BIEN NACIDO SANTA MARIA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Bien Nacido Vineyards has become an iconic American . Located in the Santa Maria Valley, this historic vineyard has a colorful and storied past. In 1837 a Spanish land grant of some two square leagues was made to Tomas Olivera. This grant covered nearly 9,000 acres ranging upward to the San Rafael Mountains from the Santa Maria Mesa, which bordered the Sisquoc and Cuyama Rivers. Thomas Olivera sold Rancho Tepusquet in 1855 to his son-in-law and daughter, who started construction on an adobe in 1856 and moved to the ranch the following year.

In 1969, the Millers, a fifth generation California farming family, purchased part of this property. They also purchased an adjacent parcel which had been part of the original land grant, and reunited the two as Rancho Tepusquet, now comprising over two thousand acres. The original adobe remains as one of the few privately maintained adobes in California. In the early 1970's, it became clear to the Millers that the soils and climate were ideal for growing grapes. is planted primarily to , , , and . The original plantings came from stock grown by the University of California at Davis and grown on their own rootstock. Bien Nacido also has the distinction of being the first vineyard in California to grow cool climate Syrah.

Santa Maria Valley is an American Viticultural Area located in Northern Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County, California. This appellation is the oldest in this portion of California. Grape growing in this region dates back to the Mexican Colonial period of the 1830s. In the late 1960s commercial vineyards were planted to supply wineries around the state. Since then, vineyards in the valley have come to encompass 7,500 acres.

The Santa Maria Valley is a natural funnel-shaped valley opening west to the Pacific Ocean. The elevation of the area ranges from approximately 200 feet to approximately 3,200 feet at Tepusquet Peak. The soils within the area range in texture from a sandy loam to clay loam and are free from adverse salts. Owing to the cool growing climate, the valley is best known for its Pinot noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Pinot blanc.

On January 28, 2011, the southern border of the Santa Maria Valley AVA was adjusted to bring it into closer alignment with the physical watershed boundary of the Santa Maria River. The revised boundary approximately follows the ridge line dividing the Santa Maria Valley from the Los Alamos Valley. This change added 18,790 acres and nine vineyards to the area.

“The more you know about , the more you’ll want to know about us.” www.ahdvintners.com; (586) 552-1414