the Santa Lucia range is to the south.
The Sierras formed by the Gabilan and Santa Lucia Mountain ranges are the result of plate tectonic pressures that have forced layers of earth on top of each other to collide and push up from the coastal floor to form the two mountain ranges.
The two mountain ranges are west of the San Andreas fault.
The two mountain ranges form a natural channel from the Blue Grand Canyon® all the way to Hames Valley. This gives an unrestricted flow of the marine effects from the Monterey Bay Sanctuary to the end of Monterey County.
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Eight Soil Types82% of Monterey soils falls into eight types
Lockwood Shaly Loam Chualar Loam Garey Sandy Loam Arroyo Seco Gravelly
Sandy Loam Rincon Clay Loam Placentia Sandy Loam Oceano Loamy Sand Chamise Shaly Loam
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(28%)(15%)(9%)(7%)(7%)(6%)(5%)(5%)
Total: (82%)
Eight Soil TypesDark, granite rich, porous soils
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Santa Lucia Range
Santa Lucia RangeG
abilan Range
Gabilan Range
Eight Soil TypesVineyards sit on the balconies of the valley
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Viticulture and specialty crops live in harmony
1,000 feet1,000 feet
700 feet700 feet
130 feet130 feet
BroccoliniBroccolini
Cactus PearCactus Pear
StrawberriesStrawberries
ArtichokeArtichoke
The Blue Grand Canyon®
The Blue Grand Canyon®
Ten Inches of Rainfall
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Ten Inches of RainfallRain shadows add water to the watershed
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Pacific Ocean
MontereyMonterey
SalinasSalinas
King CityKing City
Paso RoblesPaso Robles ShandonShandon
Gabilian
GabilianSanta Lucia
Santa Lucia
About 70 mile across
The Blue Grand CanyonThe Blue Grand Canyon
San JoseSan Jose
Ten Inches of RainfallSummary
Monterey gets its water supply from the Salinas Watershed. It is the largest coastal water basin in California.
The Salinas River flows north-northwest. Less than 1% of all rivers do this.
Annual rainfall in the middle of Monterey County is 10 inches.
Rain shadows add water to the region from the Pacific Ocean.
This additional water source supplements the annual rainfall.
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Stewardship of the Land
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Monterey has a long history of conservation.
This stewardship is deeply embedded in our day to day lives.
With the privilege to work and live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, comes the responsibility to manage our resources to ensure harmony between all aspects.
Examples of this ownership can be seen in our involvement with the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, Seafood Watch, Condors, Water and Land Management.
Many Monterey County growers are members of the CCVT.
Monterey Wine Country VarietalsChardonnay and Pinot Noir
Chardonnay is the number one varietal grown in Monterey County. 100 vineyards are planted to this sought-after varietal.
Monterey Chardonnay will be layered in flavors and subtle in oak.
Pinot Noir is the leading red varietal grown in Monterey. Over 50 unique vineyards are planted to the varietal.
Monterey Pinot Noir will be balanced, layered in flavors and subtle.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir flavor developments are enhanced by the long growing season that is characteristic of Monterey County.
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40 Additional VarietalsMerlot, Cabernet, Riesling and more
The Thermal Rainbow® influences the location of the 40 additional varietals that are grown throughout the nine AVAs in Monterey Wine Country.
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Riesling are the next four varietals, by acreage in Monterey Wine Country.
The Blue Grand Canyon® has been a significant factor in guiding growers to place cool climate varietals closer to the ocean and reds and Rhone varietals in the southern regions; further from the marine influence.
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Touring Monterey Wine Country
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Monterey has an active recreational lifestyle with an appreciation for a balance of work and relaxation.
There are more than 300 events on the Peninsula annually, covering all interests, economic profiles and demographics.
Recreation is notably outdoor and in harmony with the majesty of a place that can be found nowhere else in the world.
The area retains it historic culture and balances the quiet destination town with world class offerings.
Monterey Wine Country
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The Blue Grand Canyon®
The Thermal Rainbow ®
Monterey Wine Country is …
Ten inches of rain and Two Mountain Ranges Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and 40 Other Varietals 8 Soil Types
Stewardship of the Land A Touring Experience – The Monterey Wine Country Lifestyle
Monterey Wine CountryAn Invitation
MMonterey Wine Country is about wine, and more.
WWith three days wine tasting and hundreds of picturesque locations and events, Monterey Wine Country is about a
lifestyle filled with natural wonder.
CCome explore Monterey, taste the wine and experience the Blue Grand Canyon® and the Thermal Rainbow ® for
yourself.
SSee you in Monterey.
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