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The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) of the United States has approved a new American Viticultural Area (AVA), to be known as the Upper Hudson AVA. The new AVA will be in effect as of January 7, 2019.
The new AVA covers approximately 1,500 square miles in upstate New York, mainly located to the north and northeast of the city of Albany. This brings the total number of AVAs in the US to 243.
The petition for the Upper Hudson AVA was originally submitted in July of 2015 by Kathleen and Andrew Weber of Northern Cross Vineyard. The new AVA lies to the north of the Hudson River Region AVA (established in 1982), but it does not overlap the boundaries of any existing AVAs.
The vineyards in the area are currently heavily planted to cold-hardy hybrids including Marquette, Frontenac, La Crescent, La Crosse, Itasca, Prairie Star, and Melody. Many of these grapes were developed at New York’s Cornell University or by Elmer Swenson at University of Minnesota specifically for cold climates. Some vinifera varieties (such as Muscat, Tai, and Cabernet Franc) are planted as well.
Boundary of the Upper Hudson AVA – from the AVA Petition (second boundary amendment) via the TTB
According to the original petition, the Upper Hudson AVA has a distinctly colder climate and shorter growing season than the surrounding areas. This is in large part due to the fact that many of the surrounding areas experience the temperature modifications of a nearby body of water (such as the Great Lakes to the north, and the Hudson River to the south). There is no such moderating influence on much of the area of the Upper Hudson AVA.
The Upper Hudson AVA is currently home to just over a dozen 20 wineries and vineyards—including Northern Cross Vineyard, Altamont Winery, and Hummingbird Hills Winery—and more than 60 acres (24 ha) of vines.
Welcome to the world, Upper Hudson AVA!
References/for more information
- Original Petition Upper Hudson
- Upper Hudson Second boundary amendment
- The Upper Hudson Wine Trail: http://www.uhwt.wine/
- The story of the founding of the Upper Hudson AVA, via the Northern Cross Vineyard blog: http://www.northerncrossvineyard.com/founding-upper-hudson-ava/
- Statute 9.264 in the electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- SWE’s updated map of New York State
Thanks very much Jane!