AVA - Santa Ynez
Located next to Westerly Vineyard in Santa Ynez's Happy Canyon, Grassini is in its
second full year of producing fruit. Although it has some beautiful red Bordeaux
varietals, we're here for the Sauvignon Blanc. As a young vineyard, Grassini benefits
from grower Jeff Newton's growing knowledge base and was planted low to the ground
(20") at a very tight 3x6 spacing. This high density planting should yield Sauvignon
Blanc that easily rivals that of Westerly.
Santa Ynez Wine Country has grown very quickly; many of the vineyards were planted
in the last 20 years. Today, there are over 50 wineries and 20,000 acres of vineyards
in the region.
The climate of Santa Ynez Valley supports many grape varietals. The growing season
is very long and it normally does not rain until December. In contrast, cooler regions
in the North Coast that often see rain in September or October. Coastal parts of
Santa Ynez Valley are exposed to the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive in this cool climate. Moving inland, summer temperatures
increase by about one degree Fahrenheit per mile and the elevation gradually rises
to 800 feet above sea level. The climate gets warmer not only because of the distance
from the ocean, but also because the terrain is composed of hills and canyons that
block wind and fog.
Soils in the coastal parts of the AVA are reminiscent of a time when the ocean covered
the region. Much of the earth is relatively unfertile due to the abundant fossilized
sea-life in the soils. Yields are relatively low and high quality.