Once upon a time, there was a small spot in Northern Santa Barbara County where locals would go to get illegal moonshine. They referred to the area as “Happy Canyon.” Some 76 years after the end of Prohibition, on Thursday, October 8, 2009, winemakers in that tiny little section of the Santa Ynez Valley won a proposal to have the valley registered as an official AVA: Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. The new AVA currently consists of 23,941 acres, 492 of which are planted for six vineyards and three wineries. Continue Reading »
