American Viticultural Area · CA
Santa Lucia Highlands
Santa Lucia Highlands is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in CA, established in 1991. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Santa Lucia Highlands boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
1991
State
CA
Climate
Cool maritime
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Santa Lucia Highlands, designated 1991, runs along a series of southeast-facing terraces on the slopes of the Santa Lucia Range, above the western edge of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County. Lifted above the valley floor, the vineyards catch full morning sun but are swept by strong, cold afternoon winds and fog drawn in from Monterey Bay to the north. The result is a long, cool growing season with intense light and wind-stressed, concentrated fruit. Santa Lucia Highlands lies within the Monterey AVA and the larger Central Coast AVA.
Pinot Noir is the signature variety, alongside Chardonnay and Syrah. The combination of bright sunlight, persistent wind, and cool temperatures gives the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay a reputation for ripe fruit balanced by firm acidity, and the AVA has become one of the most sought-after sources of cool-climate fruit on the Central Coast.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Santa Lucia Highlands — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.