Oregon’s Willamette Valley Welcomes Two New Nested Appellations

July 25, 2020 by evebushman

PORTLAND, ORE. (PRWEB) – With the recent addition of Tualatin Hills and the Laurelwood District AVAs, the state of Oregon is now home to 21 federally recognized winegrowing regions. The regions, called American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), offer unique winemaking conditions thanks to a combination of widely varied physical geology and climate.

From Willamette Valley Wineries on Facebook.

Both areas are situated in the northern Willamette Valley and were granted approval on June 3rd. Local wineries had petitioned the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) years earlier for the additions to the wine country map, citing distinctive features like soil type and elevation, which in turn lead to distinctive wines. They join fellow Oregon AVAs including Eola-Amity Hills, Umpqua Valley and The Rocks Districts of Milton-Freewater and more, adding to the state’s eclectic winegrowing landscape. The expansive Willamette Valley now totals ten AVAs.

Tualatin Hills is the larger of the two new zones, composed of 144,000 acres encompassing the northern hills of Tualatin River watershed, minutes west of Portland, Oregon’s most populous city. The elevation of the AVA ranges from 200 to 1,000 feet, set in a temperate rain shadow cast by the nearby Coast Range. It’s the northernmost AVA in the Willamette Valley and includes the towns of Helvetia, North Plains and Forest Grove and is bordered to the south by Gaston.

With its 21 AVAs ranging from the Willamette Valley south to the Rogue Valley and spanning 600 miles east to the Snake River Valley bordering Idaho, Oregon’s list of AVAs is second only to California’s (which has a total of 107). Reflecting the ever-growing wine industry at large, the U.S. now has 248 AVAs from coast to coast.

Sally Murdoch, communications manager for the Oregon Wine Board said, “Oregon has almost 12% of the AVAs in the country, yet we produce only about 1.5% of the nation’s wine.” She added. “With two new AVAs, this is great recognition for our almost 800 wineries and our state’s clearly differentiated regions, underscoring that Oregon truly is unique in the global landscape.”

Leading the charge for recognition was Alfredo Apolloni of Apolloni Vineyards, along with Mike Kuenz of David Hill Vineyard and Winery and Rudy Marchesi of Montinore Estate. Producers note the elegant style of Pinot Noir made in this distinctive stretch of land, often showing blackberry, cherry and spice notes. All told, 40 wineries and vineyards are located in the Tualatin Hills AVA, including Patton Valley Vineyard and Elk Cove Vineyards.

“It’s terrific to spotlight such a singular spot of the Oregon wine country map,” says Apolloni. “With an incredible diurnal shift and grape-friendly soils, it’s no wonder some of Oregon’s first wineries settled here. We can’t wait to further the story of the Tualatin Hills through expressive wines beyond Pinot noir.”

The Laurelwood District AVA is smaller at 33,600 acres, and is situated on the northeast facing flank of the Chehalem Mountains, near Beaverton and Sherwood. The Laurelwood District extends throughout the northeastern reaches of the Chehalem Mountains, where the topography reaches more than 1,600 feet above sea level. The name refers to the prevalent soil type that defines the wines from this area. Unlike other Oregon AVAs, this AVA is defined by a unique soil type that is predominantly found in this part of the Willamette Valley. Here, Laurelwood soils dominate; this windblown loess soil type was brought in by the Missoula Floods thousands of years ago.

Spearheading the call for the nested appellation was one of the state’s most established winemaking families, the Ponzis. Second-generation proprietors Maria and Luisa Ponzi teamed up with Kevin Johnson and Beth Klingner of Dion Vineyard in requesting federal approval. Ponzi Vineyards joins 29 other producers and 70 vineyards operating within the new appellation, including Cooper Mountain Vineyards and Hawks View Winery.

Luisa Ponzi says the process has taken more than a decade. “We’re thrilled to be able to officially advertise the unique qualities at play due to our soil in our very specific pocket within the Willamette Valley,” the winemaker says. “Consumers are more and more interested in the origin story of their goods and wine has always told that story. With the addition of the Laurelwood District, wine drinkers will become aware of why and how what’s bottled from this area stands out.”

The two newest AVAs are the toast of both the industry and consumers who look to celebrate Oregon’s one-of-a-kind appellations and the “sense of place” in a wine’s flavor and makeup. Wineries and vineyards within these designations, on July 6 2020, can market their work as such, whether it be on the wine label itself or in other branding narratives.

About the Oregon Wine Board
The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent Oregon state agency managing marketing, research and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine and wine grape industry. OWB works on behalf of all Oregon wineries and independent growers throughout the state’s diverse winegrowing regions. Visit oregonwine.org for more.

