Soil survey , or soil mapping , is the process of classifying soil types and other soil properties in a given area and geo-encoding such information.
31-520: Santa Lucia Highlands is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in central Monterey County , California and lies within the boundaries of the larger, elongated Monterey viticultural area . It was recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms {ATF}, Treasury on June 15, 1992 after reviewing the petition from Mr. Barry Jackson of the Harmony Wine Company proposing
62-596: A modification of the shared Santa Lucia Highlands-Arroyo Seco AVA boundary. The modification removed 376 acres (1 sq mi) from the Santa Lucia Highlands viticultural area, and moved 148 acres (0 sq mi) from the Arroyo Seco viticultural area placing it entirely within the Santa Lucia Highlands. The modification reduced the size of the AVA by less than 1 percent and did not have any impact on
93-435: A particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If a wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the state where the AVA is located. The boundaries of AVAs are defined by
124-431: A published county soil survey includes the following: The information in a soil survey can be used by farmers and ranchers to help determine whether a particular soil type is suited for crops or livestock and what type of soil management might be required. An architect or engineer might use the engineering properties of a soil to determine whether it is suitable for a certain type of construction. A homeowner may even use
155-409: A state or county appellation, at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown within the boundary of the appellation, and the wine must be fully finished within the state in which the appellation is located. Some states have more stringent rules, such as California , which requires 100% of the grapes used to make the wine be from California and that the wine be fully finished within
186-496: A strong maritime influence on temperature, wind, and fog formation. Examination of the heat summation data shows a generally cooler climate on the west side of the valley. Precipitation is concentrated in the winter months and averages 10 to 15 in (254–381 mm) annually. Due to the maritime influence, fog is a constant feature in the Salinas Valley, particularly during summer months. The fog burns off earlier in
217-614: A viticultural area to be known as "Santa Lucia Highlands." The area consists of the eastern flank of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range and is located completely within the boundaries of the established Monterey viticultural area. The general boundaries are: Limekiln Creek to the north; the Salinas River and its associated terraces to the east; the western border of the Arroyo Seco viticultural area in
248-494: A wind-tunnel effect. Wind speeds average 5 to 16 mi (8–26 km) per hour, but higher velocities are not uncommon, particularly around Soledad where the valley narrows. Wind speeds are highest through the center of the valley and diminish at the valley edges and in the highlands. The " soil survey of Monterey County, California" issued by the Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service , April 18, 1978, show
279-465: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA ) is a designated wine grape -growing region in the United States , providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from
310-540: Is also resident of two vineyards Wine Enthusiast magazine recognized as " Grand Cru " vineyards, by renown winemakers, for consistently producing the highest-quality Chardonnay wine year after year. Sleepy Hollow Vineyard and Double L Vineyard, are owned by E&J Gallo and Talbott Vineyards , respectively. The River Road Wine Trail runs along the length of this AVA. 36°26′01″N 121°25′13″W / 36.43358975°N 121.42023745°W / 36.43358975; -121.42023745 This wine region article
341-609: Is moderately rapid. Roots can penetrate to a depth of 60 inches (152 cm) or more. These soils form slopes of 2 percent to 9 percent on most of the alluvial fans and terraces. Included in the alluvial fans and terraces are small areas of Placentia, Rincon, Tujunga, Lockwood, Gorgonio, and Hanford soils. The upper slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains are composed of Cieneba, Sheridan, Vista, Junipero, McCoy, Gazos, Linne, and Santa Lucia-Relize association soils, on slopes of 15 percent to 75 percent grade . The geology of
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#1732772406084372-486: Is not always the case. See map on the right showing the outline of the Paso Robles AVA , California's largest in total area, and the eleven distinct AVAs contained within it. In 2018, the second session of the 115th Congress recognized the contribution of American Viticultural Areas to the economy. The Blunt-Merkley Resolution passed unanimously. It noted that an AVA allows vintners to describe more accurately
403-589: The Cole Ranch AVA in Mendocino County , California, at only 60 acres (24 ha). The Augusta AVA , which occupies the area around the town of Augusta, Missouri , was the first recognized AVA, gaining the status on June 20, 1980. There are currently 276 AVAs spread across 34 states, with over half (154) in California. An AVA may be located within one or more larger AVAs. For example,
434-660: The Santa Clara Valley AVA and Livermore Valley AVA are located within the boundaries of the San Francisco Bay AVA , which is itself located within the Central Coast AVA . In such cases, the wine may be labeled with any of the relevant AVAs, but winemakers generally label wines with the most specific AVA allowed for each wine. Smaller AVAs are often perceived to be associated with smaller production and higher quality wines, though this
465-718: The Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), a component of the United States Department of the Treasury . The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries and other petitioners . Prior to the TTB's creation in 2003, the Treasury’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received and handled petitions for viticultural areas, wine production and labeling. Section 4.25(e)(2) of the regulations (27 C.F.R. § 4.25(e)(2)) outlines
496-658: The Santa Lucia range consists of large masses of granitic and metamorphic rock in the northern section, diatomaceous shale and massive sandstone in the central area,and masses of shale , sandstone, and serpentine to the south. In contrast, the soils of the valley floor are primarily from the Mocho, Cropley, Pico and Danville series. The Mocho soils of the valley floor are silty clay loams of 0 percent to 2 percent grade. The Pico and Danville soils are sandy clay loams of 0 percent to 2 percent grade. Santa Lucia Highlands
