Central Coast is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) that spans along the Central California Pacific coastline from the San Francisco Bay Area south through Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. It was established as the nation's 83rd and the state's 48th appellation on October 24, 1985 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Taylor California Cellars, a winery in Gonzales, California, proposing the viticultural area named "Central Coast." The boundaries of the Central Coast AVA, which have been expanded twice, include portions of six counties where approximately 100,000 acres (40,469 ha) cultivated with Chardonnay being more than half of the varietal. Within the multi-county AVA are numerous established appellations that share the same maritime climate produced by the Pacific Ocean. The plant hardiness zones range from 8a to 11a.
From the Wikipedia article Central Coast AVA, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Central Coast is an appellation in California, United States. We track 12 of its wines in stock at 12 shops, from 6 wine houses, from € 21.99; mostly white, red.
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- In our wines
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, Malbec, Picpoul
- Styles
- White 9 · Red 3
- Prices
- from € 21.99 · median € 28.60 / 75 cl
Vintages
per year: wines in stock, prices, and the critics' scores the shops quote| Vintage | Wines | From | Median / 75 cl | Critics' score | Growing season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | – | – | – | warmso far +0.8 °C · 1,646 GDD · 109 % rain |
| 2025 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest +0.2 °C · 1,751 GDD · 89 % rain |
| 2024 | 1 | € 23.27 | € 23.27 | – | hot +1.2 °C · 1,978 GDD · 77 % rain |
| 2023 | 1 | € 41.34 | € 41.34 | – | averagedry −0.3 °C · 1,656 GDD · 42 % rain |
| 2022 | 3 | € 22.62 | € 26.76 | – | hotdrywet harvest +1.2 °C · 1,968 GDD · 46 % rain |
| 2021 | 2 | € 40.00 | € 43.00 | – | averagedry harvest +0.3 °C · 1,787 GDD · 91 % rain |
| 2020 | – | – | – | – | hotdry harvest +1.3 °C · 2,000 GDD · 78 % rain |
| 2019 | 1 | € 26.00 | € 26.00 | – | averagedry harvest +0.4 °C · 1,807 GDD · 88 % rain |
| 2018 | – | – | – | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.7 °C · 1,863 GDD · 36 % rain |
| 2017 | – | – | – | – | hot +1.1 °C · 1,948 GDD · 78 % rain |
| 2016 | – | – | – | – | averagedry harvest +0.4 °C · 1,793 GDD · 99 % rain |
| 2015 | – | – | – | – | hotwet harvest +1.0 °C · 1,918 GDD · 107 % rain |
| 2014 | – | – | – | – | hotdry +1.1 °C · 1,952 GDD · 65 % rain |
| 2013 | – | – | – | – | averagedry ±0.0 °C · 1,719 GDD · 34 % rain |
| 2012 | – | – | – | – | averagedry harvest ±0.0 °C · 1,720 GDD · 97 % rain |
| 2011 | – | – | – | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.1 °C · 1,479 GDD · 130 % rain |
| 2010 | – | – | – | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.4 °C · 1,423 GDD · 173 % rain |
| 2009 | – | – | – | – | averagewetwet harvest +0.1 °C · 1,727 GDD · 135 % rain |
| 2008 | – | – | – | – | warmdry +0.5 °C · 1,826 GDD · 36 % rain |
| 2007 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.4 °C · 1,626 GDD · 80 % rain |
| 2006 | – | – | – | – | averagewetdry harvest ±0.0 °C · 1,709 GDD · 173 % rain |
| 2005 | – | – | – | – | cool −0.6 °C · 1,595 GDD · 118 % rain |
| 2004 | – | – | – | – | averagewet −0.2 °C · 1,673 GDD · 161 % rain |
| 2003 | – | – | – | – | averagewet +0.3 °C · 1,771 GDD · 147 % rain |
| 2002 | – | – | – | – | averagedry −0.4 °C · 1,618 GDD · 45 % rain |
| 2001 | – | – | – | – | average +0.1 °C · 1,734 GDD · 82 % rain |
| 2000 | – | – | – | – | coolwetwet harvest −0.5 °C · 1,601 GDD · 231 % rain |
| 1999 | – | – | – | – | coldwet harvest −1.2 °C · 1,469 GDD · 104 % rain |
| 1998 | – | – | – | – | coldwet −1.2 °C · 1,455 GDD · 235 % rain |
| 1997 | – | – | – | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.7 °C · 1,858 GDD · 20 % rain |
| 1996 | – | – | – | – | warmdry harvest +0.8 °C · 1,878 GDD · 112 % rain |
| 1995 | – | – | – | – | cooldry harvest −0.5 °C · 1,609 GDD · 72 % rain |
| 1994 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.3 °C · 1,654 GDD · 93 % rain |
| 1993 | – | – | – | – | averagedrydry harvest ±0.0 °C · 1,709 GDD · 45 % rain |
| 1992 | – | – | – | – | hotdrydry harvest +1.3 °C · 1,991 GDD · 49 % rain |
| 1991 | – | – | – | – | cooldrydry harvest −0.5 °C · 1,604 GDD · 58 % rain |
| 1990 | – | – | – | – | warmdrywet harvest +0.6 °C · 1,841 GDD · 65 % rain |
| 1989 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.1 °C · 1,693 GDD · 114 % rain |
| 1988 | – | – | – | – | warmdry harvest +0.6 °C · 1,834 GDD · 89 % rain |
| 1987 | – | – | – | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.9 °C · 1,899 GDD · 51 % rain |
| 1986 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest −0.3 °C · 1,662 GDD · 50 % rain |
| 1985 | – | – | – | – | averagedry +0.3 °C · 1,782 GDD · 35 % rain |
| 1984 | – | – | – | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.8 °C · 1,884 GDD · 61 % rain |
| 1983 | – | – | – | – | coolwetwet harvest −0.6 °C · 1,597 GDD · 201 % rain |
| 1982 | – | – | – | – | coolwetwet harvest −0.9 °C · 1,527 GDD · 230 % rain |
Growing season (April–October; October–April south of the equator): mean temperature against Central Coast's 1991–2020 normal (hot: 1 °C or more above, warm: 0.5 °C, cool/cold below), growing degree days (warmth for the vines, base 10 °C) and rain against normal, with the harvest month (September/March) flagged when very wet or dry. Monthly data from NASA POWER (MERRA-2) at one point in the appellation. The current year is compared with the same months of a normal year (“so far”); its latest months are preliminary and revised by NASA later.
Critics' score: the average of the best 100-point score quoted for each wine of that vintage, as the shops quote them. A few quoted wines make a thin average; the number of wines is in brackets.
Wente Vineyards 2 · Bonny Doon Vineyard 1 · Joey Tensley 1 · Leo Steen Wines 1 · McManis Family Vineyards 1 · Sandhi 1