Wine, Wit, and Wisdom

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

On March 15 (2024), the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States announced the approval of the Contra Costa American Viticultural Area (AVA). The new AVA covers a portion of California’s Contra Costa County, located in the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. Along with the approval of the new AVA, the San Francisco Bay AVA and the Central Coast AVA have been expanded so that they encompass the entirety of the new appellation. In other words, the Contra Costa AVA is a sub-appellation of both the San Francisco Bay AVA and the Central Coast AVA.

According to the original petition—submitted by Patrick Shabramon on behalf of the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association in March of 2023—the distinguishing features of the Contra Costa AVA include its topography and climate—as described below.

Topography: The terrain of the Contra Costa AVA is—while interrupted in a few places by rolling hills—relatively flat. All of the area within the boundaries of the new AVA are below 1,000 feet, with most area below 100 feet. Hillside slopes—where they exist—are generally less than 5% gradient. As such, the area experiences a great deal of marine influence from the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay—including San Pablo Bay and Suisun Bay.

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

Climate: The Contra Costa AVA experiences an average of 3,000 to 4,275 GDD (growing degree days) over the course of a growing season, marking the area as a relatively warm (and sometimes very warm) region. However, the area’s proximity to the marine influence from the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay—including San Pablo Bay and Suisun Bay—mean that temperatures cool down quite a bit at night. This diurnal temperature fluctuation provides the area with a near-ideal grape-growing climate scenario of “warm days—cool nights.“

The Central Coast AVA covers a total of 167,146 acres; of these, approximately 1,700 acres are currently planted with commercial vineyards. Leading grape varieties include Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.

The area around Contra Costa County has been growing grapes and producing wine since 1846. By 1916, there were over 6,000 acres of vines in the area. Alas, most of these vines did not survive Prohibition. These days, Contra Costa County is home to at least 60 commercial vineyards and 14 wineries, including Viano Vineyards, Serendipity Cellars, and Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery.

Cline Cellars (now located in Sonoma) was established in this area (in the town of Oakley) in 1982. Cline Cellars still sources grapes from Contra Costa, and I am an enthusiastic fan of their Contra Costa County Old Vine Zinfandel.

When the Contra Costa AVA is brought into force—on April 15, 2024—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 270; of these, 150 will be in California.

Welcome to the world, Contra Costa AVA!

References/for more information:

• TTB Rule – Contra Costa AVA
• Proposal to Establish the Contra Costa AVA
• Website of the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association

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

Photo via: www.vinocampodecalatrava.com

The EU has spoken, and—as of February 2024—it has granted its approval for a new appellation for Spanish wine: the Campo de Calatrava DO (Denominación de Origen).

Wine has been produced in the Campo de Calatrava area—located in the Ciudad Real province within the autonomía of the Castilla-La Mancha—since the Bronze Age ( ). In modern times, the wines of the area have been bottled under the classification Vino de la Tierra-La Mancha (which covers the entire autonomía). At last count, there are eight commercial wineries in the region.

The Campo de Calatrava DO is located atop a unique geological feature known as the Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Field (La Región Volcánica del Campo de Calatrava). The region contains over 300 individual volcanic landforms, including lava domes, pyroclastic cones, and low-relief volcanic craters known as maars. While the area is believed to be dormant—the last known volcanic eruption dates to 3.600 BCE—the area contains the most significantly volcanic soils in the Iberian Peninsula. Topsoil is dark and stony, aiding in heat retention and drainage.

The Campo de Calatrava DO allows for a long list of wines styles to be produced. These include dry white, red, and rosé wines, quality sparkling wine, and sweet (late harvest) wines.

The list of allowed grape varieties is long and varied—and quite similar to those found in the nearby DOs of La Mancha and Valdepeñas.

• Approved red grapes include Bobal, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha (Tinto), Graciano, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and Tempranillo.
• Approved white grapes include Airén, Albariño, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Macabeo (Viura), Moscatel de Alejandría, Moscatel de Grano Menudo, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo, and Viognier,

We will post a map as soon as the newly crafted DO creates one.

Welcome to the world, Campo de Calatrava DO!

