San Antonio Valley

The San Antonio Valley is Monterey County's ninth AVA (American Viticultural Area).

This unspoiled highland valley, in close proximity to the coast, is remarkable in terms of its soils, climate and beauty. Warm summer days and cool, clear nights--with a little morning fog coming over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the Pacific Ocean--provide our vines with an ideal growing season, producing the exceptional fruit that we hand harvest for our award winning wines.

From a historical perspective, this valley is one of the oldest grape growing and winemaking regions in the USA due to the local mission, San Antonio de Padua, which was officially dedicated on July 14, 1771. The mission became the defining landmark of this valley, after which the San Antonio river, the San Antonio lake and the valley itself are named. The mission established a vineyard and winery; the winery has been partially restored and visitors today can see the grape crushing chamber, where the must would flow by gravity down to the barrel room below.

There is much to see and do in the valley; Lakes San Antonio and Nacimiento are at the southern border, offering boating, fishing, hiking and camping, and, for lovers of history and architecture, Mission San Antonio and William Randolph Hearst's Milpitas Ranch house, designed by Julia Morgan and built prior to Hearst Castle, are at the northern border.

Take your pick of quiet, undiscovered scenic drives: Nacimiento-Fergusson Road--named by Reader's Digest as one of the most scenic drives in America--will take you, through twists and turns, past Mission San Antonio and the Hacienda, over the coastal mountain range to the ocean and Highway 1, where you can travel north to Big Sur, Pfeiffer beach, Pebble Beach, Carmel and Monterey, or south to San Simeon and Hearst Castle. Interlake Road will take you, via the lakes, through gorgeous countryside to Paso Robles.

The area is renowned for its abundant wildlife and breathtaking display of spring wildflowers. In May, thousands of athletes gather for the annual Wildflower Triathlon. Eagle watching tours are available in January and February.

When planning your visit to the San Antonio Valley, be sure to include these places of interest in your itinerary.

Visit Appellation America for additional information. San Antonio Valley Appellation Information