36-402: The Cienega Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in western San Benito County , California , United States. It is part of the larger Central Coast AVA . The valley was once a major source of wine grapes for Almaden Vineyards before it was acquired by Constellation Brands in 1987. Approximately 1,100 feet (340 m) above sea level , the valley floor is divided by
72-484: A particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If a wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the state where the AVA is located. The boundaries of AVAs are defined by
108-1193: A shorter growing season similar to areas outside the Columbia Valley (Colfax 121 days, Ritzville 137 days, Moses Lake 143 days, Odessa 124 days, Hatton 135 days, Wilson Creek 130 days). Total degree days as measured by the scale developed by Winkler and Amerine of the University of California, Davis range between 2,000 and 3.000 for areas within the Columbia Valley although some locations experience readings well in excess of 3.000 degree days. Typical readings are 2,636 degree days at Kennewick, Wash.; 2,666 at Sunnyside, Wash .; 2,274 at Yakima; 2,818 at Wenatchee, Wash .; 2,512 at Grand Coulee Dam, Wash.; ,605 at Clarkston Heights, Wash.; 2,881 at Walla Walla (FAA); 3,230 at Richland, Wash .; 3,014 at The Dalles; 2,073 at Moro, Oreg.; 2,040 at Heppner, Oreg.; 3,006 at Milton-Freewater, Oreg.; and 2,711 degree days at Pendleton, Oreg . Surrounding areas experience less than 2,000 degree days with 1,820 at Goldendale, Wash.; 1,678 at Cle Elum, Wash.; and 1,901 degree days at Colville, Washington. In Columbia Valley, rainfall
144-409: A state or county appellation, at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown within the boundary of the appellation, and the wine must be fully finished within the state in which the appellation is located. Some states have more stringent rules, such as California , which requires 100% of the grapes used to make the wine be from California and that the wine be fully finished within
180-465: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA ) is a designated wine grape -growing region in the United States , providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from
216-598: Is a region commonly known as Columbia Cascade, but it is not a recognized American viticultural area. Other distinctive wine growing regions that have not yet partitioned for AVA status include the Othello region located in Adams County and the Tri-Cities area around the towns of Kennewick , Pasco and Richland . Climate differentiates the Columbia Valley viticultural area from surrounding areas. In general,
252-653: Is dominated by its major rivers. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan Highlands form the boundary while on the east, the Greater Spokane area and the eastern portion of the high rolling Palouse Prairie constitute the boundary of the valley. The southern boundary is defined by the Blue Mountains ,
288-519: Is higher, with an annual average of 17 inches (432 mm) at Goldendale, Wash.; 22 inches (559 mm) at Cle Elum, Wash.; 17 inches (432 mm) at Colville, Wash.; and 39 inches (991 mm) at Mill Creek, Washington . The rain shadow of the Cascade Range leaves the Columbia Valley with some areas receiving less than 6 inches (15 cm) of annual rainfall. The development of intricate irrigation systems has allowed this area to become
324-669: Is less than 15 inches (381 mm) annually, ranging from 6 to 9.9 inches (152.4–251.5 mm) throughout Benton County , Wash., to 10 inches (254 mm) in Wenatchee, Wash.; 15 inches (381 mm) in Walla Walla; 13 inches (330 mm) in Clarkston Heights, Wash.; 14 inches (356 mm) at The Dalles; 12 inches (305 mm) at Moro, Oreg.; 13.5 inches (343 mm) at Milton-Freewater, Oreg.; and 13 inches (330 mm) at Pendleton. Rainfall in surrounding areas
360-486: Is not always the case. See map on the right showing the outline of the Paso Robles AVA , California's largest in total area, and the eleven distinct AVAs contained within it. In 2018, the second session of the 115th Congress recognized the contribution of American Viticultural Areas to the economy. The Blunt-Merkley Resolution passed unanimously. It noted that an AVA allows vintners to describe more accurately
396-475: Is widely used today to refer to the viticultural area, and appears in literature, magazines, newspapers, and illustrated in maps. Grapes are not indigenous to the Columbia Valley viticultural area, but both Vinifera and Labruscavines are grown. The oldest planted Vinifera vines still in existence were planted by German immigrants in the Tampico vicinity, west of Union Gap , in 1871. Others were planted in
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#1732771926982432-499: The 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well-known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy . The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than California wine regions receive. Columbia Valley’s soils were formed by the Missoula Floods , a series of cataclysmic events over 15,000 years ago. Most vineyards lie below
468-589: The Cole Ranch AVA in Mendocino County , California, at only 60 acres (24 ha). The Augusta AVA , which occupies the area around the town of Augusta, Missouri , was the first recognized AVA, gaining the status on June 20, 1980. There are currently 276 AVAs spread across 34 states, with over half (154) in California. An AVA may be located within one or more larger AVAs. For example,
