San Antonio Valley AVA
| Wine region | |
Monterey County's AVAS | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2006 |
| Years of wine industry | 255 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | California, Central Coast AVA, Monterey County |
| Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, Monterey County | Carmel Valley AVA, Chalone AVA, Monterey AVA, Gabilan Mountains AVA, Hames Valley AVA, Arroyo Seco AVA, San Bernabe AVA, San Lucas AVA, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA |
| Growing season | 251 days |
| Climate region | Region III-IV |
| Heat units | 3,000+ GDD units |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 14 to 15 in (360–380 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Arbuckle gravelly loam, Chamise shaly loam, Lockwood loam and shaly loam, Placentia sandy loam, Placentia-Arbuckle complex, Rincon clay loam, Nacimiento silty clay loam, and Pinnacles coarse sandy loam |
| Total area | 150,400 acres (235 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 800 acres (320 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 10 |
| Grapes produced | Albarino, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Marsanne, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah/Shiraz, Tempranillo/Valdepenas, Zinfandel |
| Varietals produced | 20 |
| No. of wineries | 10 |
San Antonio Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in southwestern Monterey County, California, located in the San Antonio Valley landform situated in the Santa Lucia mountain range about 15 miles (24 km) inland from the Pacific coast. It was established on July 10, 2006, as the nation's 156th, the state's 97th and county's ninth appellation by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Paul Getzelman, Paula Getzelman, and Steve Cobb of Lockwood, California, proposing a viticultural area in Monterey County known as "San Antonio Valley."
The area lies entirely within the existing multi-county Central Coast viticultural area encompasses approximately 150,400 acres (235 sq mi) of flat land and gently rolling hills extending to the surrounding hillsides that rise to an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet (670 m). The valley, formed by the watershed of the San Antonio River, is situated in the Santa Lucia Range between the Pacific coast and the Salinas Valley. The San Antonio River flows across the Santa Lucia range in a southeasterly direction, then turns to the east and flows into the Salinas River. The San Antonio Dam, built in the 1960s on the river near the San Luis Obispo county line, created Lake San Antonio, which dominates the southeastern corner of the San Antonio Valley viticultural area. The AVA shares its typical warm climate with the Salinas Valley, bordered to the east, benefiting from the cooling effects of Lake San Antonio and the Pacific Ocean. Currently, over 800 acres (320 ha) of vinifera grapes and more than 20 varietals are under cultivation in San Antonio Valley. With an elevation ranging from 580 to 2,800 ft (180–850 m), this region experiences warm, dry conditions. Its climate is similar to the nearby Paso Robles AVA and the soils found here are primarily gravelly loam and clay. Taken together, these elements provide an excellent setting for growing full-bodied Rhône and Bordeaux varietals from Cabernet Sauvingon and Petite Sirah to Syrah and Marsanne.