It’s ‘Sta.’ with the conspicuous American full stop. As the Oxford English says, ‘If an abbreviation consists of the first and last letters of a word, the American rule is to include a full stop/period at the end.’ Being a translator, I like to get my knickers in a twist about things like this, especially when people use it in British English. However, the reason for the abbreviation is because Vina Santa Rita winery in Chile objected when this fledgling AVA was created during the 2000s under the ‘Santa Rita Hills’ moniker. To avoid litigation, the Californians came to an agreement with their South American counterparts, and the ‘Sta.’ (“Period!”) was born.

This appellation is all about cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Situated less than 10 miles from the ocean in the Santa Ynez Valley in the southern latitudes of Santa Barbara County, much of the sunny weather is tempered by the cold Pacific currents. This manifests itself in fog – or ‘sea smoke’ – seeping in from the ocean. Santa Ynez is the only notable winegrowing valley in California that runs at right angles to the Pacific (i.e. east to west), with no mountains to block the fog.

Deep ruby appearance. Savoury Old World character on the nose. Red cherry, raspberry, black cherry, blackberry, and leather. Maybe a hint of cola, but nothing too overt. Very intense yet very elegant. High acidity and medium tannins on the palate. Concentrated but silky. Supple and fine. More raspberry and black cherry. Very intense but smooth and silky. Minerality? Maybe not, but this is a savoury Pinot treat. Long, lingering finish.