Vinous Santa Lucia Highlands Map: Behind the Scenes
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
For the last two years Alessandro Masnaghetti and I have been hard at work on a map of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Our first edition is nearly complete. Formal approval of a change in the AVA’s southern boundary is all we are waiting for to wrap things up. In the meantime, we are going take you behind the scenes in this article, which represents a summary of our work so far. It will surely be updated and refined in the coming months.
Santa Lucia Highlands: An Overview
The Santa Lucia Highlands encompasses 6,400 acres of vineyards in a strip approximately 18 miles long in the Santa Lucia Mountain range, in Monterey County, about two hours south of San Francisco. This rugged stretch of land consists of a series of alluvial fans in the Salinas Valley that rise into hillsides, elevated plateaus and terraces, all created by land that was broken off from the North American plate and moved north by the force of the San Andreas Fault somewhere in the range of 60-250 million years ago.
The three-map series below provides clear views of the Santa Lucia Highlands and its distinctive terrain. In the first map we observe the Santa Lucia Mountains and its two major subdivisions: the North and South Benches, which we describe in more detail below. The second map overlays the vineyards (in red) and other ranch land (in beige). Lastly, the third map shows the alluvial fans and major geologies of the Santa Lucia Highlands, as described by the County of Monterey. The main alluvial fan deposits (Chualar, Gloria, Placentia and Holocene) are essentially variations on sandy loams. In our experience, county data is instructive, but the nuances of each specific property naturally can’t be fully captured in a government survey. Nevertheless, we show the data as a starting point in what is a much more complex discussion that we look forward to expounding upon in the near future.
Building an understanding of the Santa Lucia Highlands; 1) a macro view starting with mountains (left) and benches (right), 2) this view shows vineyards (in red) in more detail, 3) the main geological formations.
A Brief History
For most of its recent history, the Santa Lucia Highlands was primarily agrarian land used to raise cattle and farm row crops such as white beans, sugar beets and potatoes. Jerry McFarland, Rich Smith, Nicky Hahn and Rob Talbott developed the first vineyards in the early 1970s. At the time, most locals considered clearing these hillside lands for the cultivation of grapes a radical idea.
The 1980s was a period of tremendous activity. Steve McIntyre, who had been at Hahn, purchased his own vineyard and began a consulting business that saw him develop numerous properties throughout the region. Gary Pisoni planted his vineyard in 1982 using cuttings from a famous Burgundy vineyard. A few years later, Chuck Wagner of Caymus followed with Mer Soleil. The Santa Lucia Highlands was recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1991. Gary Franscioni, whose family has roots in the Santa Lucia Highlands going back to the 1880s, planted Rosella’s Vineyard, the first of his ranches, in 1996.
For the last two years Alessandro Masnaghetti and I have been hard at work on a map of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Our first edition is nearly complete. Formal approval of a change in the AVA’s southern boundary is all we are waiting for to wrap things up. In the meantime, we are going take you behind the scenes in this article, which represents a summary of our work so far. It will surely be updated and refined in the coming months.
