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Welcome to the World, Terre Alfieri DOCG!

  By admin | October 22, 2020 - 7:38 am | ,
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Photo of the town of Magliano Alfieri by Alessandro Vecchi, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo of the town of Magliano Alfieri by Alessandro Vecchi, via Wikimedia Commons

Piedmont’s Terre Alfieri wine region has just been promoted from a denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) to a denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) wine producing region!

With this latest promotion, Italy is now home to 76 DOCGs. Terre Alfieri is the 18th such region located in Piedmont—solidifying Piedmont’s “first place” status among Italy’s 20 regions in terms of number of DOCGs (Veneto is second, having a total of 14).

The Terre Alfieri DOCG—located just to the east (and slightly north) of the Roero DOCG—includes seven communes located in the province of Asti (Antignano, Celle Enomondo, Cisterna, Revigliasco, San Damiano, San Martino Alfieri, and Tigliole) and four in the province of Cuneo (Castellinaldo, Govone, Magliano Alfieri, and Priocca).

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Terrie Alfieri DOCG produces two styles of wine: red wines based on Nebbiolo and white wines based on Arneis. These are the same two styles of wine that were previously made when the region was a DOC, and the same two that its neighbor—the Roero DOCG—produces. A few rules and regulations have been updated with the recent promotion to DOCG status, which now reflects the following standards:

  • Terre Alfieri Arneis: minimum 85% Arneis, minimum 12% abv
  • Terre Alfieri Arneis Superiore: minimum 85% Arneis, minimum 12.5% abv, minimum 6 months aging
  • Terre Alfieri Nebbiolo: minimum 85% Nebbiolo, minimum 13% abv, minimum 4 months aging
  • Terre Alfieri Nebbiolo Superiore: minimum 85% Nebbiolo, minimum 13.5% abv, minimum 1 year of aging (including 6 months in wood)
  • Terre Alfieri Nebbiolo Riserva: minimum 85% Nebbiolo, minimum 13.5% abv, minimum 2 years of aging (including one year in wood)

The region—named for the noble Alfieri family that ruled these lands many generations ago—was first awarded DOC status in 2009.

Welcome to the world, Terre Alfieri DOCG!

Note: As with all such updates, this change will need to wind its way through EU approval; however, as the Italian government has granted their approval, the changes can be implemented in the meantime. Most likely, the Terre Alfieri DOCG will apply as of the release of the wines of the 2020 vintage. If the EU fails to approve the amendment, the regulation will be rescinded (although this seems unlikely to happen).

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Nyons: and then there were 22 (Geographic Designations of the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC)

  By admin | October 20, 2020 - 9:29 am | ,
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Photo of the Pont de Nyons by M. Minderhoud, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo of the Pont de Nyons by M. Minderhoud, via Wikimedia Commons

Congratulations are in order for the commune of Nyons! Nyons has very recently been promoted from the large pool of 90+ communes that produce wine under the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC; and is now a designated geographical designation (dénomination géographique complémentaire) of the appellation. This means that we will soon be able to see red wines labeled under the Côtes du Rhône-Villages-Nyons AOC.

Nyons is a commune (population around 8,000) located in the Drôme department of southeastern France. The commune—situated squarely within the eastern side of the Rhône Valley vineyard area—can be found about 5 miles (8 km) east/northeast of the Vinsobres AOC. The town straddles the Aigues (Eygues) River—a tributary of the Rhône that flows from its source in the Baronnies Mountains for about 80 miles/112 km before it joins the Rhône at the town of Caderousse.

The town is notable for the medieval Pont de Nyons (Nyons Bridge) built between 1361 and 1407 CE (and still in use)! The bridge boasts a single span of 40.53 meters/133 feet, which was an impressive feat of engineering at the time.

In addition to its powerful red wines (cultivated in the region since Roman times), Nyons is famous for its olive orchards, processed olives, and olive oil. Two distinctive products of the region—olives noires de Nyons (black olives of Nyons) and huile d’olive de Nyons (olive oil of Nyons)—have protected geographical indication (PGI) status in the EU.

