SIP + SAVOR
Alisos Canyon AVA Prime for Rhône wines By Hana-Lee Sedgwick
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FOOD + HOME
Photos courtesy of Thompson Vineyard/Dovecote Winery
T
hough many winemakers have been sourcing wines from Santa Barbara County’s Alisos Canyon region since the 1990s, the area didn’t become recognized as an official AVA until 2020, making it the seventh (and newest) appellation of Santa Barbara County. Situated between the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys, about 20 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, Alisos Canyon encompasses 5,774 acres, where diverse soil structures, significant elevation changes, and ocean-influenced climate patterns prove beneficial for growing grapes—Rhône varieties in particular. In fact, the region is located in what is referred to as “The Goldilocks Rhône Zone,” an area of the Central Coast ideally suited to producing Rhône-style varietals due to its perfect balance of warm and cool temperatures. While days can get quite warm in the summer months, Alisos Canyon sees a strong influx of marine influences, including morning fog and cold nighttime breezes, which create extreme temperature changes that allow the grapes to enjoy an extended growing season. It’s actually not uncommon to see diurnal shifts of 40-50 degrees from day to night temperatures—the greatest range on the Central Coast. Not surprisingly, the region’s 240 acres under vine are predominantly dedicated to Rhône grapes, with syrah being the most widely planted. Other grape varieties that thrive here include grenache, petit sirah, grenache blanc, mourvèdre, and gamay, which tend to result in expressive, elegant wines that are marked by noticeable levels of acidity and significant longevity. Alisos Canyon joins six other AVAs in Santa Barbara County, including the Santa Maria Valley (the only other stand-alone appellation in the region), Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, and Los Olivos District AVAs—the latter four being sub-appellations of the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA. While there are only a handful of commercial vineyards in Alisos Canyon, especially as compared to more expansive regions like the Santa Maria Valley, fruit from these vineyards are sought-after, such as from Thompson Vineyard, planted in the 1980s, Watch Hill Vineyard, and the biodynamically-farmed Martian Ranch Vineyard. Looking to experience this newly established region in your glass? You can find Alisos Canyon wines, which may or may not be labeled with the AVA depending on the vintage, from such Central Coast producers as A Tribute to Grace, Story of Soil, Dovecote, Andrew Murray, Jaffurs, Epiphany, and Tensley, as well as older vintages from The Ojai Vineyard.
Noah Rowles - owner/winemaker of Dovecote Estate Winery. W W W. F O O D – H O M E . C O M
