Los Olivos District AVA

Los Olivos District AVA
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established2016[1]
CountryUnited States
Part of California, Central Coast AVA, Santa Barbara County, Santa Ynez Valley AVA
Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, Santa Barbara County, Santa Ynez Valley AVABallard Canyon AVA, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA
Climate regionMediterranean[2]
Precipitation (annual average)16.5 inches (419.10 mm)[3]
Soil conditionsFine sandy and clay loams[4]
Total area22,820 acres (35.66 sq mi)[4]
Size of planted vineyards1,121 acres (454 ha)[4]
No. of vineyards47[4]
Varietals producedCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon[5]
No. of wineries12[4]

Los Olivos District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California established on January 20, 2016, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). It straddles the Santa Ynez Valley, formed by the Santa Ynez River, between the Purisima Hills above Solvang. The area encompasses the townships of Los Olivos, Ballard, Santa Ynez and Solvang. State Route 154, known locally as the San Marcos Pass Road or Chumash Highway, bisects the region accessing many of the wineries and vineyards as it traverses toward its destination in Santa Barbara.

The Los Olivos District stretches over 35.66 square miles (22,820 acres) where approximately twelve bonded wineries and forty-seven commercially-producing vineyards cultivate 1,120 acres (450 ha). The district shares its western boundary with the eastern border of the Ballard Canyon AVA and its eastern boundary flanks the western perimeter of Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA while not overlapping either AVA. It is located within the Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area and the larger, multi-county Central Coast viticultural area.[4] The USDA plant hardiness zone for the AVA is 9b.[6]

  1. ^ "§9.253 Los Olivos District" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations. January 21, 2016.
  2. ^ "The Climate". Los Olivos District AVA. Los Olivos District Winegrowers Alliance.
  3. ^ "Los Olivos Climate (United States of America)". Climate-Data.org.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Establishment of the Los Olivos District Viticultural Area" (81 FR 3327 27 CFR 9 Doc#: 2016-01155). Federal Register. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. February 22, 2016. pp. 3327–3329.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wine-Searcher was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". United States Department of Agriculture. 2012.