Category Archives: News of The Wine World

Attention, wine students! The Tierra de León DO (approved in 2007) has changed its name; the new name is: León DO.

The León DO is located along the Esla River, just a few miles (km) south of the city of León. It is perched atop the high plateau—the Meseta Central—that covers much of central Spain and as such, its vineyards are located at an average of 2,650 feet (800 m) above sea level.

The León DO is largely red wine country; more than 90% of its vines are planted to red grapes. The leading grape variety—accounting for nearly 70% of the region’s 4,100 acres (1,660 ha) of vines—is Prieto Picudo, typically the majority variety in the areas rich-and-fruity red wines (as well as a small showing of rosé).

Prieto Picudo is thought to be native to the area just south of the city of León and is found almost exclusively in Castilla y León. The vine tends to produce small bunches of compact grapes with somewhat thin skins. The wines produced using Prieto Picudo are known for their cherry-red hue, high aromatics (including cherry, red berry, black pepper, and forest floor) as well as a good zing of acidity and alcohol.

The remainder of the of the (red grape) vineyards are planted to Tempranillo (occupying 17% of the area), Mencía (4%) and Garnacha Tinta (less than 1%). The tinta (red wines) of León are required to be made using a minimum of 60% (combined) Preito Picudo and/or Menía—a nod to these unique grapes considered to be native to the area. The remainder of the blend (up to a maximum [combined] of 40%) may be comprised of the accessory varieties—Tempranillo and Garnacha Tinta.

The León DO also produces a small amount of white wine; just under 10% of the area’s vineyards are planted to white grapes. Wine students will be interested to know that the regulations concerning the area’s white wines were recently updated, and that the current laws allow for just three white grapes— Verdejo, Albarín Blanco and Godello—to be so used. (Palomino and Malvasia are no longer allowed, as of the 2020 vintage).

References/for more information:

• Pliego de Condiciones for the Leon DO updated as of Novmeber 2020
• EU Commision Implementing Decision regarding Name Change of the Leon DO
• Consejo Regulador of the León DO
• Robinson, Jancis, Julia Harding, and José Vouillamoz: Wine Grapes. New York, 2012: Harper Collins Publishers

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

Logo of the delle Venezie DOC via: https://dellevenezie.it/en/

Dispatch from the delle Venezie DOC! The Disciplinare di Produzione for the delle Venezie DOC has been updated to allow for the production of rosato (rosé) and ramato styles of wine based on the Pinot Grigio grape.

As you may have guessed, there is a bit more to the story!

Winemakers in the northeast of Italy (namely Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Veneto, and the Trentino-Alto Adige) have successfully grown Pinot Grigio—brought to the region via France where it is known as Pinot Gris—for hundreds of years.

The area’s Pinot Grigio is typically produced as a dry, crisp, easy-to-love and fruity white wine with a light yellow(ish) color. This style of wine is enormously popular; so much so that a multi-regional DOC area—the delle Venezie DOC—was created in 2017 to grant these delightful wines a bit of the respect they deserve and allow varietally-labeled Pinot Grigio from Veneto Region, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, and the Trentino Province to wear the DOC label. (Sparkling Pinot Grigio and white wine blends—bianco—based around Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Muller Thurgau, Garganega, Verduzzo, and/or Tocai Friulano are also approved for production under the delle Venezie DOC.)

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Despite the popularity of the fresh-and-fruity style of Pinot Grigio, winemakers in Italy’s northeast have traditionally spun Pinot Grigio into other styles of wine as well. A light pink rosato/rosé is created by allowing the juice (post-crush) to macerate alongside the skins of the grey/pink hued grapes for a short period of time (such as 6 to 10 hour, or perhaps us to 24 hours).  If the maceration on the skins is allowed to continue for a longer period of time—such as two weeks or more—the result can be a richly textured, copper-hued wine known a ramato—from the Italian word rame meaning copper. 

