San Antonio Valley is an AVA in the southern reaches of the Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey County, California. This bowl-shaped mountain valley enjoys a warm, dry climate and produces distinctively intense wines from the Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.
The valley is located about 10 miles from the Salinas Valley, where most of the wine production in Monterey takes place. San Antonio Valley is a watershed for the San Antonio River, which flows into Lake San Antonio at the southern end of the valley. The Pacific coast is 15 miles (24km) away.
San Antonio Valley's sheltered position away from the cold winds that buffet the Salinas Valley means that it is considerably warmer and drier than much of Monterey. However, some cool ocean breezes make their way into the valley in the afternoons, and cooling morning fog is offered up by Lake San Antonio.
The relatively high altitude of the vineyards, between 500ft and 2000ft (150-600m) above sea level, means that intense sunlight during the day is followed by much colder nights and mornings. This diurnal temperature shift ensures that grapes are given a cooling-off period each day, extending the growing season and allowing for the development of rich fruit characters in the grapes without sacrificing acidity.
The area's soils are alluvial, deposited over time by the San Antonio River. Made up of clay, loam and gravel, they are free-draining and fairly deep in parts. The rainfall that comes in winter is stored deep in the soil, and vines can grow deep root systems to access this water. As a result, the vines are healthy and strong, and produce high-quality grapes.
Winemaking came to the San Antonio Valley in the 1770s via the padres of the San Antonio Mission. However, the area came into fashion as a modern wine-producing region only in the late 1990s, and was given AVA status in 2006. Many small, boutique producers can be found in the valley making inky, concentrated wines from Petite Sirah, Grenache and Syrah, along with Cabernet Sauvignon.
San Antonio Valley should not be confused with the San Antonio Valley wine region in Chile.
