Santa Clara Valley AVA

The Santa Clara Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Clara Valley, California (modern day Silicon Valley), based in the towns of Morgan Hill, Saratoga, San Martin, and Gilroy. Apart from its participation in the production of California wines, the Santa Clara Valley AVA is noted for its popularity in wine tourism.

Santa Clara Valley AVA
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established1989[1]
CountryUnited States
Part ofCalifornia, Central Coast AVA, San Francisco Bay AVA
Sub-regions
Total area332,800 acres (134,679 ha)[2]
Size of planted vineyardsaround 1,500 acres (607 ha)[3]
Grapes producedCabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Chardonnay, Fiano, Grenache, Grignolino, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Petite Sirah, Pinot noir, Riesling, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Semillon, Syrah, Zinfandel[4]
No. of wineriesOver 35

The area served an important role in the early history of California wine and was home to the pioneer winemakers Paul Masson and Charles Lefranc. The AVA boundary was defined in 1989. The Santa Clara Valley AVA is home to two smaller AVAs, Pacheco Pass AVA and San Ysidro District AVA.[5]

History

By the 1850s Santa Clara had more acres of vineyards than any other county in California. By 1883 the county had almost 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) of vines and over 100 wineries, but over-expansion and phylloxera took a heavy toll and by 1902 over 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) disappeared, mostly replanted to fruit trees such as prunes and apricots. By 1910 over half the wineries had disappeared.

Prohibition caused another boom in viticulture, with fruit being much in demand for home winemakers. By 1926 around 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) were planted, but since then there has been a gradual decline. By 1997 a little over 1,100 acres (450 ha) were planted; since then there has been a gradual resurgence.[6]

The growth of the technology sector in the region saw the area christened as Silicon Valley, and older Almaden Valley vineyards were uprooted to make way for urban sprawl. Today the majority of the remaining vineyards are found between the Diablo Mountains in Contra Costa and the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Jose near Morgan Hill and Gilroy, with some in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Saratoga. As of August 2014, a collaboration between the cities of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Santa Clara County, along with the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, formed the "Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail" to connect the many wineries and aid in agritourism.[7]

References
  1. "§ 9.126 Santa Clara Valley" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
  2. "American Viticultural Areas by State". Wine Institute. 2008. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008.
  3. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (2011)
  4. "Santa Clara Valley (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  5. Robinson, Jancis, ed. (2006). The Oxford Companion to Wine (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 608. ISBN 978-0198609902.
  6. Charles L. Sullivan (1998). A Companion to California Wine: An Encyclopedia of Wine and Winemaking from the Mission Period to the Present. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520213517.
  7. Michael Moore (August 28, 2014). "Happy Trails: Ribbon cutting kicks off Wine Trail Weekend Aug. 23 and Aug. 24". Morgan Hill Times.
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