The ramato style of wine production is believed to have originated in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Pinot Grigio Ramato was quite popular up until the 1960s, when exports of the more widely recognized style of Pinot Grigio from Santa Margherita and other wineries exploded in popularity. However, some producers continued production of rosato and ramato styles of Pinot Grigio, and like so many traditional products in the world of food and wine…these traditional products are increasingly appreciated once again. The delle Venezie Consorzio—in partnership with the Centro di Ricerca Viticoltura ed Enologia (Research Center for Viticulture and Enology) in Conegliano—has supported these efforts via research into 17 different clones of Pinot Grigio in an effort to identify those most appropriate for use in rosato and ramato.

The recent update in the delle Venezie DOC regulations acknowledges the historic significance—and current appreciation of the Pinot Grigio Rosato and Pinot Grigio Ramato produced in Italy’s northeast. Time to raise a glass!

Note: the delle Venezie DOC is also known as Beneških Okolišev (in Slovenian).

References/for more information:

• delle Venezie DOC – disciplinare 2021
• Offcial Journal of Italy-July 2021-Update of delle Venezie DOC
• https://dellevenezie.it/en/
• Doc delle Venezie studies “in pink”, and rediscovers the coppery and rosy winemaking of Pinot Grigio – WineNews

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

Graphic via: http://www.dopvinosdegranada.es

An updated list of wine appellations—DOPs and IGPs—published by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación) reveals that the Spanish wine region of Granada has been promoted to a Denominación de Origen (DO).

For the number-crunchers among us, this means that (as of June 2021) Spain now has 68 DOs, 2 DOCa’s, 7 VCIGs and 20 Vinos de Pago…for a total of 97 DOPs. See the attached List of DOP and VT Wines from Spain June 2021 for the names and numbers via straight from the source documentation.

Granada was was previously listed as a Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica (VCIG)—which placed it in the top-tier of Spanish Wine Regions, but (theoretically) a step “lower” than the DOs.

According to the Pliego de Condiciones for the Granada DO, the appellation is approved for the production of a range of wine types and styles, including red, white, rosado (rosé), sparkling, and late harvest (de uvas sobremaduradas/over-ripe grapes). Here is a list of allowed grape varieties for the three main styles of wine:

Red (Tinto) and Rosé (Rosado): Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Monastrell, Romé, and Petit Verdot.

White (Blanco): Vijiriego (Vijariego), Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Moscatel de Alejandría (Muscat of Alexandria), Moscatel de Grano Menudo (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), Pedro Ximenez, Palomino, Baladí Verdejo (Cayetana Blanca), and Torrontés.

Sparkling (Espumante): Vijiriego (Vijariego), Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Moscatel de Alejandría (Muscat of Alexandria), Moscatel de Grano Menudo (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), and Torrontés.

Map via: http://www.dopvinosdegranada.es

The Granada DO covers the entirety of the Province of Granada. Granada is located on the Mediterranean Coast and stretches across the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to the border with Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha. The area is transversed by several rivers, the main one being the Genil (a tributary of the Guadalquivir). The central/northern portion of the province covers the Altiplano de Granada (Granada High Plains).

A single sub-region—Contraviesa-Alpujarra, located along the Mediterranean Coastline—has been approved. Sparkling wines produced using a minimum of 70% Vijiriego (Vijariego) supplemented by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are a specialty of the  Granada-Contraviesa-Alpujarra DO.

References/for more information:

• List of DOP and VT Wines from Spain June 2021
• Pliego de Condiciones-DO Granada
• http://www.dopvinosdegranada.es/en/promocion_y_eventos.php
• Map of Spanish PDO Wines – November 2020

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

Map via the TTB AVA Explorer

On July 1, 2021, the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States announced a newly-approved American Viticultural Area (AVA) for Washington State: Goose Gap AVA. When this new AVA comes into force—on August 2, 2021—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 256; of these, 19 will be located in Washington State.

Goose Gap is the third new AVA to be approved in Washington State this year; two others—The Burn of Columbia Valley and White Bluffs—were announced just last month (June 17, 2021).

