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California Wine Atlas

Santa Ynez Valley

AVA · Santa Barbara County · District 8

27 CFR 9.54 · established 1983-04-15

Heat class III · 1991-2020 normals

Climate normals in three numbers

3,329°F-days

, Apr 1 – Oct 31

63 GridMET cells cover this region

III

74mm

season rain, Apr 1 – Oct 31

26 mm of it in the , Sep 1 – Oct 31

Warm and cool vintages since 1980

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Rain across the season, and at harvest

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The boundary

This boundaryClick to open

Hovering a shaded region names it; a click opens its page.

Measured vineyard area

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Drought categories, year by year

Santa Barbara County — not Santa Ynez Valley

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What's in the ground

6.5

pH, 1:1 water

13.8cm

, whole profile

91cm

to

Well drained

, dominant condition

Distribution across 160 · mean ◆, median │, p10–p90 bar

6.5
2.9%
22.5%
available water
13.8cm
depth to restriction
91cm

Dominant

  • 15.6%
  • 6.8%
  • 6.1%
  • 6.0%
  • 4.6%

160 map units · soil described over 91.5% of the region’s area · 7.2% is water, rock outcrop or other non-soil · 82% of the described area has a restrictive layer within the profile.

Sand, silt and clay, against every other appellation

CLAYSANDSILT

Loam

46% sand · 31% silt · 23% clay

Sandier than 69% of California appellations and clayier than 50%. Each grey point is one appellation’s topsoil; appellations nest, so this is a distribution of places rather than of land.

Plus 14% rock fragments by volume, which the triangle does not describe — the three fractions are of the fine-earth material only.

Elevation, slope and aspect

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Producers

A curated roster, not a census — only source-verified entries appear, 2772 published across the atlas.

Bearing acreage by variety

Santa Barbara County · District 8

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Price per ton

Santa Barbara County · District 8

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The appellation in federal law

The boundary, in the government’s own words (528 words)

(c) Boundaries. The Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area is located within Santa Barbara County, California. The beginning point is found on the “Los Alamos, California” U.S.G.S. map where California Highway 246 (indicated as Highway 150 on the Los Alamos map) intersects with the 120°22′30″ longitude line. (1) Then north following the 120°22′30″ longitude line to Cebada Canyon Road. (2) Then northeast following Cebada Canyon Road and an unnamed jeep trail to the northern boundary of Section 9, T. 7 N., R. 33 W. (3) Then east following the northern boundaries of Sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 7, and 8 to the northeast corner of Section 8, T. 7 N., R. 33 W. (4) Then south following the eastern boundaries of Sections 8 and 17 to the intersection with the boundary dividing the La Laguna and San Carlos de Jonata Land Grants. (5) Then east following the boundary between the La Laguna and the San Carlos de Jonata Land Grants to the intersection with Canada de Santa Ynez. (6) Then northeast in a straight line for approximately 3.6 miles to Benchmark 947 at U.S. Highway 101. (7) Then northeast in a straight line for approximately 2.6 miles to the southwest corner of the La Zaca Land Grant. (8) Then following the boundary of the La Zaca Land Grant north, then east to its northeast corner. (9) Then east in a straight line for approximately 2.0 miles to the point of intersection of the La Laguna and Sisquoc Land Grants with the Los Padres National Forest. (10) Then following the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest south, east, and south until it intersects with the eastern boundary of Section 29, T. 7 N., R. 29 W. (11) Then south following the eastern boundaries of Sections 29, 32, 5, 8, and 17 to the boundary of the Cachuma Recreation Area at Bitt Benchmark 1074. (12) Then following the boundary of the Cachuma Recreation Area west and south to the point of intersection with the Los Padres National Forest. (13) Then south and west following the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest to its intersection with the Las Cruces Land Grant at the southwest corner of Section 12, T. 5 N., R. 32 W. (14) Then north following the boundary of the Las Cruces Land Grant to the southeast corner of Section 26, T. 6 N., R. 32 W. (15) Then west following the southern boundaries of Sections 26, 27, 28, and 29 to the intersection with the northern boundary of the San Julian Land Grant at the southwestern corner of Section 29, T. 6 N., R. 32 W. (16) Then northwest following the boundary of the San Julian Land Grant to its intersection with the 120°22′30″ longitude line. (17) Then northwest in a straight line for approximately 3.2 miles to the point where Santa Rosa Road intersects Salsipuedes Creek. (18) Then following Salsipuedes Creek downstream to the point of confluence with the Santa Ynez River. (19) Then northeast in a straight line for approximately 1.4 miles to an unnamed hill, elevation 597 feet. (20) Then northeast in a straight line for approximately 1.7 miles to the point of beginning.