20-659: Wahluke Slope is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Grant County , Washington . It was established on January 6, 2006, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) , Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Wahluke Slope Wine Grape Growers Association (WSWGGA), represented by Alan J. Busacca, Ph.D., proposing the establishment of the viticultural area named "Wahluke Slope." Wahluke Slope
40-886: A broad range of statutory and compliance provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Federal Alcohol Administration Act . This act requires importers and bottlers of beverage alcohol to obtain certificates of label approval or certificates of exemption from label approval (COLAs) for most alcohol beverages prior to their introduction into interstate commerce. ALFD acts on these COLAs to ensure that products are labeled in accordance with federal laws and regulations. ALFD also examines formulas for wine and distilled spirits, statements of process, and pre-import applications filed by importers and proprietors of domestic distilleries, wineries, and breweries for proper tax classification and to ensure that
60-546: A broad, south-facing slope with a constant, gentle grade of less than 8%. This, along with the proximity to the Columbia River, helps minimize the risk of frost, which can affect other areas of the state. The highest temperature ever measured in Washington state, as of 2021, was recorded at Wahluke on July 24, 1928, at 118 °F (47.8 °C). This record was later tied at Ice Harbor Dam in 1961. The temperature
80-513: A large alluvial fan, making the soils notably uniform over a large area. The topsoil is deep, wind-blown sand with a depth, on average, of more than 5 feet (2 m). This provides both ample drainage for vinifera vines and greater uniformity in plant vigor and ripening than seen in other areas of Washington. The major distinguishing feature of the Wahluke Slope is its uniformity in aspect, soil type, and climate. The entire appellation lies on
100-643: 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
120-401: 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
140-533: 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
160-492: Is approximately 145 miles (233 km) southeast of Seattle and immediately north of the Hanford Reservation of the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) . "Wahluke" is a Native American word for "watering place," The appellation is within the vast Columbia Valley AVA and encompasses 80,490 acres (126 sq mi) with approximately 8,931 acres (3,614 ha) under vine which is nearly 15 percent of
180-486: 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
200-589: 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,
220-761: The Columbia River in the west, the Hanford Site boundary in the southwest, the north bank of the Columbia River on the south up to the Wahluke Slope Wildlife Refuge in the east, and along the 1,480-foot (450 m) elevation of the Saddle Mountains on the north. Wahluke Slope has one of the driest, warmest climates in the state, allowing nearly complete control of vine vigor and ripening through irrigation. The entire 81,000 acres (127 sq mi) appellation sits on
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#1732797599448240-660: 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
260-633: The Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB , is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury , which regulates and collects taxes on trade and imports of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms within the United States. TTB was created on January 24, 2003, when the Homeland Security Act of 2002 split the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) into two new organizations with separate functions. Specifically,
280-610: The Act transferred ATF and its law enforcement functions from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Justice . ATF's other functions, dealing with tax collection and regulation of legitimate trade, remained within the Treasury Department and became part of the new TTB. TTB's Field Operations are organized into five divisions: The Advertising, Labeling, and Formulation Division (ALFD) implements and enforces
300-709: 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
320-468: 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
340-411: 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. Tax and Trade Bureau The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , statutorily named
360-517: The state's total wine grape acreage. It is resident to more than 20 vineyards and at least three wine production facilities. The region cultivates Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, but is primarily known for its Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon . Wahluke Slope viticultural area is located on the Wahluke Slope of Grant County, Washington . It extends from
380-640: 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
400-512: Was eventually surpassed on June 29, 2021, when Hanford reached 120 °F (48.9 °C). The area is largely within the Mattawa, Washington 99349 area code. 46°45′50″N 119°55′52″W / 46.76395643°N 119.93106302°W / 46.76395643; -119.93106302 This wine region article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area ( AVA )
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