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Ballard Canyon is an AVA encompassed within the larger Santa Ynez Valley region of California's famous Santa Barbara County. The 3157-hectare (7800-acre) viticultural area was officially recognized as an AVA in October 2013, but has long been highly regarded for its red wines made from Syrah and Grenache. In fact, approximately half of the AVA's vineyards are devoted to Syrah.

The viticultural region lies to the west of the Happy Canyon AVA and east of the AVA of Sta. Rita Hills. Ballard Canyon itself is a long, thin canyon that runs in a curve from north to south and is surrounded by a myriad of smaller canyons interspersed with dry, rugged hills.

Winds are funneled into the Santa Ynez Valley from the Pacific Ocean via a gap between the Santa Rita Hills and the Purisima Hills, but the north-south orientation of Ballard Canyon shelters the vineyards from the worst effects of these maritime influences. Fogs flow in from the coast in the early hours of the morning and retreat again in the afternoon. The vines in the south of Ballard Canyon are exposed to the fog for a longer period of time compared to those planted at the higher elevations found in the region's northern vineyards. These climatic factors, in combination with high diurnal temperature variations of approximately 40°F (4℃), slows the ripening process enough that acidity levels are not compromised and the wines produced are balanced and fresh.

The soils in the Ballard Canyon AVA are more uniform than in the larger Santa Ynez Valley and are made up of sand and clay loam with good drainage capacities. Limestone, too, is present in certain northern vineyard plots. Vines planted in the steeper vineyard sites are able to develop deep root systems in search of water in the AVA's arid environment, thereby increasing vine strength. The good level of calcium in Ballard Canyon's soils ensures the development of thick skins and increases the concentration of tannins, sugars and acids in the grapes, leading to richly flavored, well-balanced wines.