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 97,483 acres 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 makes the grapes develop a good balance of sugar and acid, which is important for making great wine.

In 2010, the area was expanded a bit to include more land for grape growing. For over ten years before it was officially recognized, people in the area had been growing wine grapes, and today there are 7,500 acres of vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley.

History

Santa Maria Valley has a long history of growing grapes in California, dating back to the 1830s during the Mexican Colonial period. Modern grape-growing in the area began in 1964 when more than 100 acres of vineyards were planted. The new growers thought the area could grow great wine grapes, just like the Napa Valley. By the mid-1970s, vineyards grew 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 makes it perfect for growing special grapes. The valley is famous for making some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in California. These two types of grapes are the most well-known from this area.

Expansion

The area known as the Santa Maria Valley was made a little bigger on December 29, 2010. This change helped match the area's edge with the natural flow of the Santa Maria River. The new edge now follows a line of hills that separates the Santa Maria Valley from another nearby valley called the Los Alamos Valley. This change added more land, new vineyards, and space for growing grapes, making the total area even larger.