I am quite impressed by this up-and-coming wine region, and I highly recommend visiting. There aren't many wineries in San Benito Valley — most of the region's grapes are sold to wineries in other regions — but the boutique wineries that do reside here are truly excellent. San Benito Valley lies to the east of Monterey and is primarily rural.
Wineries
Calera Wine Company
Mount Harlan AVA.
In the middle of nowhere (or so it seems), it is amazing to find this winery
whose winemaker, Josh Jensen, is the subject of a book on wine and was named winemaker of the year by SF Chronicle. Calera is obsessed with terroir and makes five very distinct single-vineyard Pinot Noirs (among other varietals), two of which were in Wine & Spirits' list of Top 11 Pinots in 2007. The limestone-rich soils and minimalist winemaking techniques give these Pinots a Burgundian character.
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Pietra Santa Winery
Cienega Valley AVA. This winery is another great find. The winemaker is from Siena, Italy and the winery specializes in Italian varietals, with the largest planting of Dolcetto ("Barbera's little sister") in California, though it also produces other varietals. The winery building is relatively new but it looks old because its tiles came from a church in Italy. I have to give a shout out about their 2004 Merlot. Of the approximately 500 wines I tasted during my California wine travels, this was not only one of the best, but the absolute best value (at $15/bottle!). This is a Cab-drinkers' Merlot, with solid tannins, layers of complexity, and intense dark cherries.
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Léal Vineyards
Cienega Valley AVA.
Léal is known for its reds, many of which are unfiltered. Food and Wine Magazine named Léal one of the 20 Best New Wineries in the world in 2004. The chic tasting room looks more Manhattan than San Benito Valley.
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Other Sights
San Juan Bautista Mission
This 200-year old mission was made famous in the belltower scene from the movie Vertigo (though the belltower itself was created by Paramount Pictures in the studio). In addition to experiencing the beauty of the mission itself (really, it is spectacular), the museum is interesting, especially the old books and musical manuscripts. The San Andreas fault runs right under the mission, which has led to earthquake damage over the years. You can actually see differences in ground height along the fault line.
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