The Goose Gap AVA—a sub-region of both the Yakima Valley AVA and the larger Columbia Valley AVA—is located in Washington State’s Benton County. The triangle-shaped area is tucked between (and to the south of) the Red Mountain AVA and the tiny Candy Mountain AVA.

According to the petition—submitted by Alan Busacca, PhD, on behalf of the Goose Gap Winegrowers Association—the distinguishing features of the Goose Gap AVA include its topography and soils, as discussed below:

Topography: The Goose Gap AVA surrounds (and is mainly to the north of) a basalt ridge known as Goose Hill (sometimes referred to as Goose Mountain). The topography of the area is such that most of the south- and southwest-facing slopes in the area are too steep for successful viticulture; therefore, many of the new AVA’s vineyards are planted on north- and northeast-facing slopes. As a result, the vines in the Goose Gap AVA receive less solar radiation than those planted on the south- and southwest-facing slopes of the nearby appellations, leading to longer growing periods and later harvest dates for the vines of the Goose Gap.

The elevation within the Goose Gap AVA ranges from 577 feet (176 m) above sea level (at the southern boundary) to 1,339 feet (408 m) atop of Goose Hill.

Map via the TTB AVA Explorer

Soils: Many of the soils in the area—covering about 65% of the appellation—consist of wind-blown loess over layered silt and fine-textured sand. In many spots, this topsoil extends for six feet with no hardpan or other root impediments. Other areas of the appellation are also covered by loess, but with varying depths of loess as well as vary amounts of fractured basalt and flood sediment atop the underlying basalt bedrock. The soils of the Goose Gap AVA contain a higher overall percentage of loess, silt, and sand than the soils of the surrounding areas.

The area within the Goose Gap AVA covers a total of 8,129 acres; of these, 1,800 acres (728 ha) are planted to vines. The region is currently home to two commercial vineyards—including the 1,700-acre (688 ha) Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard—and one bonded winery (Goose Ridge Winery). Commercial vineyards specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been planted in the area since 1998. Other forms of agriculture—including apple orchards, cherry orchards, alfalfa fields, and sheep grazing are traditional to the area.

About that name: The new AVA is located along the migratory path of several flocks of wild geese. The local use of the term “Goose Gap” as well as “Goose Hill” can be traced back to the early 1900s. The area bears the tales of many legendary goose hunts from the 1800s; First Peoples are known to have hunted geese in the area as well.

References/for more information:

• Federal Register- Establishment of the Goose Gap AVA
• Petition to Establish the Goose Gap AVA
• Exhibits – Petition to Establish the Goose Gap AVA
• Washington State Wine (washingtonwine.org)

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

Map via the TTB AVA Explorer Map

On June 17, 2021, the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States approved the Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA. When this new AVA comes into force—on July 19, 2021—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 255, of which 142 will be in California.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula area—located in the southwestern corner of Los Angeles County—hugs the Pacific Ocean coastline about 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. The region includes the cities of Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, and Rolling Hills, California. The area is highly regarded for its sweeping views of the ocean and the Los Angeles city skyline, gated communities, and high-dollar homes. However, the area has a long history of agriculture—including some viticulture—and wine continues to be produced in the area.

According to the original petition—spearheaded by James York of Catalina View Wines and submitted on behalf of a group of Palos Verdes Peninsula winegrowers—the area’s distinguishing characteristics include its topography, soils, and climate. These are discussed below:

Topography: The area within the Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA consists of low rolling hills (technically part of the Coast Range) situated between the Los Angeles Basin and the Pacific Ocean. Elevations range from sea level (on the region’s western and southern edges) to 1,460 feet/445 m above sea level at San Pedro Hill. Many of the region’s vineyards are planted on moderate south- or southeast-facing slopes. 

Map via the TTB AVA Explorer Map

Soils: The soils of the region include Altamont Clay Adobe, Altamont Clay Loam, and Diablo Clay Adobe. These soils are composed primarily of fine-grained sandstone, weathered shale, silt, and calcareous clay.  These soils retain allow for moisture retention in dry weather while allowing for drainage during rainy times.

