Six Distinct Areas Produce World-Class Grapes and Vintage Wines
In the last few decades the number of vineyards and wineries in Santa Barbara County have gradually increased, as has the quality of the grapes and the resulting wines. The region is now respected worldwide as a premier grape-growing area and the products of Santa Barbara County wineries have been praised by wine critics far and wide.
The six distinct viticultural areas in Santa Barbara County include Los Alamos Valley, Happy Canyon, Paso Robles, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley.
Each of these scenic Santa Barbara wine-growing regions enjoys an ideal grape growing climate and is home to outstanding wineries that produce delightful wines. Not far away is the town of Santa Barbara where you can visit many fine Santa Barbara Attractions, enjoy great sight-seeing, wonderful Santa Barbara Parks, Museums and Botanic Gardens and other Fun Activities in Santa Barbara.
Here are some details about each of the six main Santa Barbara wine-growing regions.
Santa Ynez Valley Viticultural Area - Santa Barbara Wine Country
This is largest of Santa Barbara County's certified American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). The western portion of this east-west running valley is nearest to the sea and thus is the coolest, while the eastern interior valley areas of Santa Ynez valley experiences very warm temperatures.
With soils mostly of marine origin and a diverse terrain, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to microclimates suitable for Pinot Noir in the western portion and Cabernet and Merlot in the eastern region.
The western region is home to the Santa Rita Hills AVA (described below) and its cooler climate produces fine Chardonnays as well as Pinot Noir. The eastern part of Santa Ynez Valley is known for producing elegant Bordeaux and Rhone wines.
Santa Barbara Wine Country and Santa Barbara Wineries continued:
Santa Rita Hills Viticultural Area - Santa Barbara Wine Country
Located in the westernmost part of Santa Ynez Valley, the Santa Rita Hills AVA sits at the base of Point Conception just west of Buellton and east of Lompoc and is planted with about 1,700 acres of grapes.
With elevations ranging from about 1,800 feet above sea level almost all the way down to sea level, the Santa Rita Hills wine-growing region has a semi-arid climate and receives only about thirteen inches of rain annually, most of it between the months of December and May.
The Santa Rita Hills region is about twelve degrees cooler on average than the vineyards just to the east in the greater Santa Ynez Valley where the ocean fogs burn off sooner.
The Santa Rita Hills bask in the maritime air rolling in from the Pacific making this one of the world's coolest wine-growing regions and one of the best areas for fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. Typically the dense fog will dissipate by noon providing a few very sunny hours before cool ocean breezes arrive.
Unique soils in the Santa Rita Hills appellation include marine sand, limestone, loam and clay. Mixed in with the dune sand and marine deposits are alluvial deposits washed down from the mountains. The Pinot Noir wines of the low-yielding Santa Rita Hills AVA in particular are known for their density of color and intense flavor characteristics.
Other famed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay regions cannot allow the extended grape "hang time" on the vines as is possible in Santa Rita Hills where there is less danger from harmful rains (since most rain here comes between December and May).
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Los Alamos Valley Viticultural Area - Santa Barbara Wine Country
Located between Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley, the Los Alamos grape-growing region has well-drained soils and benefits from warm days and cool nights that are known to produce premium wines with great balance and outstanding concentration.
Los Alamos Valley is planted with thousands of acres of Chardonnay grapes along with some experimental Italian grape varietals. Just to the northeast is Santa Maria Valley which is about ten degrees cooler than the more temperate Los Alamos Valley, which in turn is about ten degrees cooler than Santa Ynez Valley just to the south.
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Happy Canyon Viticultural Area - Santa Barbara Wine Country
Happy Canyon is the smallest certified American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Santa Barbara Wine Country and is set in the southeastern corner of Santa Ynez Valley just northwest of Lake Cachuma.
As the valley proceeds from the northeast to the southwest it drops in elevation and the rolling hills are home to vineyards, oak and grasslands, and expansive horse ranches.
Happy Canyon is one of the warmest wine growing areas of Santa Barbara Country with temperatures reaching into the nineties in the summer after the morning fogs burn off, which occurs earlier than the greater Santa Ynez Valley. Cooling sea winds usually arrive about 4 pm.
The soils of the Happy Canyon region are a mix of red and yellow chert, serpentine cobbles and low-nutrient but high mineral (e.g., magnesium) clay/loam. This soil type creates low yields which tend to result in a higher quality and intensely concentrated flavors in the wine. The climate results in a late-ripening vine which produces a very mature grape distinguished for its superb terroir expression.
The Happy Canyon AVA is known for its premium Bordeaux grape varietals (with fine ripe fruit flavors and a superb natural acidity) including Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Also growing well in this region are Sangiovese, Syrah and other Rhone wine varietals.
One unique feature of the grapes grown in the Happy Canyon region is that the taste develops before the fruit sugar resulting in a very strong depth along with a complex, graceful flavor.
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Santa Maria Valley Viticultural Area - Santa Barbara Wine Country
Located just east of Santa Maria and south of the Los Padres National Forest, the Santa Maria Valley is the most northern wine growing region in Santa Barbara County. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines are the specialty here. The eastern portion of Santa Maria Valley produces fine Rhone and Bordeaux varietals.
The west to east orientation of the relatively wide Santa Maria Valley - allowing ocean breezes and dense fogs to move inland - along with well-drained clay loam and sandy loam soils, create one of the state's coolest wine growing areas with one of the most lengthy grape-growing seasons.
As a result the wines are distinguished for their exceptional natural acidity as well as their low pH with a notable intensity in the tastes.
Santa Barbara Wineries and Santa Barbara Wine Country continued:
Paso Robles Viticultural Area - Santa Barbara Wine Country
This region is actually in San Luis Obispo County in an area about 35 miles long by 25 miles wide just inland of the Santa Lucia Mountains, with Monterey County on its northern border.
A diversity of climates, soil types, rainfall and exposure to ocean breezes creates several distinct wine-growing areas in the Paso Robles viticultural area. Growing well in the region are red grape varietals including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel.
Santa Barbara Wineries and Santa Barbara Wine Country
Also see:
History of Santa Barbara Wine Country
Santa Barbara Wine Glossary
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