The Central Coast covers a huge swath of territory south of San Francisco, including the following seven counties: Alameda, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz.

Although the term "Central Coast" would seem to apply to every vine between San Francisco and Los Angeles, it's good to remember that the term is most often used to identify a wine made from grapes grown in two different counties. Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted variety in this region, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.