Lockwood Vineyard, a 1,850-acre estate, is a big player in the little-known San Lucas AVA of Monterey County. The winery, established in 1989, is named for the dominant soil type in the area: Lockwood shale loam, a well-drained calcareous chalk rock.

Lockwood’s winemaker, Larry Gomez, has had two stints at the winery. He first joined Lockwood in 1991 as assistant winemaker, working with then-winemaker Stephen Pessagno. Gomez left for Paso Robles in 1998, working for J. Lohr and then for Wild Horse. But he returned to Lockwood as head winemaker in 2004.

Under Gomez, the Lockwood style has changed. The wines are fresher, more fruit-driven and less oaky – an approach that Gomez hopes will better display the character of the vineyard.

The San Lucas AVA is toward the southern end of Monterey County, so it gets less coastal influence than AVAs to the north, like Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco. The days are hot but nights are quite cool – diurnal temperature swings of 60 degrees in the summer aren’t uncommon. Thus, the Lockwood vineyard is planted to a wide variety of grapes, from heat-loving Cabernet Sauvignon to cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

I talked with Gomez about which grapes do best in San Lucas, the influence of the Lockwood shaly loam and why the San Lucas AVA doesn’t appear on Lockwood labels.