Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, The Santa Ynez Valley is one of California’s most climatically diverse growing areas. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. To avoid an identity crisis, the appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District, and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.

As one might expect from such a vast and varied region, a wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.