Our Vineyards
Our vineyard is located in the northern most portion of Santa Ynez Valley AVA within Santa Barbara County. Unlike most of California’s coast, our valleys orient east-west, opening to the Pacific Ocean’s influences with its cooling morning fog and afternoon breeze. We are about 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
We first planted our vines in 1973 and we have 244 plantable acres on our 750 acre estate. Our soils are mostly sandy loam with plenty of limestone as our area was pre-historic ocean dunes which now lay 1500 feet above sea level. This high elevations provides:
- lower temperatures overall, greater diurnal (daily variance) temperature difference,
- higher intensity solar and UV radiation so the grapes are smaller and thicker skins with increased phenolic and color levels, and
- less CO2 which can limit photosynthesis for more balanced and structure wines.
With few other vineyards in the area to learn from, the vineyard was originally planted with numerous varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Chardonnay, and Syrah to see what would work. In 1978, Zaca Mesa was the first to plant Syrah in Santa Barbara County and over the years we have learned that the grapes varieties indigenous to the Rhône valley of France (Syrah, Grenache, Mouvrèdre, Cinsaut, Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc) prosper in our vineyard.
Since 1997, we have focused on growing the Rhône varieties. We have ripped up over half the original vines, replacing them with high-density planting of new rootstock and clone combinations. We now have 9 clones of syrah and the most high density vineyard acres in the county.
Our vineyards are the sole source for our wines. We do not buy or sell any of our grapes. Zaca Mesa “Estate Grown and Bottled” wines ensures you a unique, terroir-based wine experience to share with your friends and family.
Sustainability - Healthy Farms, Healthy Environment, Healthy Communities
In 2002, the California Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers developed and published a Code of Sustainable Winegrowing. The overarching sustainability principles are: “Winegrowing and winemaking practices that are sensitive to the environment, responsive to the needs and interests of society-at-large, and economically feasible to implement and maintain.” It is a holistic approachable and totally volunteer.
At Zaca Mesa, we have embraced the code in our winegrowing to ensure the health and sustainability of our vineyard, our employees, our neighbors and our environment. To create a healthier estate, we use organic products, conserve energy and water, and efficiently use materials to reduce waste. We farm only one-third of our total acreage, leaving open space for wildlife, providing a buffer for our neighbors, and preserving the natural ground water. Our goal is to achieve balance in the vineyard by learning to work with nature and viewing our estate as one living, breathing system.
