28-564: San Benito is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Benito County , California . It was established on November 4, 1987 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury after evaluating the petition submitted by Almaden Vineyards , a winery and grape grower in the area, proposing that a portion of San Benito County be established as a viticultural area to be known as "San Benito." The viticultural area
56-522: A viticultural area known as "Pacheco Pass." The AVA is located at the southern entrance to Pacheco Pass, near the junction of State Routes 152 , known locally as "Pacheco Pass Highway," and 156 which passes across the length of the AVA. There are about 17 acres (7 ha) of grapes planted during its recognition, and one operating bonded winery. The petitioner proposed new construction of a winery and additional vineyard acreage on land that he currently owns in
84-594: 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 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
112-401: A wine to be labeled with 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
140-671: Is San Benito County, by far the preponderance of viticulture in that county is practiced in the viticultural area established by this ATF decision. According to the petition, 95 percent of the vinifera grapes from San Benito County are grown in this area. The other 5 percent are grown in other areas with different climates, according to the petitioner, who declared, "We are not aware of any other area within San Benito County that could be known as "San Benito" or that would have comparable climatic and growing conditions." ATF agrees with these assertions, since it appears likely that much of
168-533: 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 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
196-571: Is about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of the area, and San Benito Mountain is about 30 miles (48 km) farther southeast, near the source of the San Benito River and the eastern boundary of San Benito County. The history of viticulture in the area was described by John P. Ohrwall in a talk given to the San Benito County Historical Society on July 29, 1965. A copy of the talk was submitted to ATF by
224-492: Is located along and near the San Benito River , approximately 2 miles (3 km) south of Hollister . The area encompasses approximately 45,000 acres (70 sq mi) of which about 3,000 acres (1,214 ha) are cultivated. The petitioner stated that at least three major wineries were operating within the area, and that approximately 23 different varieties of winegrapes are grown there. San Benito AVA lies within
252-440: Is no longer in production, because the soil in that vicinity has become permeated with boron salts. Thus, the original "San Benito Vineyard" is excluded from the new viticultural area for a geographical reason, but the name that this vineyard gave to the area remains. The San Benito viticultural area is distinguished geographically from the surrounding areas, as follows: Although there are some scattered grape plantings elsewhere
280-486: 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
308-535: Is unsuitable for viticulture due to shallow, rocky soil. The northern part is also cooler, wetter, and subject to higher winds than the viticultural area. The topography in the Pacheco Pass is characterized by gently rolling hills. Wind is sucked into the area through the Pajaro River Gap, which exposes it to the cold waters of Monterey Bay in the west, but the area also feels warming influences from
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#1732790090531336-589: 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,
364-468: The Santa Clara and San Benito counties of California . It lies within the larger San Francisco Bay viticultural area. Pacheco Pass was established on April 11, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury after evaluating the petition submitted by Mr. H.G. Zanger of Pacheco Pass Vineyard, later renamed "Zanger Vineyards", proposing an area near Hollister, California , as
392-660: 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
420-772: 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 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
448-468: 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 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
476-560: The Zanger Family began planting their orchards and vineyards in Pacheco Pass. Pacheco Pass is a cut through the Diablo Range and has an approximate total length of 15 miles (24 km). Pacheco Pass viticultural area occupies only the southern one-third of the total length, extending about 5 miles (8 km) with a width of about 1 mile (2 km) encompassing approximately 3,200 acres (5 sq mi). The northern part
504-469: The area "were said to have won prizes at various expositions and fairs, including some held in France and Italy" (quote from Ohrwall). Gradually, additional vineyards and wineries were established. In the 1950's, Almaden Vineyards arrived and began greatly expanding the area's grape acreage. Almaden soon became the dominant grape grower in the area. Unfortunately, the original vineyard planted by Theophile Vache
532-574: The area. The region is named after Don Francisco Perez Pacheco who received a 150,000 acres (234 sq mi) land grant in 1843 from the Mexican Government . The name of the land grant was "Rancho Pacheco," and the nearby pass over the Diablo Range took the name "Pacheco Pass." Agriculture was developed along Pacheco Pass in the mid-1800s as settlers began to develop ranches primarily raising cattle and other livestock. In 1908,
560-423: The basis of both soil and climate. South of the boundaries of the viticultural area, the land is afflicted with high-perched water tables which restrict drainage and boron salts which affect the quality of water. In contrast, the Pacheco Pass viticultural area is free from these defects, having a very good water table and good quality water from Pacheco Creek . Further, the viticultural area has more rainfall than
588-424: The business was acquired by Constellation Brands in 1984. There is historic association of the name "San Benito" with the new viticultural area. The San Benito River flows through the area, and one of the principal streets of nearby Hollister was already called "San Benito Street" in 1874, when the surrounding territory, including the viticultural area, was organized as "San Benito County." The town of San Benito
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#1732790090531616-473: The hot Central Valley that lies across the Diablo Hills in the east. The viticultural area is in a valley and generally has flat or gently sloping terrain, whereas to the east and west lie the rugged hills of the Diablo Range. Those hills are too steep for viticulture and are also distinguishable on the basis of soil types. To the south, the viticultural area is distinguishable from the surrounding area on
644-408: 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. Pacheco Pass AVA Pacheco Pass is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in
672-412: The other 5 percent of the vinifera in San Benito County is planted in the already-established Pacheco Pass viticultural area (located north of Hollister, straddling the border of San Benito and Santa Clara counties). Further evidence was offered by the petitioner, concerning its use of the name "San Benito" on wine labels. Since 1959, labels have appeared on wines of the petitioner, made from grapes from
700-446: The petitioner. In that talk, Mr. Ohrwall related that the first vineyard in San Benito County was planted near the new viticultural area by Theophile Vache in the early 1850's. Other vineyards were planted too, and the area where vineyards were sited became known locally as the "Vineyard District." Before the end of the nineteenth century, the vineyard planted by Vache had been named "San Benito Vineyard," and, under that name, wines made in
728-646: The vast mulit-county Central Coast viticultural area and contains within its approved boundaries the established Paicines , Cienega Valley , and Lime Kiln Valley viticultural areas. San Benito has a moderate climate with cooling maritime breezes from the Pacific Ocean flowing through the gaps and valleys between the Gabilan Range and the Santa Lucia Mountains . The region was the principal source of grapes for Almaden Vineyards before
756-399: The viticultural area, indicating "San Benito" or "San Benito County" as the appellation of origin. 36°43′34″N 121°21′29″W / 36.725976843°N 121.35805772°W / 36.725976843; -121.35805772 This wine region article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA )
784-699: The wine be fully finished within 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
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