For serious students of wine: Nyons is the 22nd locality allowed to append its name to the AOC Côtes du Rhône-Villages (you can find the complete updated list by clicking on the new Côtes du Rhône-Villages cahier des charges, linked below). The Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC is mainly known for its red wines (based around Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah), but produces some white blends and rosé as well. However, the geographic designation of Nyons is approved for the production of red wines only.

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Welcome to the World, Ruster Ausbruch DAC!

  By admin | October 12, 2020 - 9:03 am |
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Map of the Ruster Ausbruch DAC via the Austrian Wine Marketing Board

Map of the Ruster Ausbruch DAC via the Austrian Wine Marketing Board

The historic, botrytis-affected sweet white wines produced in and around the Austrian city of Rust now have their own PDO (protected designation of origin). Welcome to the world, Ruster Ausbruch DAC! (DAC = Districtus Austriae Controllatus, which translates roughly to controlled Austrian district for the production of wine.) This makes for a total of 16 DAC regions in Austria, with the Ruster Ausbruch DAC being the first (and only) such designation exclusively for sweet wines.

Ruster Ausbruch DAC may be produced using any of the white grapes approved for use in the region. It may be produced as a single-variety wine or as a blend. The most commonly used grapes include Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Chardonnay (Morillon), Muskateller (Muscat), and Furmint.

The regulations for Ruster Ausbruch DAC include the following:

  • Must be produced exclusively from grapes harvested in the Free City of Rust
  • Must be entirely produced and bottled within the designated region
  • May be produced using any combination of the Qualitätswein grape varieties permitted in the region (white grapes only); approved grapes include Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Muscat (Muskateller), Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder), Furmint, Chardonnay, Neuburger, and Welschriesling
  • Must comply with basic requirements for Trockenbeerenauslese grapes and wine
  • Mandatory harvesting by hand; selectively-picked botrytis-affected berries
  • Minimum must weight at harvest: 30° KMW
  • Minimum residual sugar: 45 g/l
Photo of the town of Rust by Herbert Lehmann, via the Austrian Wine Marketing Board

Photo of the town of Rust by Herbert Lehmann, via the Austrian Wine Marketing Board

Welcome to the world, Ruster Ausbruch DAC!

Note: As with all such updates, this change will need to wind its way through EU approval; however, as the Austrian government has granted their approval, the changes can be implemented in the meantime. Most likely, the Ruster Ausbruch DAC will apply as of the release of the wines of the 2020 vintage. If the EU fails to approve the amendment, the regulation will be rescinded (although this seems unlikely to happen).

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Welcome to the World, Candy Mountain AVA!

  By admin | September 25, 2020 - 4:30 pm | ,
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Photo of the Candy Mountain Vineyard by Kevin Pogue (provided by the Washington State Wine Commission)

Photo of the Candy Mountain Vineyard by Kevin Pogue (provided by the Washington State Wine Commission)

On September 24, 2020, the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States approved the Candy Mountain AVA. When this new AVA comes into force—on October 26, 2020—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 251, of which 16 will be in Washington State.

Candy Mountain, located to the southeast of the Red Mountain AVA, is now the smallest AVA in Washington State (an honor previously held by Red Mountain). The new AVA lies entirely within the existing Yakima Valley AVA; however, the boundaries of the Yakima Valley AVA had to be expanded by 72 acres in order to make this possible. (This expansion was part of the approval process of the new AVA, and part of the “Final Rule” as published by the TTB.)

Map of the Candy Mountain AVA via Google Earth (provided by Heather Bradshaw of the Washington State Wine Commission)

Map of the Candy Mountain AVA via Google Earth and  Heather Bradshaw (provided by the Washington State Wine Commission)

The Candy Mountain AVA covers a total of 815 acres, with just over 110 acres currently planted to vines. There are two commercial vineyards—Candy Mountain Vineyard and Kitzke Cellars—in the area; Kitzke Cellars is a bonded winery specializing in Bordeaux-style blends. Plans for another bonded winery as well as an additional 200 acres of vines are in the works.

