Although the region does experience a cooling effect from the Pacific Ocean, its geographic location shelters the vines from the afternoon winds that come howling down the Salinas Valley corridor, giving Hames Valley a warmer climate compared to northern Monterey County. This area enjoys the widest diurnal temperature change of all the Monterey AVAs. The shaly loam soil found in Hames Valley, combined with its warmer weather, produces grapes with intense, bold flavors.