VITICULTURAL AREA approved in 1983 that’s located in Monterey County, California. It’s southeast of the city of Monterey and the resort town of Carmel and west of the Salinas Valley. Though Carmel Valley encompasses over 19,000 acres, it has only a few wineries. Carmel Valley generally falls into a Region I classification (see CLIMATE REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA), although it’s a bit warmer (and does better with red wines) than the north end of Salinas Valley.