Arroyo Grande Valley AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1990 |
| Years of wine industry | 147 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, Central Coast AVA, San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast AVA |
| Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast AVA | Edna Valley AVA |
| Climate region | Region I-II |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 20 inches (510 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Silty clay and sandy clay loam |
| Total area | 42,880 acres (67 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 1,230 acres (498 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 4 |
| Grapes produced | Chardonnay, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier, Zinfandel, Picardan, Malbec, Alicante Bouschet, Carmenere, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Franc, Blaufrankisch, Merlot, Picpoul Blanc, Fiano |
| No. of wineries | 11 |
Arroyo Grande Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Luis Obispo County, California approximately 12 miles (19 km) southeast of the county seat San Luis Obispo. It was established as the nation's 106th, the state's 61st and the county's fifth appellation on January 3, 1990 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the 1987 petition submitted by Don Talley, of Talley Vineyards, and William S. Greenough, of Saucelito Canyon Vineyard, proposing the viticultural area named "Arroyo Grande Valley."
The 16-mile (26 km) long, approximately 67-square-mile (42,880-acre) valley appellation benefits from its east-northeast orientation allowing the breeze from the Pacific Ocean to moderate the climate of the area. The valley is divided by a fog line produced by the cool maritime layer where Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Rhône varietals are grown on the higher elevations near Lopez Lake and the cooler mid-valley vineyards being home to Chardonnay and Pinot noir. Within the viticultural area are four vineyards where 1,250 acres (506 ha) cultivate wine grapes and eleven bonded wineries consider Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah as the primary grapes. On April 8, 2022, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the designation of the expansive San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast AVA overlapping the boundaries of Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley viticultural areas because they share common features. However, these two previously established areas still have unique characteristics to retain their viticultural area distinctions within SLO Coast. Edna Valley lies immediately to the northwest, the Los Padres National Forest straddles the north leg boundary, the Santa Maria Valley AVA lies to the southeast of Arroyo Grande Valley, and the Pacific coastal communities of Oceano, Grover City and Arroyo Grande abut its southwestern border.