One of the newest AVAs, Hames Valley was approved by the BATF in 1994. It is located at the southern end of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County, California, and is sheltered from the wind that funnels through the valley by the Santa Lucia range. This shelter provides warmer weather patterns that are similar to Paso Robles to the south. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the dominant varieties planted in Hames Valley's shaly loam soil.
United States → California → Monterey County
American AVA