About the Willamette Valley Wineries Association

The WVWA is a nonprofit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premium Pinot noir–producing region. The WVWA has more than 230 members representing wineries, tasting rooms and vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country and Wine Country Thanksgiving are the two oldest WVWA–sponsored touring events in Oregon. Visit http://www.willamettewines.com for more info.

List of wineries and vineyards in the Laurelwood District AVA:

A Blooming Hill Vineyard and Winery
Alloro Estate Vineyard
Anne Amie Twelve Oaks Estate Benjamin Vineyard
Anne Amie Twelve Oaks Estate Boisseau Vineyard
Anne Amie Twelve Oaks Estate Louise Vineyard
Anne Amie Twelve Oaks Estate Marilyn Vineyard
Anne Amie Twelve Oaks Estate Robert Vineyard
Anne Amie Twelve Oaks Estate Justin Grand Vineyard
Arbre Vert Vineyard
Archer Vineyard
Ardiri Winery and Vineyards
August Cellars Vineyard
Bailey Estate Vineyards
Barking Frog
Blakeslee Vineyard Estate
Buteo Vineyard
Chateau Lebeau Vineyard
Chehalem Corral Creek Vineyard
Chehalem Schaad Vineyard
Chehalem Crossing Family Estate Vineyards
Cloudrest Vineyard
Cooper Mountain Vineyards Johnson School Vineyard
Dion Vineyards
Domaine Sardine
Elk Cove Five Mountain Vineyards
Finnigan Hill Vineyard
Freja Hughes Vineyard
Freja Musso Vineyard
Freja Vineyards
Gemini Vineyard
Grapehead Vineyard
Gresser Vineyard
Hamacher Wines Paloma Vineyard
Hawks View Vineyard
J. Albin Winery Laurel Vineyard
Jesse Estate Vineyard
JNF Vineyard
La Cantera
La Luce Vineyard
Linda Vista Vineyard
Madrona Hill Vineyard
Manissa-Jo Vineyard
Manuela Vineyard
Mooney Vineyard
Nicholas Vineyard
Owen Roe Anna’s Vineyard
Ponzi Abetina Vineyard
Ponzi Aurora Vineyard
Ponzi Avellana Vineyard
Ponzi Madrona Vineyard
Raptor Ridge Estate Vineyard
Rex Hill Burnt Tree Vineyard
Rex Hill Estate Vineyard
Rex Hill Hoy Vineyard
Ross Vineyard
Ruby Vineyard
Sheets Vineyard
Starling Crest
Sufi Vineyard
Tannehill Vineyard
The Potter’s Vineyard
Three Cedars Vineyard
Triple H Vineyard
Tuenge Vineyards
Vista Grande Vineyard
Xander Taryn Vineyard

Wineries and Vineyards in the Tualatin Hills AVA:

Aggravation Hill Vineyard
Apolloni Vineyards
Bednarik
Bramblett Vineyards
Cancilla Cellars
Carpenter Creek Farms Vineyard
Cherry Grove
Cochran Vineyard
Courting Hill
Covey Ridge
David Hill Vineyards
Eagles Nest Reserve
Echo Hill Vineyard
Elk Cove – Windhill Vineyard
Helvetia
Highgrove Farms
Loeza Vineyard
Mason Ridge Farms
Mason Ridge Vineyard
Meier Vineyards
Merten Vineyards
Montinore Estate
NV Hill Farm
Patton Valley Vineyard
Petalous Vineyard
Plum Hill Vineyards
Provincial Vineyards
Purple Cow Vineyards
R. Marchesi Vineyard
Scotch Church Road Vineyard
Shafer Vineyards
Shumaker Vineyards
Stormy Morning Vineyard
Tualatin Estate Vineyard
Willamette Valley Vineyards – Peter Michael
Willamette Valley Vineyards – Meadowview
Windearth Vineyard
Wirtz Vineyard

Monterey County, California Vineyard/Winery Owner Expresses Frustration With U.S. Government’s Blanket Freeze Holding Up Wine Area Designation

January 1, 2018 by evebushman

GREENFIELD, CA. — Ann Hougham, owner of Mesa Del Sol Vineyards in Greenfield, has written to President Donald Trump and various Congressional leaders expressing her deep frustration at the lack of movement to lift a freeze on expanding the Arroyo Seco American Viticultural Area where her vineyard and winery are located.

“I am writing as a small vineyard/winery owner frustrated over the lack of movement to lift the blanket ‘Regulatory Freeze Pending Review’ put in place as of January 2017 that is egregiously affecting my business,” writes Hougham in a letter dated Dec. 5. “How many other businesses are affected by this ‘Regulatory Freeze Pending Review?’ I am extremely frustrated, I can attest to that!”

