Ep 154: Wines of Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is a cool climate wine region in CA's Central Coast. At 34˚ latitude, it doesn't seem like Pinot & Chardonnay would thrive here, but weird geology, geography, & a big ocean make the area one of CA's best & most unique cool climate hubs.
First we cover the basics on Santa Barbara:
- 5 hours north of LA
- It's separated from the rest of the United States by the San Andreas Fault, giving it different geology from much of inland California – soils here are more marine
- Shallow soils are well suited to viticulture, stress in the vines, low vigor, excellent concentration of flavor.
- 34˚N Latitude – should be almost too hot for grapegrowing but valleys are transverse -- they run east-west rather than north-south
- Geologic oddity, the ocean breezes sweep eastward and are funneled in, helped by the hills and mountains that ring the region.
- East into foothills: warm during the day, cool during the night,
- West valley - ocean enjoy a mild and moderate climate.
- Main grapes – Pinot, Chard, Syrah
- The area took off in the 1970s and 1980s, but it's real tipping point was in 2004: the movie Sideways was set and filmed in the AVA
Then we discuss the American Viticultural Areas:
- Santa Maria Valley
- Sta Rita Hills
- Santa Ynez Valley
- Ballard Canyon
- Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
- Potential new ones coming:
- Los Alamos region
- The Los Olivos District
- The Santa Maria Bench
If you haven't dipped a toe in to Santa Barbara's wines and you have access to them (especially those from the sub-AVAs) this podcast should get you motivated to do it!