Los Olivos District - Wine Region of the Day
/LOS OLIVOS DISTRICT
Photo of the Los Olivos District by Gretchen Neuman for Qorkz
The Los Olivos District is located in Santa Barbara County of California within the townships of Ballard, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez and Solvang. The name of the appellation comes not from the town of Los Olivos but rather the Rancho Los Olivos. The first viticulture in the area began in the early 19th century at the Mission Santa Inés but commercial winemaking didn't come to the area until the 1960s.
The boundary of the district follows the Santa Ynez Valley boundary which is a wide alluvial plain formed by the Santa Ynez river that slopes gently southward. The soils are sandy loams that drain well and have moderately low fertility which is optimal for viticulture. The climate is moderate with little marine influence. Grapes grown in the region are from Bordeaux and Rhone.