©Donati Family Vineyards
Paicines is the southernmost AVA in San Benito County, California. Previously associated with the production of bulk wine in the 1980s and 1990s, the region is now home to some premium vineyards producing higher-quality wines made of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
The AVA covers an area inside a valley about 12 miles (19km) south of the city of Hollister. It is separated from Monterey by the Galiban Mountain range, which is home to the Chalone AVA further south. The San Benito AVA is on Paicines' northern border.
Paicines has the warmest climate in San Benito County, mostly because it is the least elevated. However, cooling ocean breezes are funneled into the valley from the cold Monterey Bay, which serves to bring temperatures down overnight, extending the growing season. The vineyards are relatively exposed on the flat valley floor, exacerbating the cooling effects of the wind. This exposure means that fog does not often settle in Paicines.
Sandy soils with gravel and limestone components are scattered throughout the region. The soils are of varying depths and often provide good drainage, which forces the vines to grow deep root systems to access the water in the ground, thus strengthening them.
Most of the grapes grown in the Paicines AVA are supplied to wineries outside the region. The AVA is home to the 500-acre (200-ha) Vista Verde Vineyard, one of the many in San Benito previously owned by the giant Almaden Vineyards before the company was sold and split up in the 1980s.
