The Paicines AVA is an American Viticultural Area

American Viticultural Area

An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....

 located in San Benito County

San Benito County, California

San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It is part of the larger San Benito AVA

San Benito AVA

The San Benito AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in San Benito County, California. It is part of the larger Central Coast AVA. San Benito has a moderate climate with cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean arriving via gaps between the Gabilan Range and the Santa Lucia Mountains...

, and is located near the central part of the county. The Paicines area is warmer than other nearby regions in San Benito, but cooler than the wine regions of the Central Valley. The appellation

Appellation

An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...

 is home to the Vista Verde Vineyard, a 500 acres (202 ha) vineyard once owned by Almaden Vineyards

Almaden Vineyards

Almaden Vineyards is a winery located in Escalon and Madera, California. They claim to be California's oldest winery.Their original location was at the Old Almaden Winery south of San José between Los Gatos and Almaden...

.