Washington State AVAs November 22 2020 Washington State

Washington State AVAs November 22, 2020

Washington State AVAs Topics: • What is an AVA? • Why do we have AVAs? • Washington State AVAs • Time to taste, cheers!

What is an AVA? • AVA stands for American Viticultural Area • Viticulture is a branch of horticulture which deals with the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. For the purposes of today’s discussion, viticulture is about grapes used to make wine. • So an AVA is about the grape growing, not the wine making. • An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown.

What is an AVA? • The AVA boundaries are defined by the U. S Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). • Groups or individuals petition the TTB to establish or change the boundaries of AVAs • The heart of the petition is a description of the geographic and/or climatic features that distinguish the proposed AVA from the surrounding regions and have an effect on how grapes are grown, along with evidence to support the claims of these distinctive features.

What is an AVA? • Washington State currently has 16 AVAs. The most recent are Candy Mountain and Royal Slope AVAs, both of which were awarded in September this year. • At least 3 more petitions are being considered: Goose Gap AVA, The Burn of the Columbia AVA, and White Bluffs AVA. • All of the Washington AVAs are located in Eastern Washington except the Puget Sound AVA. • At least 85% of the grapes must come from the AVA on the wine label.

Why do We Have AVAs? • The basic reason for AVAs is to give consumers information about the geographic origins of their wines. • AVAs are a type of “appellation”, and appellations aren’t necessarily specific to wine. • Roquefort and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses, Spanish hams, olive oils, spirits such as Cognac, etc. are defined and protected by regulations giving geographic origin, content, preparation methods, etc.

Why do We Have AVAs? The primary purpose of having AVAs is to provide consumers an awareness of the origin, quality, and characteristics of the grapes and the wine made from them, and for grape growers and wine makers to give a pedigree to their products, which can result in higher prices. • Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs (say Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or Russian River Chardonnay), and in some cases wines with certain pedigrees can command premium prices.

Washington State AVAs • The first federally-recognized AVA in Washington State was the Yakima Valley, established in 1983. The most widely-planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. • The second AVA and by far the largest is the Columbia Valley AVA, established in 1984. The Columbia Valley contains 99% of the wine grapes grown in of Washington. All of the Washington AVAs except the Lewis-Clark Valley, Puget Sound, and Columbia Gorge AVAs lie within the Columbia Valley AVA and are subappellations of the Columbia Valley. • Following are descriptions of 4 AVAs. These are the AVAs of the suggested wines – 2 are predominantly white wine grapes, and 2 are predominantly red wine grapes.

Washington State AVAs Interactive map https: //www. washingtonwine. org/explore/m ap

Washington State AVAs Wahluke Slope

Wahluke Slope AVA • One of the driest and warmest climates in the state, allowing nearly complete control of the grape growing process through irrigation. Proximity to the Columbia River moderates frost and extreme winter cold, and the warmth and long growing season promote early ripening. • The Wahluke slope lies generally north of the Hanford Reservation along the Columbia River and in the surrounding hills. • Top varieties are mostly reds: Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Top vineyards include Weinbau, Stone Tree, and Indian Wells. • Wahluke Slope wines tend to be ripe and full-bodied with pure varietal fruit flavors.

Washington State AVAs Ancient Lakes

Ancient Lakes AVA • Located near the Gorge at George. • Soils are what remains from the scouring of the Missoula floods, so there are 65 soil types within the AVA. Soils are generally poor and contain very little organic matter. • The poor soil quality results in grapes which have to work harder to grow and give them a more intense flavor. • Elevations range from 570’ to over 1900’. One of the cooler growing regions in the state. • The top varietal by far is Riesling, which often has citrusy or green apple flavors and a noticeable minerality.

Washington State AVAs Horse Heaven Hills

Horse Heaven Hills AVA • Located in the hills between the Yakima River and the Columbia River. Elevations range from 200’ to 1800’. • Most vineyards are on south-facing slopes looking toward the Columbia River. • Although a warm area, there are significant winds, which moderate the temperature extremes but also toughen grape skins, reduce canopy size, and protect against mold and rot. • Top grape varieties are reds: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Top vineyards include Champoux, Alder Ridge, Canoe Ridge, Destiny Ridge, and Mc. Kinley Springs.

Washington State AVAs Columbia Gorge

Columbia Gorge AVA • Located along the Columbia River as it passes from cool maritime climate in the west to eastern desert. Passing from west to east in the appellation boundaries rainfall diminishes at almost 1”/mile, while the sunshine increases dramatically. • One of the few appelations (Yakima Valley and Ancient Lakes are the others) where there are more white wine grapes than red wine grapes – appx. 64% to 36%. Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris are the most planted varieties. But the eastern side contains many red varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel. • Top vineyards include Celilo and Underwood Mountain. Elevations range from 200’ to 2000’.

Tasting time, cheers! The “pairings” suggested for tasting were chosen to represent a Riesling from 2 AVAs (Ancient Lakes and Columbia Gorge) and a Merlot from 2 AVAs (Wahluke Slope and Horse Heaven Hills). WHITE Pairing choice • Ancestry Cellars Reminiscence Riesling, Columbia Gorge AVA • Jones of Washington Riesling, Ancient Lakes AVA

Tasting time, cheers! RED Pairing Choice • Alexandria Nicole Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills AVA • Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot Indian Wells Vineyard, Wahluke Slope AVA or • Canoe Ridge Merlot Reserve, Horse Heaven Hills AVA • Luke Merlot, Wahluke Slope AVA

Tasting time, cheers!