References/for more information:

• Pliego de Condiciones-Campo de Calatrava DO (English)
• Pliego de Condicones-Campo de Calatrava DO-SPANISH
• Commission Implementing Decision Campo de Calatrava DO
• https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=210040
• https://www.vinocampodecalatrava.com/quienes-somos/

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

Spain’s Tierra de Léon DO (Denominación de Origen) made some news back in 2019 when it officially changed its name to Léon DO. Since then, it has continued to make news by competing in—and winning—major wine competitions and by attracting the largest crowd ever (over 25,000) to attend the annual DO León Wine Fair.

These days (February 2024) the DO is again making news by gaining approval from the EU for a range of updates and revisions to its wine rules and regulations. In short, the appellation has approved a new grape variety for use in its red wines and has added an additional wine type—sweet wines—to its roster.

The latest red grape of the Léon DO: The Negro Saurí grape variety (also known as Merenzao) has been added to the list of grape varieties authorized for use in the red and rosé (rosado) wines of the Léon DO. This grape is added to the list of previously approved grape varieties, including Prieto Picudo and Mencía (as recommended varieties) and Garnacha and Tempranillo (as authorized varieties).

Map of the DO Leon via www.doleon.es

Negro Saurí is an obscure local variety grown mainly in Léon. It requires a good deal of sunshine to thrive, is relatively thin-skinned, and light in color. The grape has been added to the roster in the hopes of preserving the heritage of the region’s indigenous vineyards, to increase the area’s biodiversity, and due to the spicy, complex character it brings to the wines.

The sweet wines of the Léon DO: With these recent changes, the Léon DO is approved to produce off dry (semidulce) and sweet (dulce) wines in red (tinto), white (blanco), and rosé (rosado) styles. Wines labeled as semidulce will contain between 1.8% and 4.5% residual sugar (RS); those labeled as dulce will contain at least 4.5% RS.

The newly approved sweet wines of the Léon DO will be based on the same grape varieties used in the dry wines of the region. In addition to the approved red varieties (discussed above), the white grapes of the DO include Verdejo, Albarín Blanco, and Godello (as recommended  varieties) and Malvasía and Palomino (as authorized varieties; Palomino is not approved for new plantings).

Note: as with all such updates, it may take a while for these updates to work their way through the various governing bodies (and even longer for the final documentation to become available for public perusal). However, the EU is spoken, so it seems these changes will soon become apparent in the marketplace.

References/for more information:

• Pliego des Condiciones – DO Leon modified 2023
• Leon DO update published in the EU Journal Feb 2024
• https://www.doleon.es/
• https://www.doleon.es/en/history/varieties-of-grape-and-wine/

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

Teramo, Abruzzo

As announced in the January 3 (2024) edition of the EU Journal, Italy has a new Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) classification for wine: the Terre d’Abruzzo IGT (aka Terre Abruzzesi). The new appellation is approved for a range of wine styles produced from grapes grown anywhere within the administrative region of Abruzzo.

BUT WAIT! Before all the wine students of the world (including me) let out a collective sigh and bemoan the growing number of appellations to study, note this: The Terre d’Abruzzo IGT is intended to replace the 8 IGTs currently scattered across Abruzzo. (We’ll have to wait to see the paperwork on this development, but it sounds promising.)

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Wine styles allowed under the Terre d’Abruzzo IGT include red (rosso), white (bianco), and rosé (rosato) in still (non-sparkling), frizzante (slightly sparkling), and passito (dried grape; red or white only) editions.

The list of grape varieties is long and varied. It includes several obscure, local varieties such as Mostosa, Passerina, and Pecorino; in addition to quite a few better-known Italian grapes such as Garganega, Moscato, Sangiovese, and Primitivo. International varieties—including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio—are on the list as well. (For a complete catalog of approved varieties, see the disciplinare, attached below.)

Blends (typically bottled under the appellation name) are allowed as well as certain varietals (which—per EU standards—must contain a minimum of 85% of the named variety). Red wines may be produced in the novello (young, lively, and fruit-forward) style.

Welcome to the World, Terre d’Abruzzo IGT!

