Carmel Valley is one of seven appellations which comprise Monterey County's diverse wine country; and of these, Carmel Valley is perhaps the most distinct. Nestled into the towering Santa Lucia Range, Carmel Valley geographically defies daytime zephyrs and fogs, yielding the sizzling summer afternoons that are especially favorable to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other red varietals. Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel also perform exceptionally well in Carmel Valley.

The 11.5 miles from Highway 1 to Carmel Valley Village are dotted with wine tasting rooms. At the 5-mile mark is the Chateau Julien Winery and tasting room housed in an elegant French-style Chateau built in 1982. Further on, Carmel Valley Village boasts quite a few additional tasting rooms: Durney-Heller Estate, Bernardus, Georis Winery, Joullian Vinyards, Talbott, Chateau Sinnet Joyce, Boekenoogen, and Parsonage.

High above Carmel Valley at the summit of Laureles Grade, is Wines of Carmel. Beyond Carmel Valley Village, in Cachagua Valley, lie Galante Vineyards and Joullian Vineyards.

FORBES.COM (March 18, 2013)
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About the Carmel Valley Village wineries, Ann Abel, had this to say in her article:
"About a 20-minute drive from the coast, Carmel Valley Village is worth a detour for an afternoon of laid-back wine tasting. The town is less than a mile from end to end, and home to almost 20 wineries. It’s an easy walk from one to the next, but local character Cowboy Pete holds court in his wagon in a parking lot, eager to shuttle visitors from tasting room to tasting room. Be sure to visit Joyce, where 27-year-old winemaker Russell Joyce is taking some interesting risks (and buy a bottle of his Stele Chardonnay—a very worthy non-splurge at $18)."

WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE (February, 2013),
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2013 list of top wine travel destinations includes Monterey, California.
"Monterey County offers so many unique and top-class experiences in not only wine and food but in everything from outdoor adventures to art to sightseeing. It has an undiscovered, offbeat, creative flair while at the same time offering very elegant experiences. We feel Monterey represents our reader —extremely modern, approachable, sincerely quality driven. Glamour without pretense. Progressive,"explained Wine Enthusiast Executive Editor Susan Kostrzewa in a press statement.