504-622: The Columbia River Plateau , through much of central and southern Washington state, with a section crossing the state boundary into northern Oregon south of the Columbia River . The viticultural area includes the drainage basin of the Columbia River and its tributaries through much of Washington. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury on December 13, 1984 after evaluating
540-699: The Kennewick area in 1895, and in the Walla Walla area by 1899. Planting of premium Vinifera grapes began in the Columbia Valley in the mid 1960’s. By 1981 there were over 6,610 acres (2,675 ha) of Vinifera grapes including 2,700 acres (1,093 ha) of bearing vineyards. Predominant varieties include White Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Semilion, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Pinot Noir, and Grenache. Nearly 20,000 acres (8,094 ha) of Concord grapes also grow within
576-469: The San Andreas Fault . Soil on the east side of the fault is predominantly granite and sandstone , whereas soils on the west side of the fault are predominantly granite and limestone . It contains some of the oldest pinot noir grapes in California. 36°44′36″N 121°23′18″W / 36.7434°N 121.3883°W / 36.7434; -121.3883 This wine region article
612-660: The Santa Clara Valley AVA and Livermore Valley AVA are located within the boundaries of the San Francisco Bay AVA , which is itself located within the Central Coast AVA . In such cases, the wine may be labeled with any of the relevant AVAs, but winemakers generally label wines with the most specific AVA allowed for each wine. Smaller AVAs are often perceived to be associated with smaller production and higher quality wines, though this
648-718: The Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), a component of the United States Department of the Treasury . The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries and other petitioners . Prior to the TTB's creation in 2003, the Treasury’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) received and handled petitions for viticultural areas, wine production and labeling. Section 4.25(e)(2) of the regulations (27 C.F.R. § 4.25(e)(2)) outlines
684-712: The river mouth on the Pacific coast and navigated into it. In 1804-1806, the Lewis and Clark Pacific Expedition explored and mapped the area, as their maps detail both the Columbia River and the Columbia Valley . Later, other explorers and pioneers referred to the treeless basin in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho as the “Columbia Valley”, “Columbia Plain”, “Great Columbia Plain”, “ Columbia Plateau ”, “ Columbia Basin ” and “ Inland Empire .” The term “Columbia Valley”
720-644: The 2,000 ft (610 m) contour line and the foothills of the Cascade Mountains southwest of the Columbia River. Elevation in surrounding areas exceeds 2,000 ft (610 m) while the elevation in the Columbia Valley generally does not exceed 2,000 ft (610 m). It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries , including the Walla Walla , the Snake , and Yakima Rivers . Columbia Valley stretches between
756-480: The Columbia Valley experience a growing season of less than 150 days with seasons averaging 128 days at Goldendale, Wash .; 132 days at Cle Elum, Wash .; 87 days at Plain, Wash .; 124 days at Colville, Wash .; 121 days at Colfax, Wash .; and 137 days at Dufur, Oregon . The portion of the Columbia Valley lying between the Snake River and Banks Lake was deleted from the viticultural area because it experiences
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#1732771926982792-475: The Columbia Valley viticultural area is characterized as experiencing a growing season of over 150 days, a total degree day average of over 2,000, and annual rainfall of 15 inches (381 mm) or less. Most of the land in the Oregon portion of the Columbia Valley is located on north facing slopes. This differs from Washington State where nearly all vineyards are located on south facing slopes. This difference makes
828-424: The Oregon portion of the valley physically and climatologically distinct from Washington. The vast size of the appellation allows for an array of diverse microclimates among the various sub-appellations, but the entire region shares the common climate traits of cold winters and long dry growing seasons with low humidity . The warm days and cool nights of the area help retain the balance of acid and sugar levels in
864-460: The appellation, but are not used for wine production. The Columbia Valley is a large, treeless basin surrounding the Yakima, Snake and Columbia Rivers in Washington and Oregon while all surrounding areas are forested. The area is distinguished by its broadly undulating or rolling surface, cut by rivers and broken by long sloping basaltic uplifts extending generally in an east-west direction. The area
900-774: The east to west and 200 miles (322 km) from north to south. ATF included the entire valley within the viticultural area except the portion between Banks Lake and the Snake River . Therefore, the Columbia Valley appellation encompasses 18,000 square miles (11,520,000 acres). Columbia Valley viticultural area is the largest wine region in Washington containing about 99% of the state's viticulture acreage of over 59,000 acres (23,876 ha) and seventeen appellations currently within its boundary. Grapes grown here include Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot , Chardonnay , Riesling , Syrah , Pinot Gris , and Sauvignon blanc . Concord grapes and other Vitis labrusca grapes are grown in
