Ramona Valley
Encyclopedia
The Ramona Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area
located 28 miles (45 km) northeast of the city of San Diego
in San Diego County
, California
centered around the city of Ramona
. It was designated the 162nd American Viticultural Area in January, 2006 by the United States Department of the Treasury
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
, which recognized the area for its distinctive microclimate, elevation
, and soil
attributes. Approximately 89000 acres (360 km²) in area and centered around the town of Ramona, California
, it is 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long and 9.5 miles (15.3 km) wide. Geographically, the Ramona Valley is described as being a broad, flat valley ringed by hills and mountains that isolate it from the surrounding areas. The valley has an average vineyard elevation of 1400 feet (426.7 m) and an annual average rainfall of 16.5 inches (41.9 cm).
, Ramona Valley was the third AVA to be designated in Southern California
, after San Pasqual Valley AVA
in 1981 and Temecula Valley AVA
in 1986. In an interview on National Public Radio, Bill Schweitzer of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association described the area's exceptional viticultural
characteristics as being partially derived from its unique location of being 25 miles (40 km) east of the Pacific Ocean
and 25 miles (40 km) west of the Colorado Desert
.
s with 62 acres (25 ha) of a variety of white and red grapes in cultivation
.
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 28 miles (45 km) northeast of the city of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in San Diego County
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, 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...
centered around the city of Ramona
Ramona, California
Ramona is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census.The term Ramona also refers to an unincorporated community that includes both the Ramona CDP and the adjacent CDP of San Diego Country Estates CDP...
. It was designated the 162nd American Viticultural Area in January, 2006 by the United States Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury....
, which recognized the area for its distinctive microclimate, elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
, and soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
attributes. Approximately 89000 acres (360 km²) in area and centered around the town of Ramona, California
Ramona, California
Ramona is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census.The term Ramona also refers to an unincorporated community that includes both the Ramona CDP and the adjacent CDP of San Diego Country Estates CDP...
, it is 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long and 9.5 miles (15.3 km) wide. Geographically, the Ramona Valley is described as being a broad, flat valley ringed by hills and mountains that isolate it from the surrounding areas. The valley has an average vineyard elevation of 1400 feet (426.7 m) and an annual average rainfall of 16.5 inches (41.9 cm).
Climate and geography
Located within the large multi-county South Coast AVASouth Coast AVA
The South Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the state of California that encompasses grape-growing regions in five counties of Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego...
, Ramona Valley was the third AVA to be designated in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, after San Pasqual Valley AVA
San Pasqual Valley AVA
The San Pasqual Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in northern San Diego County, California. San Pasqual Valley was the fourth wine region to be designated an American Viticultural Area when the AVA was created in 1981. It belongs to Region IV on the Winkler scale...
in 1981 and Temecula Valley AVA
Temecula Valley AVA
The Temecula Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in southern Riverside County, California, part of the Inland Empire, one of the fastest growing areas in the country...
in 1986. In an interview on National Public Radio, Bill Schweitzer of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association described the area's exceptional viticultural
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
characteristics as being partially derived from its unique location of being 25 miles (40 km) east of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and 25 miles (40 km) west of the Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
.
Wine production
Currently the Ramona Valley AVA is home to 20 vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s with 62 acres (25 ha) of a variety of white and red grapes in cultivation
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.