Los Angeles & Ventura

Los Angeles & Ventura is part of California's South Coast. Its appellations include Malibu Coast, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Sierra Pelona Valley, Leona Valley, Saddle Rock-Malibu and Malibu-Newton Canyon. On Malibu Coast, fog-laden ocean breezes meet bright south-facing sunlight. Warm afternoons, cold nights and cool mornings slow ripening and preserve acidity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay are wines associated with the area. Grape growing is documented here from 1824, though the first modern vineyard was planted in 1985. Malibu-Newton Canyon has a basin-and-ridge layout that admits maritime mist and breezes while creating larger temperature swings than lower coastal sites. Vines returned in 1987, after earlier vineyards disappeared during Prohibition.