While the Napa Valley will always be king and Sonoma County will be queen of California’s wine country, the Central Coast has been steadily gaining traction in quality, value and respect.

The Central Coast American Viticultural Area spans more than 200 miles from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. While most of the AVA specializes in pinot noir and chardonnay, there are sub-AVAs with warmer climates that are better suited to cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel and syrah. With more than 30 AVAs and 350 wineries, we will narrow our focus to the most notable regions.

On the northern Central Coast are the coastal AVAs of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey. Both benefit from cool ocean breezes and maritime fog, which create a longer growing season and produce outstanding chardonnay and pinot noir. Top wineries include David Bruce, Calera, Chalone, Mount Eden and Bonny Doon.

San Luis Obispo County is home to the big wines of the Central Coast, including the increasingly popular wines of Paso Robles. Absent the cooling influence of coastal breezes and fog, Paso Robles is better suited to warmer-climate varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, syrah and grenache, as well as lesser plantings of Italian varietals such as barbera, sangiovese and nebbiolo. Wines from this district are a great value compared to those of Napa and Sonoma, largely because of its lower real estate values. Notable wineries include Justin Vineyards, Eberle, Tablas Creek and Halter Ranch.

In 2004, the classic Hollywood comedy “Sideways” catapulted Santa Barbara County into the limelight, although grapes have been cultivated there since the late 1800s. In the late 1970s, large plantings of chardonnay and pinot noir were cultivated to quench the thirst for northern California’s sparkling wines. It wasn’t until the ’80s that winemakers realized Santa Barbara’s potential to produce world-class chardonnay and pinot noir.

The Santa Maria Valley AVA is a funnel-shaped valley cooled by Pacific Ocean winds that create ideal conditions for pinot noir and chardonnay. It lies between Paso Robles to the north and Santa Ynez to the south. Wines from the Bien Nacido vineyard are among the best from this AVA.

The Santa Rita Hills AVA lies within the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. The valley is framed by mountains north and south, Lake Cachuma to the east and rolling hills to the west. Its close proximity to the Pacific keeps it cool and foggy, for a longer growing season. Extended cool conditions allow the grapes to retain a high natural acidity with slow-ripening sugars, ultimately creating a harmonious balance of fruit and acidity.

As you move away from the ocean toward the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, the climate becomes much warmer and is more suitable to cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandel and syrah.

Reputable Santa Barbara wineries include Au Bon Climat, Qupé and Brewer-Clifton.

While we all know and respect the great wines from Napa and Sonoma, there are fantastic wines from the central coast that are considerably better values and well worth exploring.

Alan Cuenca is an accredited oenophile and owner of Put a Cork in It, a Durango wine store. Reach him at info@putacorkinit.org.