It is the tenth and newest AVA established in Monterey County by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on September 14, 2022, becoming the state's 147th official AVA after the TTB reviewed the petition from Parker Allen of Coastview Vineyards, proposing to establish the "Gabilan Mountains" viticultural area.

As a result, Gabilan Mountains AVA has a cool air climate without the humidity from the fog and low-lying clouds.

[1] In 1919, French immigrant and entrepreneur, Charles L. Tamm, traveled through California searching for the terroir with limestone soil similar to his native Burgundy.

On the north slope of Chalone Peak at1,800 feet (550 m), Tamm planted Chenin Blanc sourcing for wineries even during Prohibition, when the grapes were used to make sacramental wines.

Strong winds off Monterey Bay and the arid climate of the Salinas River Valley deterred the planting of wine grapes.

The property was formerly an early 20th-century limestone quarry and at 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level, Calera Wine Company is one of the most elevated cool-climate vineyards in California.

The lower humidity levels significantly reduce mildew pressure, which allows growers to use less fungicide and pursue more organic practices during the growing season.

[1] The climate of the Gabilan Mountains viticultural area distinguishes it from the surrounding regions, particularly with respect to fog and rainfall.

The area averages fewer than 2.5 hours of fog and low clouds per day each year during the months of June through September.

Paicines, to the east and sheltered from the marine air by the Hollister Hills, receives an average of only 2 hours of fog and low cloud cover daily.

Although the AVA has less fog and low cloud cover than most of the surrounding regions, annual rainfall amounts within Gabilan Mountains are higher.

Higher rainfall amounts during the fall and winter months act to clear the soil and send nutrients and carbohydrates to the dormant vines' roots.

Within the AVA, the drier summers reduce the risk of moisture-related diseases damaging the fruit and keep the sugars and acids balanced closer to harvest.

For example, the primary characteristic of the Central Coast AVA is its marine-influenced climate, which results in higher rainfall amounts than occur in the inland valleys on the eastern side of the Coastal Ranges.

Gabilan Mountains AVA also experiences higher annual rainfall amounts than the regions to the east of the Coastal Ranges.