The Arroyo Seco AVA is an up-and-coming region for wines of distinction. According to Hougham, wines made from grapes grown on her land have been garnering high honors, but she is not able to claim that the grapes grown on her land are in the Arroyo Seco AVA, nor can she label her wines as such.

Since December 2016, Hougham has had a “Petition to Expand the Arroyo Seco American Viticultural Area” signed and ready to go to public comment before publishing, just awaiting permission from the U.S. Treasury, but which is now stalled by the regulatory freeze.

“A ruling on this petition has absolutely no tax implications. Every person and entity is in favor of this ruling,” she writes. “In my case, a ruling in favor and the publishing of this petition is righting something that was previously thought to be fact. For me and the other wineries that purchase my grapes, however, it is taxing.”

Hougham’s petition has been “perfected” and meets the U.S. Alcohol and Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) regulatory requirements for expanding AVAs. She was told in December 2016, that the petition was on the desk of Amy Greenberg, Director of TTB’s Regulations and Rulings Division, awaiting her signature before heading to a 90-day public comment period.

A few weeks later, Hougham was told that there was a halt to the process because a new administration was coming in, which is customary. In January 2017, she was informed that the Treasury Department was waiting for positions to be filled by the new administration. Then the regulatory freeze occurred, halting the entire process.

“I have spoken out because this issue needs to be addressed, not just for me but for many others,” Hougham writes. “Our government has ground to a halt, freezing businesses from moving forward. I know there are bigger issues at hand however, please, do this important piece of housekeeping and let’s move forward.”

Hougham said that she joined the Monterey County Growers and Vintners Association (MCGVA) specifically to be placed on the Arroyo Seco AVA map. She discovered, however, that her vineyard in Arroyo Seco was not in the Arroyo Seco AVA, but was contiguous to it. But she points out that, since 2001, it has been designated such by TTB permits, California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) permits, Monterey County permits, and numerous distinguished wine labels, including her own Mesa Del Sol label.

She then began the arduous task of petitioning the TTB to expand the Arroyo Seco AVA to prove that the name and the area’s distinguishing features applied to her lands as well.

It took her two months of research to compile the evidence necessary, write the petition and garner a slew of signatures in support of her petition and submit it to the TTB. On May 19, 2015, Greenberg wrote her informing her that her petition had been “perfected” and met TTB’s regulatory requirements for expanding AVAs.

Her petition then went to the bottom of the list of the TTB’s “List of Pending American Viticultural Area Petitions” and eventually began making the rounds of various government agencies for review and approval. Her petition is now at the top of the list, which continues to grow longer with no movement forward due to the freeze.

“A regulatory freeze sounds good in principle, however, it freezes movement forward for everything across the board,” Hougham said.

Appalachian High Country is Now an Official “Wine Country”

December 31, 2016 by evebushman

Eight counties in the mountains of Appalachia now have their own official “wine country.”

A 2,400-square mile area in the Appalachian mountains, encompassing parts of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina, has been designated the “Appalachian High Country American Viticultural Area,” according to the U.S. Tax and Trade Bureau.

That means that the soils and climate are similar in these eight counties, producing a similar effect on the grapes grown there, according to Wayne Gay, owner of Watauga Lake Winery and Ville Nove Vineyards, in Butler, Tennessee.

“The AVA designation means that we are allowed to label the grapes we grow and the wines we make as being from the Appalachian High Country. The designation is important in the wine industry, where place matters so much,” Gay said.

Most Americans have heard of Sonoma County and Napa Valley, both AVAs.

“We are very pleased that the TTB has recognized the Appalachian High Country as a specific region for growing grapes,” said Gay.

“The destination is not only good news for people involved in viticulture, but also for the region’s tourism industry,” Gay said. “The potential for tourism is phenomenal as this could mean a great increase in people visiting our area, eating at our restaurants, staying in our lodging and taking advantage of all the natural beauty of our mountain and lake region.”

The eight counties in the AVA include Carter and Johnson Counties in Tennessee, Grayson County in Virginia, and Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell and Watauga Counties in North Carolina.

There are currently 21 commercially producing vineyards on 71 acres and 10 wineries within the Appalachian High Country AVA. An additional eight vineyards are planned, which would occupy another 37 acres.

Gay and his wife, Linda Gay, have been growing grapes at Villa Nove Vineyards in Butler, TN, for 12 years. They produce approximately 75,000 lbs. of wine grapes. Five years ago, they opened Watauga Lake Winery in Butler, TN, Johnson County. They have been instrumental in establishing the AVA, which requires soil and climate tests, and a lengthy application process.

Watauga Lake Winery and Ville Nove Vineyards are part of Great Valley Wine Trail.

The American Viticultural Area (AVA) went into effect on Nov. 28, 2016.

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