Ballard Canyon AVA
| Wine region | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2013 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, Central Coast AVA, Santa Barbara County, Santa Ynez Valley AVA |
| Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, Santa Barbara County, Santa Ynez Valley AVA | Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, Los Olivos District AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA |
| Growing season | 194 days |
| Climate region | Region II |
| Heat units | 2916.58 GDD units |
| Soil conditions | Limestone, fine sand and clay loam |
| Total area | 7,800 acres (12 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 565 acres (229 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 19 |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Malvasia Bianca, Marsanne, Merlot, Mourvedre, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier, Zinfandel |
| No. of wineries | 2 |
Ballard Canyon is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Santa Barbara County, California within the Santa Ynez Valley landform. The wine appellation was established as the nation's 209th, the state's 126th and the county's fifth AVA on October 2, 2013 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Wesley D. Hagen, Viticulturist and Winemaker, on behalf of local vineyard owners and winemakers, proposing a viticultural area in Santa Barbara County named "'Ballard Canyon."
The 7,800-acre (12 sq mi) designated area encompasses the Ballard Canyon landform located in the center of the Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area between Los Olivos, Ballard and Solvang on its eastern boundary, and U.S. 101 to the west. It also lies within the boundaries of the vast multi-county Central Coast viticultural area. As of 2025, Santa Ynez Valley contains three other established viticultural areas: Sta. Rita Hills, to the west; Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara to the east. Los Olivos District borders Ballard Canyon's eastern perimeter while Sta. Rita Hills and the Happy Canyon areas do not share boundaries nor overlap Ballard Canyon. The USDA plant hardiness zone range is 9a to 10a.