Topography The distinguishing features of the Ballard Canyon viticultural area include wind, temperature and soils. The viticultural area consists of steep north-south ranging slopes and maze-like canyons, with Ballard Canyon forming a crescent within the eastern portion. Elevations range from at the southernmost portion of the Ballard Canyon to approximately within the northernmost region. The boundary also encompasses the majority of the Alisal Creek-Santa Ynez River watershed. The boundary follows a series of elevation contours and straight lines between points marked on the relevant
USGS maps. A combination of the elevation contour line and a series of straight lines between points defines the northern portion of the boundary and approximately follows the northernmost edge of Ballard Canyon. The area to the north of the viticultural area contains maze-like canyons and north-south ranges similar to those within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area but generally has higher elevations and is more exposed to the cooling marine influence and strong breezes that travel from the
Pacific Ocean through the adjacent Santa Maria Valley. The eastern portion of the boundary includes the eastern edge of Ballard Canyon and separates the canyonlands from the lower, flatter Los Olivos basin and Santa Ynez Valley, which lie to the immediate east and northeast of the Ballard Canyon viticultural area. Elevations in this region range from in the Santa Ynez Valley to near Los Olivos. The southern portion of the boundary follows the elevation contour line, which separates the lower, flatter land near the
Santa Ynez River from the higher, more rugged canyonlands located within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area. The elevations south of the viticultural area are lower than within the viticultural area, with elevations ranging from along the Santa Ynez River to near the southernmost portion of the Ballard Canyon viticultural area boundary line. The western portion of the boundary follows the elevation contour line and several straight lines drawn between points to encompass the Alisal Creek-Santa Ynez River watershed. The western portion of the boundary separates the north-south ranges within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area from the east-west ranges to the west. The east-west orientation of the hills and canyons to the west of the Ballard Canyon viticultural area allows more of the cooling marine influence to travel from the Pacific Ocean into this area, bringing stronger breezes, cooler daytime temperatures, and warmer nighttime temperatures than within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area. Constant winds and strong gusts cause the
stomas on the leaves to close to prevent moisture loss; this reduces a vine’s ability to
photosynthesize efficiently, resulting in less energy and food for the vine. By contrast, a lack of persistently strong winds or gusts allows the stomas to stay open and the grapevines to photosynthesize more efficiently. As a result, the grapes are able to achieve high phenolic ripeness, the peak concentration of compounds (phenols) within the skin, seeds, stems, and pulp of the grape which contribute to the color, flavor, and aroma of the wine. The petition also addresses the impact of the variation in temperature between the daytime high and nighttime low (diurnal shift) on viticulture within the viticultural area, but did not calculate the shift. TTB calculated the diurnal shifts and included the information in a petition table. The data represent points located within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area, as well as points to the north, east, south, and west of the viticultural area. The data in the table show that the most significant difference in GDD units exists between the viticultural area and the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area to the west, where the cooling marine influence results in 25 percent fewer GDD units than within the viticultural area. The high GDD unit accumulation within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area indicates that the growing season temperatures rise far enough above the key mark to allow adequate time for grapes to develop and ripen fully. Heat accumulation strongly influences varietal planting decisions, making the viticultural area particularly suited to warm-weather grape varieties such as Syrah, which is the primary grape variety grown in the viticultural area. The data in the table also show that the Ballard Canyon viticultural area has warmer days and cooler nights during the growing season than most of the surrounding area, which results in large diurnal shifts. The most significant differences in diurnal shifts are between the viticultural area and Foxen Canyon to the north, Solvang to the south, and the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area to the east, the differences being more pronounced during the peak growing season. According to the petition, large diurnal shifts like those found within the viticultural area produce desirably high levels of
sugar and
acid in grapes because the daytime heat increases sugar production and the nighttime cooling reduces acid loss. The same soil map describes the Sorrento-Mocho-Camarillo association as nearly level to moderately sloping, with well drained to somewhatpoorly drained sandy loams to silty clay loams on flood plains and alluvial fans. The soils of most of the area immediately adjacent to the Ballard Canyon viticultural area are a continuation of the associations found within the viticultural area, but they transition to other dominant soil types. To the north of the viticultural area, the soils transition from the Chamise-Arnold-Crow Hill association to Shedd-Santa Lucia-Diablo and Toomes-Climara associations near the
