Santa Maria Valley AVA

Santa Maria Valley is a special area for growing grapes in California. It is located between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties along the Central Coast. This area was officially recognized as a place for wine grape growing on August 5, 1981.

The valley is big, and its shape allows cool winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean to come in. This helps create a mild climate that is good for growing grapes. The weather here helps the grapes grow with the right balance for making great wine.

In 2010, the area was expanded a bit to include more land for grape growing. For many years before it was officially recognized, people in the area had been growing wine grapes, and today there are many vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley.

History

Santa Maria Valley has a long history of growing grapes, going back to the 1830s. In 1964, people started planting vineyards on more than 100 acres. They believed the area could grow excellent wine grapes, similar to the Napa Valley. By the mid-1970s, the vineyards expanded to over 2,000 acres.

Terroir

Geography

The Santa Maria Valley is shaped like a funnel, opening to the Pacific Ocean on its west side. The land rises from about 200 feet where Highway 101 meets the Santa Maria River up to around 3,200 feet at Tepusquet Peak. The valley is part of the Santa Maria River’s watershed and includes smaller valleys nearby. Grapes grow on the flat valley floor and up the gentle slopes.

Climate

The Santa Maria Valley’s shape brings in thick morning fog from the ocean, which takes a long time to disappear. Cool breezes come in the afternoons. This mild climate makes the growing season longer and helps the grapes develop just the right balance. Summer temperatures average only about 75 °F, making it quite cool for growing grapes. Rain is scarce, so irrigation is needed to help the vines grow.

Soils

The soil in the valley ranges from sandy to a mix of sand and clay. It doesn’t have harmful salts. There are four main soil types: three in the original valley and one in the newer area added later. The soil on the valley floor is mostly sand and sandy loam, while the slopes have a mix of sand, clay, and other materials. The newer area has soils similar to the original valley.

Viticulture

The Santa Maria Valley has cooler weather, which is great for growing special grapes. The valley is known for making some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in California. These two types of grapes are the most famous from this area.

Expansion

The area called the Santa Maria Valley grew a bit bigger on December 29, 2010. This helped the edge of the area match the natural path of the Santa Maria River. The new edge now follows a line of hills that separates the Santa Maria Valley from the nearby Los Alamos Valley. This change added more land, new vineyards, and space for growing grapes, making the total area larger.