Candy Mountain is part of a chain of four small mountains in the area which includes Red Mountain, Badger Mountain, and Little Badger Mountain (all are part of the larger Yakima Fold Belt). The vineyards of the Candy Mountain AVA are on the mountain’s southwest-facing slope, on an incline that ranges from 2° to 20°. The soils are mainly thin, well-drained loess (wind-blown) silt atop basalt bedrock. The vines are planted at elevations ranging from 640 to 1,360 feet above sea level.  This is a warm, windy area; and rainfall is meager—sometimes as little as 6 to 8 inches per year.

The leading grapes of the appellation include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and Syrah.

Welcome to the world, Candy Mountain AVA!

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Guest Post: A Trip to the Santa Ynez Valley

  By admin | September 24, 2020 - 12:27 pm |
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Koehler Winery

Koehler Winery

Today we have a guest post from SWE member Jan Crocker, CSW. Jan, a current resident of southern California,  earned her Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) certification in 2016 and is currently studying for the Certified Specialist of Spirts (CSS).  Wish her luck!

For more than a decade, the Santa Ynez Valley meant Pinot Noir and “Sideways” to wine and movie fans alike. With many of the film’s scenes shot inside The Hitching Post II steakhouse in nearby Buellton, restaurant-goers bemoaned the near-impossibility of getting a seat inside the eatery, let alone at its newly famous bar. Of course, customers lucky enough to secure a table ordered the wine that made the restaurant famous: Hitching Post “Highline” Pinot Noir.

During the 16 years after the release of “Sideways,” however, the valley has evolved into far more than a haven for bright, zesty Pinot Noirs and lively Chardonnays. It is now home to 120 wineries that produce 31 different varieties, with lesser-known grapes Lagrein, Cinsault, and Grenache Blanc thriving in the AVA’s vineyards alongside the more famous mainstays. Often thought to share the balmy temperatures of nearby Santa Barbara, its summer afternoons are surprisingly toasty, with the mercury often touching 90 degrees Fahrenheit – and its nights dropping to the low 50s, even at the end of July.

Brander Syrah Rose'

Brander Syrah Rose’

The Santa Ynez Mountains provide a rain shadow for the region, sealing in daytime sunshine and warmth that benefit Rhône varieties Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Viognier. Additionally, brisk late-afternoon winds and the sandy, largely infertile soils of the region’s lower elevations favor these classic grape varieties.

Two years ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to spend five lovely, warm summer days in Santa Ynez. We managed to visit seven wineries and three tasting rooms—Stolpman Vineyards, Dragonette Cellars, and Flying Goat Cellars. These three wineries are required to have their on-premise tasting facilities separate from their wine-production sites for a good reason—their vineyards are located well in the region’s inland reaches, near Happy Canyon and Ballard, where narrow, winding roads are the norm.

Jan and David Crocker at Brander Winery

Jan and David Crocker at Brander Winery

Although we found our way to wineries on the outskirts of the Foxen Trail—Brander Vineyard & Winery as well as Sunstone Winery come to mind—we gravitated toward the Rhône-esque wineries nearest Los Olivos, the tiny town roughly six miles from Buellton. Surprises and learning awaited us; my Pinot Noir-loving husband and yours truly, a fan of old-world Syrah to the core, both found selections we loved. Flying Goat’s Rio Vista Vineyards’ Pinot Noir spoke to his enjoyment of Dijon-driven Pinot Noirs, while I went weak in the knees over Melville Vineyards’ “Donna’s” Syrah, intensely soulful and brooding. Both of us discovered Koehler Winery—a site we has never heard about before—but have since been eager to suggest to wine fans.

Absolutely, we’ll return to the Valley over the next year or so, delighted to revisit our favorite wineries—and excited to explore new ones as they open.

 

Meet the Board: Lisa Kozloff, CSS

  By admin | September 10, 2020 - 12:46 pm |
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Lisa Kozloff, CSS

Lisa Kozloff, CSS

Lisa Kozloff, CSS, is a newly elected member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) and has also been elected to the position of Secretary. Her introduction to SWE came while a candidate for the Hospitality/Beverage Specialist Certificate (HBSC) which she earned in 2012. She’s seen the benefit of wine and spirits education in building a career and opportunities in the industry.

Lisa began her career in hospitality in college, working as a server and then bartender. She earned a degree in journalism from UNC Chapel Hill, but she chose to continue working in restaurants. “Years later and I have still never worked with my degree which makes my mother very unhappy. She brings it up every Thanksgiving,” she told us.

Lisa currently serves as the Director of Beverage for Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, a national chain of 51 upscale casual restaurants. She has been with Firebirds since they opened their first restaurant in 2000; she began her career with the company as the Bar Manager and later moved up to become the General Manager at their second location. In a typical day, Lisa maintains working relationships with beverage and alcohol vendors, oversees on the beverage menus for the chain, helps design and test new menu items, and sample new products such as wine, spirits, beer, and other beverages.

When asked what she loved most about working in the hospitality industry, she told us, “It’s never the ‘same old thing.’ You are constantly meeting new people. Interacting with folks all over the country. When you’re in the restaurants there is always such a hum of energy working the floor. We are hosting a party every day!” We also asked what advice she would give to someone starting out with a career in wine and spirits. “Be more empathetic, especially when people are in a tough situation. Years ago, managers and chefs could be very inflexible with their staff. The job is much more fulfilling when you treat people the way you would want to be treated.”

When she isn’t working, Lisa enjoys cooking and traveling with her husband and her 14-year-old daughter, Rory. Her hobbies include spending time with her six-year old boxer Coco and collecting tiki mugs.

Welcome to the board, Lisa!

Post authored by Ben Coffelt, CSS, CSW

At Long Last: The Pouilly-Fuissé AOC has 22 official Premier Crus!

  By admin | September 4, 2020 - 8:29 pm | ,
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Photo via: https://www.pouilly-fuisse.net/en/

Photo via: https://www.pouilly-fuisse.net/en/

More than 12 years after the beginning of the process, the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC has 22 official premier crus!

As reported by Frédéric-Marc Burrier, president of the Union des Producteurs de Pouilly-Fuissé, the application process for France’s newest premier cru appellations began with an in-depth study of the soil, topography, and history of the Pouilly-Fuissé area. This part of the project included creating a detailed map of the appellation’s 217 lieux-dits and the painstaking delineation of the 22 plots that would hold the area’s highest classification (all of which had to be approved by the organization’s 250 member-producers).

The application was approved by France’s Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) on September 3, 2020. The newly-approved premier crus represent 194 hectares—24% of the total area of the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC—and are spread over the four communes of the appellation: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson.

The Pouilly-Fuissé AOC, famous for white wines made using 100% Chardonnay, is located in Burgundy’s Mâconnais region. Pouilly-Fuissé is one of the five well-known, white-wine producing communal AOCs of the Mâconnais.  (For the wine students: the others include the Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Vinzelles, and Pouilly-Loché AOCs.)

Pouilly-Fuissé is the first appellation of the Mâconnais to officially recognize specific climats as premier crus. The list is as follows:

  • Commune de Chaintré
    • Le Clos de Monsieur Noly
    • Les Chevrières
    • Aux Quarts
    • Le Clos Reyssier
  • Commune de Fuissé
    • Le Clos
    • Les Brulés
    • Les Ménétrières
    • Les Reisses
    • Les Vignes Blanches
    • Les Perrières
    • Vers Cras (shared with Solutré-Pouilly)
  • Commune de Solutré-Pouilly
    • La Frérie
    • Le Clos de Solutré
    • Au Vignerais
    • En Servy
    • Aux Bouthières
    • Aux Chailloux
    • Pouilly
    • Vers Cras (shared with Fuissé)
  • Commune de Vergisson
    • Les Crays
    • La Maréchaude
    • Sur la Roche
    • En France

Update: As of April of 2021, this amendment was approved by the EU.

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Welcome to the World, Royal Slope AVA!

  By admin | September 2, 2020 - 12:29 pm | ,
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Photo of Royal Slope Vineyards, courtesy of Stillwater Creek Vineyard (via https://www.washingtonwine.org/)

Photo of Royal Slope Vineyards, courtesy of Stillwater Creek Vineyard (via https://www.washingtonwine.org/)

As for today (September 2, 2020) the world is poised to receive another American Viticulture Area: The Royal Slope AVA! When this new AVA comes into force—on October 2, 2020— total number of AVAs in the United States will be 250, of which 15 will be in Washington State.

The Royal Slope AVA—located in Washington State, entirely within the larger Columbia Valley AVA— is tucked between the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley AVA (to the north), and Wahluke Slope AVA (to the south). The Royal Slope area is somewhat cooler than the Wahluke Slope, but considerably warmer than the Ancient Lakes region.

Royal Slope MapThe area is almost entirely located on a series of gently rolling, south-facing slopes with elevations ranging from 610 feet (186 m) to 1,756 feet (535 m) above sea level.  One corner of the area—known as the Frenchman Hills—was high enough to be unaffected by the Missoula Floods.

There are currently just over 1,900 acres/768 hectares planted to vines in the Royal Slope AVA. Over 20 different varieties of grapes are grown in the area, which currently contains 13 commercial vineyards and one bonded winery (Foxy Roxy Wines).

The Royal Slope area is famous for having produced Washington State’s first-ever 100-point Syrah (Wine Enthusiast): Charles Smith’s Royal City Syrah 2006, crafted using grapes sourced from Stoneridge Vineyard.

Welcome to the world, Royal Slope AVA!

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

On the Radar: Jan Crocker, CSW

  By admin | August 30, 2020 - 9:14 am |
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Jan Crocker, CSW

Jan Crocker, CSW

I am still surprised that wine found me, despite my best-laid plans to find other career paths and interests. With a bachelor’s degree in communications/newspaper journalism from California State University at Fullerton and two postgraduate teaching credentials, I had zero interest in Vitis vinifera until my late 30s.

While living in Orange County, California in the late ‘90s, my husband David and I were fans of Rembrandt’s Beautiful Food, a long-time fine-dining spot in Placentia still missed by locals. When owner Bernie Gordon offered my husband David and I a bottle of Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc at cost price – a princely $12 – to share with our Thanksgiving dinner in 1998, he checked back with us as we tasted the fresh, zesty white with the brined and roasted turkey breast. “What do you think of it?” he asked with gentle but intense interest. “It goes perfectly with the turkey and the veggies,” I replied. “And it’s perfect for an 85-degree day.” Bernie beamed, delighted that two of his regulars were ready for their own wine journey.

That journey led us along different paths over the next several years: visiting Inniskillin Winery in Ontario’s Niagara-on-the-Lake and returning home with a bottle of its luscious Vidal ice wine, joining a neighborhood wine group for weekly tasting events, and later organizing a Syrah/Shiraz tasting event at Rembrandt’s for the group’s 22 members. By 2003, I’d been chosen to select wine for my husband’s business dinners.

By fall 2003, David and I moved to downtown Long Beach. A few weeks after we had finished settling into our new place, I made my first of many visits to Vin de Pays, a tiny, quirky specialty wine shop—with all selections $15 and under—a mere three blocks from home. After I’d browsed the store for a few moments, owner Tom Keim gave me the cook’s tour of his site, excitedly pointing out his favorite new additions. I’d planned to buy only one bottle, but his enthusiasm for introducing then-obscure varietals and regions won me over. I brought home five bottles for barely $32.

Soon, David and I were regulars at Vin de Pays’ weekly tasting events. We both took notes of each wine in every week’s tasting lineup—eight wines, for $8—as I pored through the wine books in the tasting room, including Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion of Wine and Vines, Grapes & Wines, as well as Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible. By the end of 2005, we’d sampled about 700 wines.

2006 was the year we’d decided to open our own Vin de Pays in Yorba Linda, a city in northeastern Orange County. With nearly all of the same domestic and imported selections available at the Long Beach location, as well as the same $15-and-under pricing format, we opened our brick-and-mortar shop in early April 2007.

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A year later, I’d moved into the next phase of my wine career: working for a number of small wine brokers with portfolios of limited-production offerings from nearly every region from Europe, South Africa, South America, and more. Since few of my customers—owners of restaurants and wine bars around Orange County—were familiar with Mendoza Malbec or Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc a decade ago, it was up to me to offer information about the terroirs of the grapes’ regions, and explain why those regions’ weather or elevation levels gave those wines their character. By 2011, I moved into the business-to-consumer area of wine, working with Constellation Wines U.S. by promoting Kim Crawford, Robert Mondavi, and Wild Horse in at Costco stores throughout the area, and later a variety of wines and spirits in both “wet” and dry demos for Advantage Solutions at several local supermarkets.

In 2014, I’d become a beverage steward for Vons Grocery Stores, at a location with long-time customers who were equally long-time fans of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay and Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon. A year later, I joined the Society of Wine Educators, and plunged into the CSW program. Thanks to the informative yet readable study guide, workbook, and engaging webinars by SWE Director of Education Jane Nickles, I earned my CSW in late October 2016.

Finally, I’ve had the opportunity to become familiar with the Ramona Valley AVA over the last five years. This region, about 30 miles south of Temecula, continues to emerge as a compelling site for sun-loving reds and whites, and it’s been a pleasure to get to know the winemakers and winery owners of most of Ramona’s wineries. Our nine visits Ramona since 2015 provided the material for my two articles for Wine, Wit, & Wisdom in September 2016 and December 2019.

Since late 2018, I’ve been a private wine consultant for local wine fans. I’m also a current Certified Specialist of Spirits candidate, eager to expand my long-time interest in vodka, gin, and other wonders of the world of distillation.

-Jan Crocker, CSW

If you are a SWE certificate holder and would like to be featured in our “On the Radar” series, please contact our Director of Education and Certification, Jane A. Nickles: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Welcome to the World, Alisos Canyon AVA (and the Goldilocks Rhône Zone)!

  By admin | August 26, 2020 - 10:01 am |
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Map via: ttb.gov/wine/ava-map-explorer

Map via: ttb.gov/wine/ava-map-explorer

Santa Barbara County (located within California’s Central Coast AVA) has a new appellation: the Alisos Canyon AVA! The new AVA is located north of Highway 101, filling the gap between the Santa Maria Valley (to the north) and the Santa Ynez Valley AVA (to the south and east). With this new addition, Santa Barbara County will have a total of seven AVAs.

The new AVA will be effective as of September 24, 2020, at which time the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 249, of which 140 are in California.

The petition for the new AVA highlighted the following as some of the unique characteristics of the region:

  • Sandstone and shale-based soils, including a good deal of viticulturally significant Paso Robles formation soils (gravel [shale pebbles] combined with sand, clay, and limestone)
  • A consistent and unique climate (as compared to the areas that surround it); specifically, warmer (and with less fog) than the areas to the west and north, but cooler than those to the east.
  • Cooling maritime influence funneled into the region along the San Antonio Creek Drainage basin
  • Elevations ranging from 673 feet/205 meters to 1412 feet/430 meters
Geologic map of the Alisios Canyon AVA, via the original petition as submitted to the TTB

Geologic map of the Alisios Canyon AVA, via the original petition as submitted to the TTB

The area has been praised as being ideal for Rhône varieties, and has even earned the nickname “Goldilocks Rhône Zone” for its perfect balance of not-too-hot and not-too-cold.

The name of the AVA is derived from the traditional name of the eponymous canyon, “Cañada de los Alisos,” which translates to Canyon of the White Alder Trees.

To date, there are close to 240 acres of vines and nine commercially-producing vineyards, as well as one bonded winery—Martian Ranch and Vineyard—within the Alisos Canyon AVA.

Welcome to the world, Alisos Canyon AVA!

References/for more information:

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org