Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

Santa Lucia Highlands
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established1991[1]
2006 Amended[2]
2021 Amended[3]
Years of wine industry51[4]
CountryUnited States
Part ofCalifornia, Central Coast AVA, Monterey County, Monterey AVA
Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, Monterey County, Monterey AVAArroyo Seco AVA, Hames Valley AVA, San Bernabe AVA, San Lucas AVA
Climate regionRegion I and II[1]
Heat units2978 GDD[5]
Precipitation (annual average)10 to 15 in (254–381 mm)[6]
Soil conditionsSlopes: Cieneba, Sheridan, Vista, Junipero, McCoy, Gazos, Linne and Santa Lucia-Relize series
Valley floor: Mocho, Cropley, Pico and Danville series [6]
Total area22,000 acres (34 sq mi)[1]
21,772 acres (34 sq mi)[3]
Size of planted vineyards5,000 acres (2,023 ha)[4]
No. of vineyards21[4]
Grapes producedCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Roussanne, Syrah, Viognier[7]
No. of wineries18[7]

Santa Lucia Highlands is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in central Monterey County, California and lies within the boundaries of the larger, elongated Monterey viticultural area. It was recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms {ATF}, Treasury on June 15, 1992 after reviewing the petition from Mr. Barry Jackson of the Harmony Wine Company proposing a viticultural area to be known as "Santa Lucia Highlands."[1][5]

The area consists of the eastern flank of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range and is located completely within the boundaries of the established Monterey viticultural area. The general boundaries are: Limekiln Creek to the north; the Salinas River and its associated terraces to the east; the western border of the Arroyo Seco viticultural area in the southeast; and the western border of the Monterey viticultural area to the west. Inititially, the total area of the appellation was approximately 22,000 acres (34 sq mi) with 1,850 acres (749 ha) committed to active viticulture, with plans to cultivate an additional 400 acres (162 ha). Winegrowing in the region dates back to the late 18th Century, when Spanish missionaries planted the first vines.[8] The modern wine industry sprang up in the 1970s. Some of the vineyards lie as high as 1,200 feet (366 m) above sea level, with about half of them planted to the Pinot noir grape. The region enjoys cool morning fog and breezes from Monterey Bay followed by warm afternoons thanks to direct southern exposures to the sun.[1][7]

In 2021, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury ruled on a modification of the shared Santa Lucia Highlands-Arroyo Seco AVA boundary. The modification removed 376 acres (1 sq mi) from the Santa Lucia Highlands viticultural area, and moved 148 acres (0 sq mi) from the Arroyo Seco viticultural area placing it entirely within the Santa Lucia Highlands. The modification reduced the size of the AVA by less than 1 percent and did not have any impact on the boundaries of the Monterey AVA or the Central Coast.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Santa Lucia Highlands, CA 91F016P" (27 CFR 9 [T.D. ATF-321:RE:Notice No. 722] RIN 1512-AA07 Final Rule). Federal Register. 57 (95). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms {ATF}, Treasury: 55915–55916. May 15, 1992.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Realignment of the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco Viticultural Areas (2003R–083P)" (27 CFR Part 9 [T.D. TTB–49; Re: Notices No. 29 and 35] RIN 1513–AA72 Final Rule). Federal Register. 71 (115). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury: 34525–34527. June 15, 2006.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b c "Modification of the Boundaries of the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco Viticultural Areas" (27 CFR Part 9 [Docket No. TTB–2020–0007; T.D. TTB–172; Ref: Notice No. 192] RIN 1513–AC55). Federal Register. 86 (162). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury: 47377–47380. August 25, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 17, 2023.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ a b c "Monterey Wine Country" (AVA’s (American Viticultural Area)). Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. 2024.
  5. ^ a b Jackson, Barry C. (May 22, 1990). "Proposed Santa Lucia Highlands American Viticultural Area" (Harmony Wine Company (Petition)). TTB.gov. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ a b "Santa Lucia Highlands, CA 91F016P" (27 CFR Part 9 [Notice No. 722] RIN 1512-AA07 Proposed Rules). Federal Register. 56 (158). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 40583–40586. August 15, 1991.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ a b c "Santa Lucia Highlands (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2008.
  8. ^ Agran, Libbie (September 22, 2022). "The Father of California Wine, Viticulture and Land Use Planning: Fray Junípero Serra" (Early California Wine History). Retrieved April 22, 2024.