Appellation
Sta. Rita Hills AVA is a small AVA in the Santa Ynez Valley and home to some of California's very best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
5
Sta. Rita Hills AVA was established in 2001, born from the realization that this cool, fog-kissed pocket within Santa Barbara County offered exceptional conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It gained rapid acclaim thanks to producers like Richard Sanford, who began planting vines in the area in the 1970s, long before its official recognition. The AVA’s name was originally “Santa Rita Hills,” but was modified to “Sta. Rita Hills” in 2006 after a naming dispute with Chilean wine giant Viña Santa Rita.
Sta. Rita Hills continues to be a hotbed of innovation, often at the intersection of New California minimalism and traditional Burgundian philosophy. There's a strong movement toward organic and biodynamic farming. Winemaking is trending toward whole-cluster fermentation, neutral oak, and minimal intervention to express the clarity of site.
