Cienega Valley is an AVA just south of the town of Hollister in California's San Benito County. Its position along the San Andreas fault gives it a unique terroir that is well suited to the production of complex, elegant red wines made from Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and old-vine Negrette.
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The thin valley covered by the AVA juts north-west into the Gabilan mountain range under the watchful presence of Mount Harlan (home to the Mount Harlan AVA). The Paicines and San Benito AVAs can be found surrounding Cienega Valley, and the Monterey AVA is on the other side of the Galiban mountains. Vineyards sit on the valley floor and along the higher ridgelines, sometimes reaching altitudes of up to 1100ft (335m).
The famous faultline Cienega Valley sits on contributes significantly to the geology of central California. It effectively splits the soil profile of the valley into two distinct areas. On the western side, the soils are made up of granite and limestone, while on the eastern side they are granite and sandstone. Although geologically different, these soil types are both excellent for the production of quality grapes – both are free-draining and restrict vigor and grape yields, leading to more-concentrated flavors in the berries.
The climate in Cienega Valley is moderate, because the area is protected by surrounding mountain ranges from both the cool Salinas Valley in the west and the hot Central Valley in the east. Warmth during the day is moderated by cooling breezes from Monterey Bay, and a diurnal temperature shift sees temperatures drop in the evenings. This leads to a long growing season, when the grapes have sufficient time to ripen and develop flavor without losing acidity.
Viticulture in Cienega Valley is largely accredited to a French settler named Theophile Vache, who first planted grapes here in the 1850s. The history of the area is dominated, however, by the giant Almaden winery, which purchased vineyards in the region in the 1950s and grew grapes until the company was sold to an international conglomerate in the late 1980s. Subsequent sales of vineyard sites had a devastating effect on the local economy for many years, but now Cienega Valley hosts a handful of producers making interesting wines from a range of grape varieties.
