The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has expanded the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Oregon. The AVA expansion, a long term initiative of WineAmerica member King Estate, was approved on March 3. The Willamette Valley AVA expansion will allow many wineries who currently label their wine with a state or county appellation to now use the AVA, which creates a marketing advantage for the wineries and better educates the consumer on where the grapes originate.
The TTB has also established the Lamorinda American Viticultural Area in Northern California. The Lamorinda Wine Growers Association petitioned the TTB for the AVA, and it was approved on March 3. The Lamorinda AVA is located in Contra Costa County, California, and contains the cities of Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda. The viticultural area lies in the northeast portion of the established San Francisco Bay AVA and also within the larger, multicounty Central Coast AVA.
The TTB also established the approximately 12,897-square mile ‘‘Loess Hills District’’ viticultural area in western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. This new viticultural area is not located within any other viticultural area.
The three new American Viticultural Areas can be used on wine labels starting on April 4, 2017.
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Questions? Contact Michael Kaiser, Director of Public Affairs, mkaiser@nullwineamerica.org
WineAmerica is the national voice of the American wine industry. Based in Washington, D.C., WineAmerica represents wineries in 43 states and leads a coalition of state and regional wine and grape associations. As an industry leader, WineAmerica encourages the dynamic growth and development of American wineries and winegrowing through the advancement and advocacy of sound public policy.
