Plotted Vines

year ago, five beautiful maps were published showing the Sonoma County wine country in heretofore unheard-of detail: a mile to an inch. The Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Assn. has just published two maps of the same high quality for the Santa Ynez Valley and the Santa Maria Valley (which includes the Los Alamos Valley vineyards).

The 36-by-24-inch maps depict the contours of the land with wonderful clarity by using color-enhanced elevation lines. (Land contour is particularly significant in Santa Barbara County because the nearness of the ocean and the unique east-west orientation of the Transverse Range mountains create many microclimates.) Together the two maps show the location of 134 vineyards (some just being planted this year) and 43 wineries, together with all roads, urban areas and watercourses.

Santa Ynez and Santa Maria viticultural area maps, $10 each plus 78 cents tax (within California) per map and $8 shipping for up to four maps to one address. Call (805) 688-0881 or (800) 218-0881, or write SBCVA, P.O. Box 1558, Santa Ynez, CA 93460.