San Rafael Mountains. To the east and south of the viticultural area, the soils begin as the Positas-Ballard-Santa Ynez association and transition to the Toomes-Climara and Shedd-Santa Lucia-Diablo associations. To the southwest, the soils are of the Sorrento-Mocho-Camarillo and Positas-Ballard-Santa Ynez associations near the boundary of the viticultural area and change to Shedd-Santa Lucia-Diablo farther south near the
Santa Ynez Mountains. To the west, the soils begin as a continuation of the Chamise-Arnold-Crow Hill and Sorrento-Mocho- Camarillo associations and change to the Marina-Oceano association nearer to the Pacific Ocean. The soil structure,
pH values, and mineral levels of the viticultural area also differ from that of the areas to the east and west. Information on these factors was not available concerning areas to the north and south of the viticultural area. An analysis of soils from four vineyards within the viticultural area indicates the soil profile is consistently a layer of loam on top of a layer of clay, which in turn is on a second layer of loam. By contrast, soils of the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area, to the west, contain more sand, and soils of the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara viticultural area, to the east, contain more clay. The soil analysis of the four vineyards within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area reveals a wide range of soil pH values. Soil pH values affect the ability of grapevines to uptake nutrients, and the analysis notes that the desired pH range for viticulture is 6.5 to 7.5. Moderately acidic soils reduce the ability of the vines to uptake nutrients, resulting in less vigorous vine and leaf growth and the production of berries that have high concentrations of desirable flavors, sugars, and acids. The pH values within the viticultural area range from 5.5 (moderately
acidic) to 7.5 (slightly
alkaline), with the more acidic soils appearing in the surface portions of the samples and the neutral and alkaline soils appearing at greater depths, where most root activity takes place. By contrast, soil pH values in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara viticultural area, to the east, are consistently alkaline (7.25). Soil pH values for the Sta. Rita Hills, to the west, are slightly acidic, with values from 6.1 to 6.7. With regard to mineral levels within the soils, the analysis reveals that nitrogen levels within the viticultural area are between 1.5 and 13 ppm, with the most common total being 5 ppm.
Nitrogen levels in the soils to the west, within the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area, are also very low. By contrast, to the east, within the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara viticultural area, nitrogen levels in the soil are very high, with levels two to three times higher than recommended for viticulture, which requires growers to
ameliorate their soils in order to achieve a lower, more desirable nitrogen level. The petition notes that the optimal nitrogen level for viticulture is between 4 and 8 ppm, and that low levels of nitrogen in the soil, such as those commonly found within the viticultural area, result in lower vine vigor, smaller berries, and more intensity in the resulting wines.
Potassium levels within the soils of the viticultural area are described as moderately deficient, with levels varying from 70 to 220 ppm and most soil samples having a range from 120 to 160 ppm. The analysis notes the optimal soil potassium level for grape-growing is between 100 to 500 ppm, as this level is sufficient to provide
protein synthesis support, but is low enough to prevent overly vigorous vine growth. By contrast, the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area has soils that are highly deficient in potassium, with levels as low as 1 ppm in some soils, mostly due to the sandy nature of the soils. Potassium levels in the soils of the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara viticultural area are higher than those of the Ballard Canyon viticultural area, with average soil levels of 200 ppm. Finally, exchangeable levels of calcium in the soils within the Ballard Canyon viticultural area are between 1,000 and 1,400 ppm, within the range generally preferred for viticulture. Limestone is also present in certain northern vineyard plots. Vines planted in the steeper vineyard sites are able to develop deep root systems in search of water in the area's arid environment, thereby increasing vine strength. According to the petition, calcium affects the thickness of grape skins, with high levels producing thicker skins, lower juice-to-skin ratios during ferment, and wines of deeper color and richness. The soils of the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area to the west contain higher levels of
calcium than the Ballard Canyon viticultural area, around 1,220 ppm, but the lower amounts of clay in the soil in that region limit the ability of the vines to uptake the calcium. The soils of the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara viticultural area to the east contain calcium levels up to ten times higher than those of the Ballard Canyon viticultural area and also have high clay levels, enabling an efficient transfer of calcium to the vines. A good level of calcium ensures the development of thick skins and increases the concentration of
tannins, sugars and acids in the grapes. This helps to produce richly flavored, well-balanced wines. ==Viticulture==