Fall - 2022

Following Durney’s lead, several other fami- lies planted grapes in the region. This in turn sparked a movement to gain official recognition for the region’s unique “terroir,” a French term used in the wine industry to describe the envi- ronment in which grapes are grown, encom- passing soil type, climate and topography. That mantle was taken up by Christine’s husband, David Armanasco, who, by the 1980s, was Durney Vineyards general manager. “It was a very arduous process,” David recalls.“We had to demonstrate a combination of factors and show the region has a specific microclimate.The rep- resentative from the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms, the Washington DC agency that then oversaw the process, made seven visits during the verification process.”Why did it take so many visits? “It turned out the guy had fallen in love with my secretary. They eventually mar- ried and moved away.” Nevertheless, in 1983 the process was com- pleted and the Carmel Valley AVA was born. It encompasses 19,200 rugged acres, more than 300 of which are dedicated to wine grape growing. “The well-drained, gravelly terraces of the district, combined with warm days and cool nights, are especially suited to the red varietals of France’s Bordeaux region.” says Kim Stemler, executive director of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. “This AVA is the closest to the coast, but due to the protec- tive positioning of the mountain ranges, it has less coastal influence than the northern AVAs in the Salinas Valley.” Currently there are eleven commercial vineyards in the Carmel Valley AVA. 144 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 2 Photo: Kelli Uldall (Left) Carmel Valley wine pioneer Bill Durney with his award winning 1983 Cabernet. (Right) Durney’s daughter Christine Armanasco helped plant the vineyard as a child. Following Durney’s lead, several other families planted grapes in the region.