EDIBLE: A report card – and short road trips – to honor upcoming California Wine Month.

Arnold Schwarzenegger once deadlifted 710 pounds. He exterminated Predator. In his Terminator days, he almost wiped out humankind, then came back to save it. As Governator, he pioneered California environmental progress with measures that included clean-air programs, major conservation gains and alternative fuel networks. He even got pregnant in Carmel Valley, where part of Junior was filmed.

Yes, Schwarzenegger has done some things, in life and through his characters. The best thing he’s done for the purposes of this column, though, was declare September California Wine Month back in 2005. Not because we need an excuse to celebrate California’s production, which is outpaced only by countries (France, Italy and Spain) who had hundreds of years’ head start – by that rubric, every month is California Wine Month. But because it’s nice to have a chance to stop and smell the Rosés, to evaluate the golden state of California wine.

The nonprofit Wine Institute does that all the time, as part of its charge to advocate for the state’s grape juice. So I filtered through their recent findings and talked with spokesperson Gladys Horiuchi to see how things are flowing.

Last year set new records in retail value sold – $34.1 billion in 2016 – up 4.6 percent. The state shipped a record high of 238 million cases, a 2-percent bump.

Premium wines are part of that. CA wines going for $10 or more are growing in popularity, while wines under $10 are flat or down. Institute CEO Robert P. Koch offered this in a statement: “As consumers continue to trade up to premium wines, California is ideally positioned.”

Sustainability is a bigger part. A study executed by market research firm Wine Opinions published this year affirms what a lot of conscious wineries have been reporting for years: Demand for sustainably produced wine has increased over the past 10 years and is likely to continue to grow. It surveyed 457 members of its national trade panel – distributors, retailers, restaurateurs and media across 36 states – and found respondents consider sustainable practices; prioritize things like integrated pest management, water use and resource management; and find third-party verification important. So the timing is good for nonprofit California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, which started certifying wineries in 2010, to start adding a certification logo to bottles. Its first vintage to do so: 2017.

Other discoveries: Rosés are growing in popularity rapidly, while Sauvignon Blanc is the winner among whites. For reds, Cab Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and red blends are leading growth. The Wine Institute also commissioned a survey by Destination Analysts that reveals wine tourists are trending a touch younger (43.9 on average), married (68.3 percent) and female (53.7); 60 percent consider wine important or very important to their lifestyles. Which likely means many visitors are unknowingly practicing their best Schwarzenegger impressions once they try California wine against a vineyard backdrop, saying silently or out loud, “I’ll be back.”

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There aren’t a ton of wine month events in Monterey County, in large part because wineries have their hands full of grapes. In fact, as this went to press, Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association sent out word harvest is beginning in earnest. Executive Director Kim Stemler anticipates a 2017 crop a touch below average, at about 170,000 tons. “Following winter rains, the weather has been temperate,” she says, “producing ideal conditions for Pinot Noir from the northern AVAs and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown in the southern AVAs and Carmel Valley.”

Jason Smith, president of Smith Family Wines/Paraiso, expects to start harvesting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Lucia Highlands next week. (Monterey County grows more Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes than any other county in California.)

“We’ve had some nice sizing and good cool evenings,” Smith says. “We’re very excited about this year’s vintage.”

The dearth of event options in our backyard furnishes a serviceable excuse to explore other regions. The state does grow grapes in 138 AVAs in 49 counties, after all.

So here are my picks for wine month fun, at good values, within a reasonable radius (distances from Monterey):

Sept. 3 • Livermore Valley Harvest Wine Celebration • 100 miles

The 36th annual features 40 Livermore vineyards, food trucks, live music, lawn games, mini-seminars, artisan vendors and more against the backdrop of windmills and vineyards. $55 presale, $65 at the door, (925) 447-9463, lvwine.org

Sept. 9-10 • Capitola Art and Wine Festival • 40 miles

Another time-tested affair goes on year 35 with 160 artists and zero admission costs, with 22 Santa Cruz Mountain wineries joining music, food and Capitola Village’s views of Monterey Bay. Free, 475-6522, capitolaartandwine.com

Sept. 8-10 • Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival • 300 miles

OK, this one’s a ways away. But the “Take a Hike” progressive picnic and “Vertical Mountainside Tasting” – with a gondola ride and multi-elevation wine tasting up Northstar California – mean it’s the most enticing of the group… and that I’m heading for the mountains to report. Events start at $25, gotahoenorth.com

Sept. 23 • Los Gatos Fall Wine Walk • 60 miles

This surefire sellout stars dozens of downtown merchants and restaurants hosting more than 40 wineries. (408) 354-9300, $50, losgatoschamber.com/winewalk.php

~ QUICKBITES ~

• Blue Fin Cafe & Billiards is closing after two decades on Cannery Row. More on the blog, mcweekly.com/edible.
• Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette in Marina (in the old Kula Ranch) is set to open Thursday, Aug. 31. Photos and more on the blog.
• Got a sneak peek at the food lineup for Monterey County Fair Aug. 31-Sept. 4 and there are some appropriately atypical items, including crawfish bisque, slush puppies and artichoke lumpia.
• The Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 99th anniversary on 9/9 with a some verve and an unprecedented beer payload via “99 Years of ChamBEER on the Wall” 6-9pm at Alvarado Street Brewery in Salinas: 12 ASB beers (at least) will flow; seven local wineries pour; ASB’s new Exec Chef Brandon Miller does food, along with Boardwalk Sub/Wild Thyme Deli, Ventana Big Sur, Carmel Honey Company, Forge in the Forest, Luigi’s, Portobello’s Salinas and soon-to-open The Meatery of Seaside ($99, salinaschamber.com, 751-7725).
• Big Sur Food & Wine is slotted for Nov. 2-4, ready to rally funds for a beleaguered Big Sur, bigsurfoodandwine.org.
• Schooners Coastal Kitchen + Bar celebrates 21 years in business (and its recent remodel) with a toast and 1996 prices 4pm Wednesday, Sept. 6.
• The 89th annual Fiesta de los Amigos enjoys a sublime setting (Holman Ranch), crucial cause (Alzheimer’s Association) and strong fundamentals like catering from Jerome Viel and Paradise, music from Kelly Productions and local wines Thursday, Sept. 7 ($60, RSVP 659-2640).
• Lovers Point Beach House Café has finished its mural with an assist from Pacific Grove High students Kylie Koestner, Vanya Truong, Sofia Chang, Kaysa Paulsen and Nicole Weber.
• Its upstairs sister spot Lovers Point Beach House is not for sale, despite reports in the Carmel Pine Cone that it might be.
• Follow @MontereyMCA on Twitter and Instagram.
• Anne Lamott: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes – including you.”