Cienega Valley

Rising from the figurative ashes of former wine industry giant Almadén, two new companies have resurrected the winemaking  business in the Cienega AVA on the western edge of San Benito County.  Almadén was sold to rival winemaker Heublein in 1987 and much of its Cienega assets were dismantled.  The ruins of one company became the foundation for two more as DeRose Vineyards and the Pietra Santa Winery again produce wine in the Valley.  Old Almadén plots have been revived -- including the 120-year old Negrette vineyard -- and new plantings of Italian varietals were introduced.

The valley is bisected by the San Andreas Fault and grapes benefit from the moderate climate in the 1,100 feet plus elevations.  Soils on the east side of the fault line are fragmented granite and crumbling sandstone, while on the west side soils consist of mainly granite and limestone.  The whole range of soils are suitable for viticulture and it will be interesting to see how varietal distribution follows the soil variations in the development of this "old-new" winegrowing region.

Paicines

The Paicines AVA is located within the larger San Benito AVA, in the heart of San Benito County.  Although this small AVA does not have the benefit of elevation to its moderate climate, it is still affected by the last breath of cool coastal breezes that have found gaps through the coastal mountain ranges.  The climate is distinctly warmer than the neighboring Cienega, Mt. Harlan, and Lime Kiln AVAs, but cooler than the central valley to the east.

Paicines hosts the 500+ acre Vista Verde Vineyard, once owned by Almadén and currently owned by the New York-based Dyson.  The appellation produces a wide variety of grapes that supply not only Dyson, but many of California's largest and most prolific wineries.

Lime Kiln Valley

With only one winery, the AVA was granted  its status in 1982 on a petition from Enz Vineyards.  A sub-region of the Cienega Valley, this small appellation covers only 2,300 acres of land with about 100 acres devoted to vineyards.  Distinguished by predominantly sandy, gravelly loam above dolomite and limestone, the AVA basks in warm summer temperatures of 85-95 degrees, with a large diurnal variation of up to 50 degrees.  Though Lime Kiln is not a household name, it has occasionally been used on wine labels.  Most notably, an old vines Mouvedre made by Paso Robles-based Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards.

Mt. Harlan

Josh Jensen, upon his return from France in 1971, spent two years searching throughout California to find limestone before finally purchasing a high-elevation parcel with a limestone deposit of several million tons.  Its elevation, 2,200 feet above sea level, makes it one of the highest and coldest vineyard properties in California.  In 1990, the U.S. government approved the Mt. Harlan AVA which is high in the Gavilan Mountains (the lowest point is at 1,800 feet above sea level).  While it is a large AVA encompassing 7,400 acres, Calera Wine Company's are the only vineyards in the Mt. Harlan Viticultural Area.