An article about the proposed Monterey Wine Corridor was presented in a print publication called “Business 101”, published by a local newspaper, The Salinas Californian, this week (unfortunately, there is not an online link to this particularly well-written article that deals with this subject in an even-handed manner).  The Monterey Wine Corridor, which would include the River Road, Metz Road and Jolon Road areas, would be dedicated regions where wineries can establish tasting rooms and/or wineries and associated vineyards, much in the same way that other major wine regions are established.  The challenges in establishing this corridor are myriad with very often conflicting political views and misinformation about wineries, vienyards, tasting rooms and the associated prerceived increase in traffic, building, noise, pollution, etc. that would go along with an increase in the number of winereis in the area.  These challenges are compounded with a great deal of disagreement over the establishment of a Monterey County General Plan as well.  But, for me, this issue boils down to the facts that are mentioned in the article and quoted here:

Of all the grapes grown locally, about 70 percent of the resulting juice is shipped to wineries elsewhere and only 5 percent of wines produced here have Monterey County appellations, vintners say.  The county has more than 20 wineries.

‘We have woefully inadequate crushing capacity in Monterey County and the grapes we do grow are going to other counties that are adding value to the product,’ said Bob Roach, assistant agriculture commissioner.

Further on in the article:

‘Monterey County needs a regional identity, and the way you do that is you have small processors that are artists who promote their wines,’[Kurt Gollnick, vice president and chief operating officer for Scheid Vineyards Inc,] said…....He estimates the Monterey County wine industry could capture another $1 billion of value if all the grapes and wine that leave the county for processing stayed here and were marketed as local products.

Monterey grapes have long been components in most major California white wine labels, but with almost zero recognition of that fact (sorry, “Central Coast” appellation doesn’t cut it for us in Monterey).  Most of the grapes/juice/wine are shipped outside of the county to be processed in the Central Valley, Napa or Sonoma.  Additionally, this county has about 25 wineries in a region that has almost as much planted vineyard acreage as Sonoma County, but with far less wineries (Sonoma County currently has 189 wineries).

So, from my viewpoint is that the wine corridor is a great idea because:  it concentrates wineries in certain areas within the county to minimize traffic and other tourism- and production-related impacts on most of the county’s residents; it actually encourages keeping home-grown fruit within the area to create a value-added product from which jobs can be created; it diversifies the local economy (currently, Monterey’s two biggest employers are row-crop agriculture and hospitality); increases tourism inland (as opposed to just on the peninsula); fosters local pride.

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We will participate in the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association’s Winemaker’s Celebration on August 12, 2006.  Click below for more information: