Local Terroir
San Benito County includes seven AVAs. Clear distinctions in terroir exist between them, except for the San Benito AVA -- the large region within which three of the AVAs are nested.
The northernmost AVA is Pacheco Pass, which lies mostly in Santa Clara County. Thanks to breezes which reach it from Monterey Bay, the climate is moderate. It features rich, alluvial soils, quite unlike those of its neighboring AVAs. It is also separate from the Gavilan Mountains, which strongly affect the other AVAs.
The AVAs which are highest and/or closest to Monterey Bay tend to have the coolest climates. Paicines AVA, which is furthest from the water and also relatively low altitude is the warmest -- though still much more moderate than the Central Valley.
The various soils found in the San Benito County AVAs are the result of considerable tectonic activity. Several earthquake faults pass directly through the area, including the San Andreas Fault, one of California’s most active and dangerous earthquake generators. Extending 745 miles (1,200 km) from Hollister in Northern California to Mendocino Triple Junction in the southern part of the state, the San Andreas Fault forms the tectonic boundary of the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.
A presence of limestone derives from ancient seafloor. Granite arises from volcanic eruptions and other magma flows caused when the clashing plates increased pressure on the magma layer. Pinnacles National Park, immediately east of the Chalone AVA, is the relic of a major eruption. The limestone soil holds water very effectively, but not in the same cold, wet way that clay does. This is ideal in San Benito, which is very dry, with annual rainfall averaging around 12 inches (30 cm). Yet, because of the limestone, many of the vineyards can be dry farmed. The decomposed granite doesn’t absorb water, allowing it instead to percolate down. The rate of drainage depends on the granularity of the granitic material.
Location/Geography
In the Gavilan Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) along Hwy 146 from Soledad and Hwy 101. It straddles the Monterey-San Benito County line. Pinnacles National Park borders it on the northeast. Chalone is the southernmost San Benito County AVA. Chalone Vineyard is the only winery in this AVA.
Name Background
Named for a peak in the Gavilan range, in turn named for a Native American Tribe.
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
Undulating terrain at about 1,800 feet (549 m)
Geology/Soil Composition
Limestone and decomposed granite
Climate
Warm-summer Mediterranean. Generally cool overall, but heat summation varies annually, anywhere from Region I to Region IV. Daily high-low temperatures can fluctuate between 90° and 50°F (32° and 10°C). This is a dry AVA, averaging less than 15 inches (38 cm) of rainfall annually.
Main Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Location/Geography
In the Gavilan range and within the western part of the San Benito AVA. It includes the Lime Kiln AVA. Cienega Valley is northeast of the Mt. Harlan AVA.
Name Background
Cienega and Cienega Valley are common place names in the American Southwest. Ciénegais is Spanish for a pocket of wetland or a wetland “meadow” found in otherwise desert-like or near desert-like environments.
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
The valley floor sits at 1,100 feet (335 m). The San Andreas Fault runs through it and soils are different on the two sides of the fault, granite and sandstone in the east, granite and limestone in the west,
Geology/Soil Composition
Granite and limestone
Climate
Warm-summer Mediterranean, Winkler-Amerine Region I. Low rainfall.
Main Grape Varieties
Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Negrett
Location/Geography
2,300 total acres (931 ha) within the southern end of the Cienega Valley AVA and within the San Benito AVA. 40 acres planted, one owner.
Name Background
Named for lime kilns in the area dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. Lime kilns are ovens in which quicklime is produced from limestone.
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
1,100 foot (335 m) elevation
Geology/Soil Composition
Granite and limestone
Climate
Warm-summer Mediterranean, Winkler-Amerine Region II. Diurnal shifts of 50°F (10°C) are common. Low rainfall.
Main Grape Varieties
Mourvèdre, Zinfandel
Note that Mourvèdre is not listed in the NASS acreage reports for San Benito County, but Enz Vineyard is well-known for it and sells the fruit to several producers.
Location/Geography
In the Gavilan Mountains, between the San Benito AVA and the Monterey County line. It’s the westernmost AVA in San Benito County and closest to Monterey Bay. It comprises 7,440 acres (3,011 ha). Currently home to a single winery/vineyard AVA (Calera), with 80 acres (32 ha) planted.
Name Background
Named for a mountain included within the AVA
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
Sloping, with elevations from 1,800 feet (549 m) to 2,200 feet (671 m)
Geology/Soil Composition
Limestone
Climate
Warm-summer Mediterranean, Winkler-Amerine Region I, cooled by altitude and cold winds from Monterey Bay. Low rainfall.
Main Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, Aligoté
Location/Geography
A 15-mile (24 km) pass through the hills that separate coastal California from the Central Valley. Highway 152 runs through the area. The AVA is on the Santa Clara-San Benito County line. Only about one-fifth of the AVA lies in San Benito County.
This single-winery AVA, established in 1984, comprises 3,200 total acres (1,295 ha).
Name Background
Named for Don Francisco Pérez Pacheco, a local rancher in the early nineteenth century
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
A mountain pass with an altitude reaching 1,368 ft (417m)
Geology/Soil Composition
Alluvial with sedimentary origin
Climate
Warm-summer Mediterranean, Region III-IV
Main Grape Varieties
Chardonnay, Merlot Zinfandel, Black Muscat
Location/Geography
42,280 total acres (17,353 ha) in the eastern and southeastern parts of the San Benito AVA. 3,000 acres (1,214 ha) planted.
Name Background
Named for the town of Paicines. The name is thought to have Native American origins.
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
Roughly 400-800 feet(122-244 m) in altitude, and, relatively flat
Geology/Soil Composition
Alluvial
Climate
Warm-summer Mediterranean, Winkler-Amerine Region III. Low rainfall.
Main Grape Varieties
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Location/Geography
Includes the Cienega Valley, Lime Kiln, and Paicines AVAs
Name Background
Named for the valley, which includes a river named San Benito (Saint Benedict), by a Spanish missionary in 1772. In the year 516, Saint Benedict wrote a 73-chapter guide on how to live a Christian life and how to best run a monastery.
Topography/Elevation/Water Sources/Geographic Features
Varied
Geology/Soil Composition
Alluvial in the Paicines AVA. Granite and limestone elsewhere
Climate
Winkler regions I-III
Main Grape Varieties
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot