Category Archives: News of The Wine World

Base map via the TTB AVA Explorer (click to enlarge)

On August 28 (2023), the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States announced the approval of the Winters Highlands American Viticultural Area (AVA). The new AVA is located in portions of California’s Solano and Yolo Counties.

The Winters Highlands AVA is inland from the North Coast AVA and not located within any other AVA. The new AVA is situated between the California Coast Range and the Sacramento River Valley and includes the eastern most foothills of the northern Coastal Range with gentle to steep slopes at elevations ranging between I00 feet/30 m and 400 feet/120 m above sea level.

According to the original petition—submitted on behalf of Berryessa Gap Vineyards and originally submitted in November of 2023—the distinguishing features of the Winters Highlands AVA include its soil and climate—as described below.

Soil: The soils in the Winters Highlands AVA—consisting mainly of moderately well-drained clay and loam derived from sedimentary soils—tend to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They are similar in parent material to the soils found in the surrounding areas; however, the texture differs due to variances in erosion and weathering.

Base map via the TTB AVA Explorer (click to enlarge)

Climate: The new AVA is located on the eastern (inland) side of the California Coast Ranges, which provides some shelter from the cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean. However, the Berryessa Gap—a break in the mountains where Putah Creek flows into Lake Berryessa—allows for some cooling effect (particularly in the evenings). As a result, while the new AVA has more degree days and is warmer overall than most of the surrounding areas; it does tend to be cooler at night and therefore benefits from the “warm days/cool nights” conditions beneficial to the cultivation of Mediterranean grape varieties.

The Winters Highlands AVA covers a total of 7,296 acres; of these, approximately 134 acres are currently planted with commercial vineyards (with another 60 acres in the planning stages). Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, and Malbec are the leading red grape varieties; white varieties include Chardonnay, Albariño, Verdejo, and Sauvignon Blanc. There are currently three wineries—including Berryessa Gap Vineyards and Turkovich Family Wines—located within the new AVA (as well as several in the planning stages).

When the Winters Highlands AVA is brought into force—on September 28, 2023—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 269; of these, 149 will be in California.

Welcome to the world, Winters Highlands AVA!

References/for more information:

• Establishment of the Winters Highlands AVA-TTB Final Rule
• Petition to Establish the Winters Highlands AVA

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

Photo via: https://www.champagne-coessens.com/

The mere mention of the word “Champagne” brings visions of beautiful, bubbly wine…and rightfully it should, as the Champagne District is home to what is arguably the world’s most famous sparkling wine. The aligned appellation—the Champagne AOC—strictly defines the wines of Champagne and is valid only for use on certain French-produced, closely protected, and highly regulated sparkling wines.

However, winemakers within the Champagne Region—located about 100 miles/160 km east of Paris and covering portions of the Aube, Marne, Haute-Marne, and Ardennes departments—may also produce still (non-sparkling) wines under the Coteaux Champenois AOC.

The Coteaux Champenois AOC was originally established in 1974 and allows for white (blanc), rosé, and red (rouge) wines to be produced using the same grapes that are allowed in the sparkling wines of the Champagne AOC. Since 1974, the list of allowed grape varieties has read as follows: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier (Pinot Meunier), Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris; however, in practice most of the region’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is used in the area’s sparkling wines.

Map of the Coteaux Champenois AOC via the INAO

Well-versed students of wine might recall that just a few months ago (December 2023, to be exact), the list of grape varieties approved for use in the Champagne AOC was expanded by one (very unique) white grape—Voltis. Voltis is a hybrid variety chosen in part due to “interests for the purpose of adaptation” (intérêt à fin d’adaptation) and to respond to the challenges of climate change.

As such, it should come as no surprise that the regulations concerning the grapes allowed in the non-sparkling wines of the Champagne region have also been updated. As of July 18, 2023, the Coteaux Champenois AOC allows for use limited of the Voltis grape variety. Mimicking the recent revisions to the Champagne AOC, Voltis will be limited to 5% of the vineyard area of any estate and no more than 10% of the final blend of any cuvée.

We’ll be watching to see what vineyards and estates begin using Voltis in the wines of the Coteaux Champenois AOC. It should be interesting!

References/for more information:

• Cahier de Charges – Coteaux Champenois AOC updated 2023
• Official Journal of the EU-July 18 2023
• Map of the AOC Coteaux Chapenois via the INAO

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

We’ve seen quite a few revisions to the regulations concerning the wines of Bordeaux recently. Beginning in 2021, the rules of the AOC wines of Bordeaux were modified to approve six accessory grapes—four red (Arinarnoa, Castets,  Marselan, Touriga Nacional) and two white (Albariño and Lilorila) varieties—for limited use in the wines of the Bordeaux AOC and the Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs.

A bit later (in December of 2022), three other appellations—the Médoc, Haut-Médoc,  and Listrac-Médoc AOCs—embraced the changes as well and are now allowed to include small amounts of the four red grapes in their vineyards and wines.

As of this month (July 2023), the Margaux AOC has published a revision to the Cahier des Charges as well. The Margaux AOC has not accepted the entire list of accessory grapes, but rather has approved the use of just one—Castets (noir)—which will be limited to 5% of an estate’s total vineyard acreage and a maximum of 10% of the final blend in any given wine.

Castets is a red grape variety believed to be native to Bordeaux. In decades prior, it was fairly widely planted throughout Southwestern France. These days, it is considered something of a “forgotten” variety—but is acknowledged for its resiliency and its resistance to downy mildew. Castets is considered to be a VIFA/variété à fin d’adaptation (variety of interest for the purpose of adaptation) that could prove responsive to the challenges of climate change and is believed to be able to produce wines consistent with the typicity of red wine from the Margaux appellation. (As described in the cahier des charges, cette variété présente une aptitude à produire des vins en cohérence avec la typicité du vin rouge de l’appellation Margaux.)

Margaux is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine. According to the updated documents (as published in the Official Journal of the EU), 60% of the total vineyard acreage is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, with another 30% planted to Merlot. Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot round out the current plantings. It is yet to be seen where and when Castets will be planted and how it is used. (We will, of course, be watching!)

References/for more information:

• Margaux AOC-Cahier des Charges-2023
• EU Official Journal—Margaux AOC—July 2023
• https://vins-de-margaux.fr/

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

In a newsflash from France, AOC wines—in some cases, to a limited degree and with specific pre-approval—are now allowed to innovate (just a little).

To put it more precisely, during a meeting of Le Comité National des Appellations d’Origine relatives aux Vins et aux Boissons Alcoolisées (The National Committee of Appellations of Origin for Wines and Alcoholic Beverages) held over June 29 and 30^th (2023), it was decided that the AOC wines of France would be allowed to use some innovations/experimentation (up to a maximum of 10% of total production) in their vineyard plantings, varietal composition, and farming/production techniques.

For instance, appellations are allowed to apply for permission to use small amounts of “VIFA” grapes (varieties of interest for adaptation purposes). This directive has been in existence for a few years, and it is reported that about 20 appellations (including the Bordeaux AOC and Champagne AOC) have received permission to add (very limited amounts of) newly approved grape varieties to their vineyard plantings and blends.

• The new ruling takes this concept a bit further, but comes with an extensive list of caveats, as explained below:
  • Any newly approved grape varieties will be limited to a maximum of 10% in any particular wine.
  • There is a limit of one innovation per each main section of the product specification (cahier des charges). This allows for some experimentation in vineyard management, and/or winemaking practices.
  • Approval (if granted) will be based upon the review of a written request, will be subject to ongoing analysis and review, and will be subject to time limitations.

These changes are meant to provide the French wine industry with a capacity for resilience in the face of “contemporary challenges such as climate change, ecological emergency, societal expectations.” (The press release reads as follows: Face aux enjeux contemporains – dérèglement climatique, urgence écologique, attentes sociétales… la filière viticole fait de l’innovation technique, un des éléments clefs de sa capacité de résilience.)

References/for more information:

• Comité national des Appellations d’origine Viticoles June 2023
• Retour sur le Comité national des appellations d’origine viticoles – 29 et 30 juin 2023 (inao.gouv.fr)
• French AOC wines can now experiment (vitisphere.com)

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

Base map via the TTB AVA Explorer (click to enlarge)

On July 5 (2023), the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States announced the approval of the Long Valley-Lake County American Viticultural Area (AVA). The new AVA is located entirely within Lake County (California).

It should be noted that at the same time as this ruling, the TTB expanded the area of the already-established High Valley AVA to create a solid boundary between the two appellations. In addition, the area of the larger, previously established North Coast AVA was expanded in order to encompass the entirety of the Long Valley-Lake County AVA, making the new AVA entirely contained within the North Coast AVA.

According to the original petition—drafted by Terry Dereniuk (owner of Terry Dereniuk Consulting), Don Van Pelt (of Cache Creek Vineyards), and Clay Shannon (of the Shannon Family of Wines) on behalf of Long Valley wine grape growers and originally submitted in 2018—the distinguishing features of the Long Valley-Lake County AVA include its topography (elevation), geology (soil), and climate—as described below.

Base map via the TTB AVA Explorer (click to enlarge)

Topography and elevation: The area inside the Long Valley-Lake County AVA consists of a long, narrow valley floor—situated at a medium elevation of 1,322 feet/403 m above sea level—surrounded by the hills of the High Valley Ridge and the Rocky Ridge. Long Valley Creek runs along the valley floor. The foothills and benchlands within the AVA rise an additional 200 feet/61 m to 500 feet/152 m above the valley floor. During the growing season, cool air blowing down from the hills helps to cool the vines from the heat of the day and allows some protection from early spring frosts. Elevation differentiates the Long Valley-Lake County AVA from the surrounding areas (such the High Valley and Red Hills AVA); these areas have higher elevations and steeper hillsides.

Geology (soil): The Long Valley–Lake County AVA sits atop the Cache Formation—an area of fossilized deposits left over from the Jurassic Period, when Lake County was covered by water. The Cache Formation—which forms basis of the area’s soils—consists mainly of freshwater lake deposits, volcanic rock, tuff (lithified volcanic ash), limestone, sand, and gravel. In many areas, these soils rest atop blue clay, limestone, and shale.

Climate: The climate of the Long Valley-Lake County AVA differs from the climate of the surrounding areas in terms of annual rainfall as well as heat accumulation (growing degree days) during the growing season. Rainfall in Long Valley averages between 27 and 33 inches per year, with the larger numbers typically experienced in the western edge of the area. These numbers are higher than those typically experienced in the areas to the south and east of the appellation, and quite a bit lower than those experienced to the northwest (where rainfall can average up to 45 inches per year).

Base map via the TTB AVA Explorer (click to enlarge)

According to the petition, the Long Valley-Lake County AVA is classified as Region III on the Winkler scale and is (on average) a bit cooler than the surrounding areas. In terms of average growing degree days (GDD), the Long Valley-Lake County AVA has an average heat accumulation of 3,378. Of the surrounding areas, the High Valley AVA averages 3,548 GDD, while the Red Hills-Lake County AVA averages 3,595.

The new appellation covers a total of 7,605 acres, of which approximately 149 acres are currently planted with commercial vineyards; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Syrah are the leading grape varieties. There are currently three wineries located within the new AVA, including Noggle Vineyards and Winery, Cache Creek Vineyards and Winery, and Stonehouse Cellars.

When the Long Valley-Lake County AVA is brought into force—on August 4, 2023—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 268; of these, 148 will be in California.

Welcome to the world, Long Valley-Lake County AVA!

References/for more information:

• Establishment of the Long Valley-Lake County AVA July 2023
• Long Valley AVA petition

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

Heads up, wine students! The Chianti Classico Consortium has recently adopted some updates to the rules and regulation of their Gran Selezione sub-appellation. These changes were announced via publication in the Gazzetta Ufficale delle Republica Italiana on July 1, 2023. Some of these will be adopted right away, and some will not come into force until several years from now.

A bit of background: The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione category was adopted as an “upper tier” quality level for the wines of the Chianti Classico DOCG in 2014. The designation currently carries with it slightly higher production standards (in terms of minimum alcohol levels and aging) than the wines of the Chianti Classico DOCG and the Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG. In addition, the grapes must come from a an estate-owned vineyard.

https://www.chianticlassico.com/

The immediate changes—subzones: The 30-mile-/48-km-long Chianti Classico region has been sub-divided into a set of eight distinct (non-overlapping) subzones. These subzones—officially known as Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive or UGAs—are available only to Chianti Classico DOCG wines bearing the Gran Selezione designation. The use of UGAs for eligible wines will be allowed beginning with the wines of the 2022 vintage, scheduled to be released in 2025 (at the earliest).

• The UGAs are—for the most part—drawn according to the boundaries of the political areas (communes) found within the appellation’s borders.
• The communes of Castellina, Gaiole, and Radda—as well as the sections of the communes of San Casciano in Val di Pesa and Castelnuovo Berardenga that are within the boundaries of the DOCG—form five of the individual UGAs.
• Two communes—Barberino Tavarnelle and Poggibonsi, both of which are partially located within the Chianti Classico DOCG—have been combined to form the San Donato in Poggio UGA.
• Two UGAs have been carved out of the commune of Greve. The Panzano UGA comprises the frazione or hamlet of Panzano in Chianti; the remainder of the commune is a separate subzone known as the Greve UGA.
• Click here to view a map of the new UGAs, via the website of the Chianti Classico Consortium. 

Changes for the future—modification of the required blend: The required blend for Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is currently the same as the blend required for all styles of Chianti Classico, namely, that the wine contain a minimum of 80% Sangiovese, The remaining 20% may comprise any grape (or grapes) from a long list of red grapes suitable for cultivation in Tuscany. However, with the wines of the 2027 vintage (due to be released in 2030), the rules change. The new regulations will require Chianti Classico Gran Selezione to contain a minimum of 90% Sangiovese; the remaining 10% (if not Sangiovese) must be a native Italian variety (or varieties). The list of allowed native Italian varieties includes Colorino, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Mammolo, Pugnitello, Malvasia Nera, Foglia Tonda, and Sanforte (Maiolica).

• In addition, three more specific UGAs—Montefioralle, Lamole, and Vagliagli—are scheduled to be introduced along with the 2027 vintage.

Note: As with all such updates, this change will need to wind its way through EU authorization; however, as the government of Italy has granted their approval, the changes are considered to be in force. If the EU fails to approve the amendment, the regulations will be rescinded.

References/for more information:

• Gazzetta Ufficiale-July 1 2023-Updates to Chianti Classico DOCG (see page 17)
• Click here for more information, including a map of the new UGAs, via the website of the Chianti Classico Consortium.

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

Photo via: www.astidocg.it

And then there were 77: with the recent registration and publication of the Canelli DOCG, Italy now has 77 wines that can claim the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) title.

The Canelli DOCG is approved for sweet, frizzante wines produced from 100% Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) grapes. This style of wine—produced in the larger Asti DOCG where it is known as Moscato d’Asti—is already well-known and widely popular.

The Canelli DOCG—formerly a sub-zone of the larger Asti DOCG—is the 19^th DOCG to be approved in Piedmont, cementing the area’s claim to the most DOCGs of any region of Italy. (The number two place goes to Veneto, currently home to 14 DOCGs.)

The area covered by the Canelli DOCG covers 18 communes within the provinces of Asti and Cuneo; this makes the region quite a bit smaller than the larger, surrounding Asti DOCG (which is spread over the area now covered by the Canelli DOCG as well as an additional 5 communes).  There are currently just over 40 estates eligible to produce Canelli DOCG, and it is estimated that annual production will—for the next few years—be just over 500,000 bottles. It is, however, anticipated that the establishment of the new Canelli DOCG will drive some growth in the wine’s popularity and subsequent production.

• In accordance with the regulations of the Canelli DOCG, hand harvesting is mandatory, yields are strict, and the vineyards must be planted on the area’s rolling hills at elevations between 540 feet/165 m and 1,640 feet/500 m. Other regulations governing the wines of the Canelli DOCG include the following:
  • 100% Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) grapes
  • Frizzante (lightly sparkling) with a maximum of 2.5 atmospheres of pressure
  • Minimum alcohol level: 4.5% by volume; maximum 6.5%

Residual sugar is not specifically mandated; however, there are standards for minimum potential alcohol at harvest (11.0%) and maximum abv in the finished product. As a result, the average wine will contain approximately 8% residual sugar.

Sounds delicious…welcome to the world, Canelli DOCG!

References/for more information:

• Disciplinare-Canelli DOCG-in Italian
• Canelli DOCG registration-EU Official Journal-June 2023

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