Santa Maria Valley: a funnel open to the Pacific
Up the valley from the surf at the Guadalupe dunes to the benches of Bien Nacido. Nothing stands between the vines and the cold sea. Tap a layer to read it.
Swipe the plate sideways to see the whole section.
Schematic, and less certain than the North Coast plates. The line runs WNW to ESE for 38 km along the valley axis. Rancho Ontiveros lies about 2.5 km south of the line, on a ridge near 700 ft, and is shown where it projects; Guadalupe and Santa Maria are also off the line. The rock stack follows the general Santa Maria basin pattern (alluvium over the Paso Robles Formation over Miocene Monterey shale); depths are illustrative. They have not been checked against USGS mapping of the Santa Maria district. Heights from AWS terrain data; sea floor from coarser bathymetry.
5 layers, youngest at the top
Single vineyards we pour from. Tap one on the plate.
Why a valley this far south makes cool-climate wine
- The valley runs east to west, so it opens straight onto the Pacific; few California valleys do.
- Cold sea air and fog pour in most afternoons, holding the days cool.
- Budbreak comes early and harvest late, so the season is among the longest in California.
- Sandy, poor bench soils keep yields modest and the fruit concentrated, with acid intact.
Did you knowMost of California’s coast ranges run north to south. The Santa Maria Valley, like its neighbour the Santa Ynez, runs east to west, a funnel for sea air.
Pas Mal wines on this ground
Santa Maria Valley
- ChardonnayAlta Maria Winery
- Pinot NoirAlta Maria Winery
- Chardonnay Bien Nacido Block 1La Pelle Wines
- Syrah Bien Nacido Block XLa Pelle Wines
- Native 9 Pinot NoirRancho Ontiveros / Native 9
- Rancho Ontiveros Cabernet SauvignonRancho Ontiveros / Native 9
- Rancho Ontiveros ChardonnayRancho Ontiveros / Native 9
- Rancho Viñedo ChardonnayRancho Ontiveros / Native 9
Further south: Santa Ynez Valley
- Sauvignon BlancAlta Maria Winery
Further afield: Santa Cruz Mountains
- Chardonnay Staiger VineyardModel Farm Wines
Sources: TTB, Santa Maria Valley AVA; Native 9 technical sheet, Rancho Ontiveros (Garey sandy loam); Bien Nacido Vineyards grower notes; USGS, geology of the Santa Maria district; Ojai Vineyard and Presqu’ile, Rancho Ontiveros notes; AWS Terrain Tiles.