29-559: Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) centered on the Santa Cruz Mountains . Its territory spans three California counties, Santa Clara , Santa Cruz and San Mateo and was established January 4, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury . Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was among the first AVA to be defined by its mountainous topography. Based on elevation, it largely follows
58-442: A study of climatologically prime growing areas for several commercial crops, including wine grapes. This study, entitled "California's Central Coast: Its Terrain, Climate, and Agro-Climate. Implications," established Ben Lomond Mountain as being a prime growing region for wine grape production. This report stirred the interest of several individuals in the region. Since then, nine separate vineyard operations have been established within
87-536: A wine district is yet in its infancy and is struggling to establish a name for itself in that industry. The wine yield of 1886 for Ben Lomond Wine Company was 280,000 gallons, chiefly Riesling, part of which was grown (by the Ben Lomond Wine Company), while a part was purchased (from neighboring vineyards)." By 1891, approximately 400 acres (162 ha) of wine cultivation were on Ben Lomond Mountain. The Ben Lomond Mountain wine industry declined after
116-643: 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
145-401: 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
174-533: 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
203-521: Is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountain Range , from the northern boundary of Half Moon Bay and Woodside to its southern side of Mount Madonna and Watsonville . The appellation encompasses some 480,000 acres (750 sq mi) extending through Santa Cruz , Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The boundaries of the "Santa Cruz Mountains" viticultural area are based, in general, on contour lines and man-made features. Evidence
232-896: Is locally sub-divided, by the Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains, into Skyline, Saratoga/Los Gatos, Summit, The Coastal Foothills, Ben Lomond Mountain , and Corralitos/Pleasant Valley. Only Ben Lomond Mountain is recognized as a established AVA. There are over 200 small vineyards cultivating about 1,500 acres (610 ha) of wine grape varieties , divided evenly 25% among Pinot noir , Cabernet Sauvignon , Chardonnay , and other varieties (most notably Merlot and Zinfandel ). The region's vineyards and wineries actively support sustainable practices, including cover crops , erosion control, canopy management , solar, biodiesel . Several vineyards grow organically ; presently four are certified organic by
261-486: 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
290-589: 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,
319-660: 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
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#1732783614800348-558: The fog line along the coast, extending down to 800 feet (240 m) on the eastern slope toward San Francisco Bay , 400 feet (120 m) on the western slope to the Pacific Ocean and extending along the ridge crest line at 3,000 feet (910 m) elevation plus. The mountainous terrain, the Pacific Ocean , and the San Francisco Bay have wide-ranging effects on the appellation , creating myriad microclimates in
377-535: The Ben Lomond Mountain viticultural area. The mountainous terroir ranges in altitudes from 1,300 to 2,600 feet (396–792 m) above sea level, placing it above the fog that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean , ensuring long hours of sunlight and extended growing season. 37°02′31″N 122°09′01″W / 37.0420813°N 122.15026709°W / 37.0420813; -122.15026709 This Santa Cruz County, California -related article
406-614: The CCOF and more are in the process of certification. Some of the oldest wineries in California are in this region. Two wineries from the Santa Cruz Mountain locale participated in the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting with David Bruce Winery 's 1973 Chardonnay placing 10th in the white category and the Ridge Vineyards ' 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon placing 5th in the red wines. Other notable wineries in
435-772: 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
464-468: 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
493-642: The appellation are Big Basin Vineyards, Sante Arcangeli, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Eden Estates, Alfaro Family Vineyards, Armitage Wines, Mount Eden vineyards, Hallcrest Vineyards, Byington Vineyard , Bargetto Winery, Thomas Fogarty Winery , Kathryn Kennedy Winery , Mountain Winery and Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards . 37°18′07″N 122°06′53″W / 37.30201285°N 122.11485663°W / 37.30201285; -122.11485663 American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA )
522-421: The area, the vineyards of the region were noted. Moreover, numerous books and articles dealing with wine refer to the "Santa Cruz Mountains" as a specific grape-growing area. Testimony was also received which indicated that although the proposed area encompassed parts of three counties, the "Santa Cruz Mountains" constitutes a well-defined area forming a distinct geographical and phytogeographical unit. The region
551-530: The area. "Santa Cruz Mountains" is characterized by a climate which is greatly influenced in the western portion by the Pacific Ocean breezes and fog movements, and in the eastern portion by the moderating influences of the San Francisco Bay. These two influences tend to produce weather which is generally cool during the growing season. Temperatures in the slopes of the hillsides where most of
580-729: The coastal edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains . It was recognized on January 8, 1988 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) , Treasury after evaluating the petition submitted by Mr. Michael R. Holland to establish a viticultural area to be known as "Ben Lomond Mountain." It lies within the boundaries of the multi-county Central Coast and the Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural areas. Ben Lomond Mountain viticultural area encompasses approximately 38,400 acres (60 sq mi) where nine separate vineyard operations were established with approximately 69.5 acres (28.1 ha) under vine. In addition, two other vineyards are in
609-425: The decomposition of bedrock and the soil types in the area differ depending on the type of underlying bedrock. Generally, these residual soils tend to be thin and stony, and somewhat excessively drained. They were characterized as impoverished. making it extremely difficult to grow grapes. This contrasts greatly with the soil of the surrounding area which is primarily alluvium and is more fertile. Santa Cruz Mountains
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#1732783614800638-565: The development stages with a proposed planting of 330 acres (134 ha). Commercial winegrowing began in the Ben Lomond Mountain region in 1883 with the foundation of the Ben Lomond Wine Company by F.W. Billings. The Ben Lomond Wine Company, under the management of Billings' son-in-law, J.F. Coope, brought the Ben Lomond Mountain wines out of the obscurity of the remote mountain area to stand with other quality wines in California. In 1887, Coope wrote "Ben Lomond (Mountain) as
667-402: The necessary conditions for grape-growing are present. Moreover, while the climate, in terms of temperature can be characterized as mild, the "Santa Cruz Mountains" has an average rainfall much greater than the surrounding areas. The soils in the area were identified as Franciscan shale which is unique to this particular area south of San Francisco. The soil is basically residual material from
696-600: 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. Ben Lomond Mountain AVA Ben Lomond Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Santa Cruz County, California located on
725-436: The region depending on the elevation of the land, location of the sloped mountainside vineyards, and the other terroir elements of fog, sun exposure, soil type and erosion. "Santa Cruz Mountains", was used to designate an area having a long history as a grape-growing region in California. The area has been recorded as the "Santa Cruz Mountains" since 1838. As early as 1867, when the first government surveyor laid section lines in
754-468: The turn of the century. By the end of World War II, only the 75 acres (30 ha) Locatelli Ranch vineyard and the 40 acres (16 ha) Quistorff vineyard remained. Both had been abandoned by the mid-1960's. During the 1970's Ben Lomond Mountain experienced a viticultural renaissance in and around the town of Bonny Doon . In 1972, the University of California Agricultural Extension Service released
783-417: The vineyards are located appear to vary from that at the lower elevations. This is caused by the marine influence coming off the Pacific Ocean which cools the mountains at night much more than the valley floor. The area is characterized by a growing season in excess of 300 days. This is air drainage due to cool air coming down the mountains forcing the warmer air upward, thereby lengthening the season in which
812-699: 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
841-442: Was presented at the hearing that the contour lines varied to different levels to include an area exhibiting the same general geophysical characteristics, e.g. climate, soil, and topographic features. Portions of the boundaries of the viticultural area are marked by man-made features, e.g. Highways 280 and 84 , and Cañada Road to the east. These roads were chosen because they delimit the particular geographical and climatic features of
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