936-431: The floodwaters, with soils of windblown deposits of sand and silt loess, overlying gravel and slackwater sediment with a basaltic bedrock. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters. Seventeen appellations currently designate separate viticultural areas with their unique properties within
972-450: The grape which give Washington wines their characteristic balance in flavors. The peak ripening of the grapes occurs during the last four to six weeks of the growing season, with the grapes hanging on the vines a little longer than in California. This allows the grape more time to develop maturity in tannins as well as other aroma and profile characteristics that will be brought out in the resulting wines. The longer growing season also allows
1008-451: The grapes to be harvested at a cooler temperature than in other more southerly wine regions. Deep winter freezes are the main climate threat to the grape growing industry of the Columbia Valley. Temperatures can drop from 40 °F (4 °C) to less than 0 °F (−18 °C) in a matter of hours. Many vineyards incorporate wind turbines to maintain air circulation around the grapes and stay warm enough to prevent frost . In most years,
1044-421: The origin of their wine, while helping vintners to build and enhance the reputation and value of the wines produced. AVAs also allow consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic to a wine made from grapes grown in an AVA. AVAs also help consumers identify what they purchase. Columbia Valley AVA Columbia Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) which lies within
1080-662: The petition filed by Drs, Walter Clore and Wade Wolfe of Prosser, Washington on behalf of Washington’s oldest and largest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle , and by William Blosser of the Sokol Blosser Winery , Dundee, Oregon . Allen Shoup, president of Chateau Ste. Michelle, understood the importance of obtaining appellation status to grow the reputation of the Northwest viticulture industry. Columbia Valley's geography covers approximately 23,000 square miles (14,720,000 acres) extending 185 miles (298 km) from
1116-429: The procedure for proposing an AVA and provides that any interested party may petition the TTB to establish a grape-growing region as an AVA. Section 9.12 of the TTB regulations (27 C.F.R. § 9.12) prescribes the standards for petitions for the establishment or modification of AVAs. Petitions to establish an AVA must include the following: Once a petition is accepted as complete, the TTB may choose to seek public input on
Cienega Valley AVA - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-478: The proposal and at its sole discretion may approve the proposed AVA. Before the AVA system, wine appellations of origin in the United States were designated based on state or county boundaries. All of these appellations were grandfathered into federal regulations and may appear on wine labels as designated places of origin in lieu of an AVA, such as Sonoma County . In order for a wine to be labeled with
1188-605: The region as well. The unique climates of the area allow the Columbia Valley to produce wines that are very fruit-forward, like California wine , but which also retain some of the balance and structure of European wine. The name “Columbia Valley" was derived from the river that flows through and defines the region. In 1792, the river was named after the American-built 212-ton fully-rigged ship " Columbia Rediviva " commanded by Captain Robert Gray when he discovered
1224-606: The state. Washington requires 95% of the grapes in a Washington wine be grown in Washington, although notably the Columbia Valley AVA , Columbia Gorge AVA , and Walla Walla Valley AVA are shared with Oregon. AVAs vary widely in size, ranging from the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA , at more than 19 million acres (29,900 square miles (77,000 km )) across four states ( Illinois , Iowa , Minnesota , and Wisconsin ), to
1260-485: The vast Columbia Valley area but share common characteristics. They are Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley, Candy Mountain, Goose Gap, Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Hills, Lake Chelan, Naches Heights, Red Mountain, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Rocky Reach, Rocky Slope, Snipes Mountain, The Burn of Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Wahluke Slope and Yakima Valley. North of the Rattlesnake Hills
1296-767: The vines enter into a long winter dormancy rather than freeze, which helps the vines come out of the winter and into the growing season healthier. As outlined in the petitions, frost free days (32 °F (0 °C)) within the Columbia Valley average 150 or more per year. The growing season ranges from a high of 204 days at The Dalles to 201 days at Chelan, Wash .; 194 days at the Grand Coulee Dam and at Milton-Freewater, Oreg .; 186 days at Ephrata, Wash .; 184 days at Kennewick and Yakima ; 175 days at Brewster, Wash .; 171 days at Walla Walla ; 164 days at Wasco, Oreg .; 157 days at Clarkston Heights, Wash .; and 152 days at Moro and Heppner, Oregon . Areas outside
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