The Ballard Canyon AVA was approved on October 1, 2013 and is relatively small with only 7,800 acres. The region, wholly contained within the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA, is protected from the Pacific-generated winds by the north-south orientation of the hills that make up its western border. As a result, the AVA is positioned – both in regards to geography and climate – between the cooler Sta. Rita Hills AVA to the west and the warmer Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA to the east.