527-712: The boundaries of the Monterey AVA or the Central Coast. The following factors differentiate Santa Lucia Highlands from the adjacent Salinas Valley floor and other viticultural areas in Monterey County: (1) A well defined alluvial terrace running the length of the eastern boundary; (2) Generally cooler microclimate : cool Region I/II vs. Region I/III; (3) Different soil types: gravelly , sandy loam vs. silty clay loam; (4) Higher elevation: initially 40 to 120 ft (12–37 m) higher than
558-439: The day in the areas above the valley floor. This earlier bum-off results in greater light intensity for a longer period for vineyards located in the highlands. The north-south orientation of the valley causes cool marine air to be drawn into the valley by warm air rising off the valley floor. The narrow aspect of the valley, approximately 6 mi (10 km) wide at Gonzales and 3 mi (5 km) at Soledad, creates somewhat of
589-589: The field with them. The tablet may be loaded with digital aerial photos, LiDAR, topography, soil geodatabases, mapping keys, and more. The term soil survey may also be used as a noun to describe the published results. In the United States, these surveys were once published in book form for individual counties by the National Cooperative Soil Survey . Today, soil surveys are no longer published in book form; they are published to
620-541: The first vines. The modern wine industry sprang up in the 1970s. Some of the vineyards lie as high as 1,200 feet (366 m) above sea level , with about half of them planted to the Pinot noir grape. The region enjoys cool morning fog and breezes from Monterey Bay followed by warm afternoons thanks to direct southern exposures to the sun. In 2021, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) , Treasury ruled on
651-447: The information for maintaining or constructing their garden, yard, or home. Soil survey information can be used to predict or estimate the potentials and limitations of soils for many specific uses. A soil survey includes an important part of the information that is used to make workable plans for land management. The information must be interpreted to be usable by professional planners and others. Predictions based on soil surveys serve as
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#1732772406084682-479: The major factors differentiating the " highlands " from the Salinas valley floor . The main terrace formation runs from just southwest of Gonzales to the area due south of Soledad . The most northerly section of the viticultural area, from Limekiln Creek to the area near the junction of River Road and Gonzales River Road, is characterized by multiple terrace formations. Proximity to Monterey Bay results in
713-550: The origin of their wine, while helping vintners to build and enhance the reputation and value of the wines produced. AVAs also allow consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic to a wine made from grapes grown in an AVA. AVAs also help consumers identify what they purchase. Soil survey Soil surveys apply the principles of soil science and draw heavily from geomorphology , theories of soil formation , physical geography , and analysis of vegetation and land use patterns. Primary data for
744-462: The primary soils associated with the alluvial terraces of the Santa Lucia Highlands to be of the Arroyo Seco and Chualar series. These are well-drained soils formed from granitic alluvium , and in the case of the Chualar series, some schistose rocks on alluvial fans and terraces. These soils are generally loam or gravelly, sandy loam, with an underlying very gravelly material. Permeability
775-429: The procedure for proposing an AVA and provides that any interested party may petition the TTB to establish a grape-growing region as an AVA. Section 9.12 of the TTB regulations (27 C.F.R. § 9.12) prescribes the standards for petitions for the establishment or modification of AVAs. Petitions to establish an AVA must include the following: Once a petition is accepted as complete, the TTB may choose to seek public input on
806-415: The proposal and at its sole discretion may approve the proposed AVA. Before the AVA system, wine appellations of origin in the United States were designated based on state or county boundaries. All of these appellations were grandfathered into federal regulations and may appear on wine labels as designated places of origin in lieu of an AVA, such as Sonoma County . In order for a wine to be labeled with
837-434: The soil survey are acquired by field sampling and by remote sensing . Remote sensing principally uses aerial photography , but LiDAR and other digital techniques are steadily gaining in popularity. In the past, a soil scientist would take hard-copies of aerial photography, topographic maps, and mapping keys into the field with them. Today, a growing number of soil scientists bring a ruggedized tablet computer and GPS into
868-463: The southeast; and the western border of the Monterey viticultural area to the west. Inititially, the total area of the appellation was approximately 22,000 acres (34 sq mi) with 1,850 acres (749 ha) committed to active viticulture, with plans to cultivate an additional 400 acres (162 ha). Winegrowing in the region dates back to the late 18th Century, when Spanish missionaries planted
899-665: The state. Washington requires 95% of the grapes in a Washington wine be grown in Washington, although notably the Columbia Valley AVA , Columbia Gorge AVA , and Walla Walla Valley AVA are shared with Oregon. AVAs vary widely in size, ranging from the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA , at more than 19 million acres (29,900 square miles (77,000 km )) across four states ( Illinois , Iowa , Minnesota , and Wisconsin ), to
930-504: The valley floor and climbing to 1,200 ft (366 m) above the valley floor; (5) Climate: less wind and earlier fog burn-off with morning sun and; (6) East facing slopes receiving morning sun first. The Santa Lucia Highlands comprise the eastern flank of the Santa Lucia Mountains that extend westward to the Pacific Ocean . The dominant feature of the Santa Lucia Highlands are the alluvial terraces. These terraces are one of
961-455: The web and accessed on NRCS Web Soil Survey where a person can create a custom soil survey. This allows for rapid flow of the latest soil information to the user. In the past it could take years to publish a paper soil survey. Today it takes only moments for changes to go live to the public. The most current soil survey data is made available for high end GIS users such as professional consulting companies and universities. Typical information in