Climate: Like many areas of Southern California, the Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA has an overall Mediterranean Climate coupled with the coastal influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean. The area typically experiences warm, dry summers (temperatures rarely exceed 84°F/29°C) and mild winters with limited rainfall.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA includes a total of 15,900 acres; of these, just over 7 acres are currently planted to vines. Two producing wineries—Catalina View Wines and La Caze Family Vineyard—are located within the region. The leading grape varieties include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot

Welcome to the world, Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA!

References/for more information:

• Federal Register – Establishment of the Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA
• Petition to Establish the Palos Verdes Peninsula AVA
• Palos Verdes as wine region? Jim York wants Peninsula-grown grapes in your glass. – Southbay (goldenstate.is)

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

Map via the TTB AVA Explorer Map

On June 17, 2021, the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States approved two new American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): the White Bluffs AVA and the Burn of Columbia Valley AVA. When these new AVAs come into force—on July 19, 2021—the total number of AVAs in Washington State will be 18.

This article will focus on the Burn of Columbia Valley AVA. Click here for an article focusing on the While Bluffs AVA.

The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA (a sub-region of the Columbia Valley AVA) is located in the southwest corner of the Columbia Valley AVA, along a stretch of benchland on the north bank of the Columbia River. It is situated between the Horse Heaven Hills AVA (to its east) and the Columbia Gorge AVA (to its west). Its location along the Columbia River places it adjacent to the border between Washington State and Oregon—although it lies 100% in Washington State.

The petition to establish The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA (originally slated as “The Burn”) was submitted by Kevin Corliss of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Joan Davenport (Professor of Soil Sciences at Washington State University), and John Derrick of Mercer Ranches. According to the petition, the area’s distinguishing features include its topography, climate, and soils—as discussed below.

Topography: The area within the new AVA is situated on a moderately-elevated, gently sloping benchland above the Columbia River. The (generally) southeast-facing slope averages just over 7% grade.

Map via the TTB AVA Explorer Map

Climate: The area is considered (overall) one of the warmer regions of the Columbia Valley. However, due to the persistent winds from the Columbia Gorge, the heat (as measured by “degree days”) accumulates much more slowly than in the surrounding areas. As a result, the growing season is extended—the grapes in this area are often among the last to be harvested in the state. This lengthy growing season allows for deep flavor development and excellent acid retention in the grapes.

Soils: The soils within the new AVA—dominated by Walla Walla silt loam—are, in many aspects, similar to those of the surrounding areas. However, the soils within The Burn contain a higher proportion of organic matter and lower levels of sand/sandy loam—and, as a result, the soils of The Burn have higher water- and nutrient-retention capacity. This means that the region has a lower need for supplemental irrigation, a lower need for the use of supplemental vine nutrients, and a reduced risk of winter vine injury as compared to the surrounding areas.

The triangle-shaped Burn of Columbia Valley AVA covers a total of 16,870 acres. Of these, approximately 1,500 acres/607 ha have been planted to vines. The region contains two commercial vineyards and no bonded wineries (as of 2021). This is a young growing area; while vines have been planted in the area since 2002, the majority of the vines have been planted since 2015. Cabernet Sauvignon is the leading variety, followed by Syrah, Malbec, Chardonnay, and Sangiovese.

About that name: there is no easy consensus on where the name—The Burn—originated, although there is plenty of evidence that it has been used in reference to the area for generations. The Burn might refer to a local legend that tells of early settlers who set fire to the benchland every fall in order to rejuvenate the native grasses and provide for their horses in the springtime. It could also be based on the Gaelic- German- and English-inspired use of the term burn (as in Bannockburn)—or born (as in Padderborn) or bourne (as in Melbourne)—to refer to a stream or a river.

Welcome to the world: The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA!

P.S. The TTB has also announced a new AVA in California—Palos Verdes Peninsula—to be effective on July 19, 2021. Click here for more details. 

References/for more information:

• Federal Register-Establishment of the Burn of Columbia Valley AVA
• Petition to Establish The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA
• Washington State Wine (washingtonwine.org)

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