Right after the new AVA was established on July 1, 2005 this article was written...enjoy.
Three States Add New Wine AppellationsWineries in California, Minnesota and Washington can use the designations on future labels
Lynn AlleyPosted: Thursday, August 11, 2005
As of Aug. 1, the United States has three new wine appellations: one each in California, Washington and Minnesota.
By far the largest of the three American Viticultural Areas recently approved by the federal government is Horse Heaven Hills in south-central Washington. The state's seventh AVA, which was named after the bands of wild horses that once roamed its hills, lies entirely within the established Columbia Valley AVA and encompasses 570,000 acres along the Columbia River in portions of Klickitat, Yakima and Benton counties. This generally warm, dry and windy area of open plains and hills is bordered on the north by Yakima Valley and lies about 30 miles west of the Walla Walla area.
Horse Heaven Hills has more than 6,000 acres of vineyards, which are planted with more than 20 varieties of grapes, the majority of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Syrah. Among the vineyards in the new AVA are Canoe Ridge and Champoux, which was planted in 1972 and is known for Cabernet. Grapes from Horse Heaven Hills are used by Andrew Will, Betz Family, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Hogue Cellars and Woodward Canyon wineries, to name a few.
The second-largest of the new appellations is the 14,000-acre High Valley AVA, in the eastern portion of California's Lake County, about 85 miles north of San Francisco. The valley, 9 miles long and 3 miles wide, is nestled in the mountains above Clear Lake's northeastern shores and ranges in elevation from about 1,700 feet to above 3,000 feet. The valley's east-west orientation pulls in cool marine air, making the temperature generally lower than in the rest of Lake County's growing regions. Its soils are alluvial, red volcanic cinders and pumicelike gravel and stones.
About 1,000 acres of vineyards are planted in High Valley. Red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Tempranillo are grown on the ridges, while cooler-weather varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir are grown on the valley floor. High Valley's winegrowing history dates to the 19th century, but during Prohibition, the vines were replaced with other agricultural crops. New wineries have since sprung up, including Shannon Ridge, Brassfield Estate Winery (which submitted the AVA petition), Monte Lago and High Valley Vineyard.
The smallest of the three new AVAs is Alexandria Lakes, located in central Minnesota, in Douglas County. Although it encompasses 17 square miles, the appellation has only one winery and a few small vineyards.
Created by glacial activity at the end of the last ice age, the Alexandria Lakes region sees an average annual snowfall of 47 inches and winter temperatures in the 20s and below, although the area's six freshwater lakes help moderate temperatures. Carlos Creek Winery owner Bob Johnson has grafted his vines onto Swiss and Austrian rootstocks to better equip them for the cold climate. He grows 38 acres of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, along with smatterings of Frontenac, Gewürtztraminer, Muscat Canelli and Riesling. He also buys grapes from California.