References/for more information:

• Disciplinare – Terre d’Abruzzo IGT
• EU Official Journal January 2024 Terre d’Abruzzo IGT
• https://www.vinidabruzzo.it/

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

For several years, the Agricultural and Rural Development Council of the European Union (EU) has been working on a new set of labeling laws for wine and aromatized wine products. These laws—which are in effect as of December 8, 2023, and will apply to all wine released in the EU as of the 2024 vintage—are meant to provide consumers with additional information on a wine’s nutritional value and the ingredients used in the production of the wine.

• For context, EU wines have always required the following information to be declared on wine labels, and will continue to do so:
  • The designation of the category of grapevine product (type or style of wine product)
  • The region of origin, which may be an appellation or simply indication of provenance
  • ABV (alcoholic strength percentage by volume)
  • The name of the bottler, producer, or vendor
  • Net contents
  • For sparkling wines, sugar level/content

• Under the new laws, the following information must also be clearly stated on the wine label:
  • List of any ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances; these include sulfites, eggs and egg-based products, milk and milk-based products

• Under the new laws, the following information must be declared; however, it may be stated on the wine label OR available via electronic means such as a QR code:
  • Nutritional values including average values of energy (calories) as well as the amounts of fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, and salt.
  • List of ingredients, presented in descending order of weight, as recorded at the time of their use in the manufacture of the product. (Ingredients that make up less than 2% of the finished product may be listed in any order.) Additives must be listed according to the functional category, such as acidity regulators, preservatives/antioxidants, enrichments (such as concentrated grape must), or stabilizing agents. Yeast and alternative gases (as may be used in bottling) are considered processing aids and do not need to be listed as an ingredient.
  • Use-by date for de-alcoholized products

These rules—which in their current incarnation far exceed the labeling declarations required of wines produced or distributed in the United States—will apply to all wine (including American wine) distributed in the European Union.

References/for more information:

• EU Commission Notice regarding new wine labeling laws
• New EU Labeling Rules for Wines _Brussels USEU_European Union_01-05-2022
• https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/news/new-rules-wine-labelling-enter-application-2023-12-07_en

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

Welcome to the World, Emilia-Romagna DOC!

Also known as: The Pignoletto Chronicles or Pignoletto: It’s a Grape (not a Place)! 

First things first: we are here to announce a significant event…the EU has approved and registered a new Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) appellation for Italian Wines: The Emilia-Romagna DOC. This new appellation is approved for white wines based on the Pignoletto grape variety. A range of white wine styles are allowed—including dry-and-still (non-sparkling) wine, sparkling wine, frizzante (slightly sparkling/fizzy) wine, and passito (dried-grape, sweet) wine. These wines will be labeled with some variation of the term Emilia Romagna Pignoletto DOC.

Be advised, however, that the story behind this new appellation is long, complicated, and fascinating. TL/DR: It’s complicated, but the Pignoletto DOC was never approved by the EU, and has changed its name to Emilia-Romagna DOC (which has been approved by the EU). 

Here goes…after several years of deliberation, the EU has spoken, and they have decided that Pignoletto is a grape, but not a place (and it cannot be an appellation). In accordance, the use of the term Pignoletto cannot be limited to any certain location, and the EU has denied Italy’s request to create the Pignoletto DOC. In addition, the disciplinare for the Pignoletto DOC has been removed from the website of Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The rest of the story: Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture made an application (to the EU) back in 2014 for a new appellation to be known as the Pignoletto DOC. This occurred when it was discovered that the variety known in Emilia-Romagna as Pignoletto is identical to Grechetto di Todi, and nearly identical to Grechetto di Orvieto—a grape widely grown in Umbria and Marches (and elsewhere). In an attempt to limit the use of traditional name (Pignoletto) to the central area of Emilia-Romagna, a new appellation was proposed: Pignoletto DOC.

At the same time, a modification to the Colli Bolognesi DOC was published. The idea was that all of the Pignoletto-based wines—including dry, still, sparkling, and sweet styles—previously produced in the Colli Bolognesi DOC (and surrounding areas) would be labeled under the Pignoletto DOC. This would, in theory, define Pignoletto as a region, and as such, other areas would be prohibited from using the term Pignoletto to refer to Grechetto grapes.

The proposed modifications to the Colli Bolognesi DOC were accepted and registered by the EU in 2014. As a result, the Colli Bolognesi DOC is now approved for the production of red, white, and sparkling wines from a range of approved grapes; these include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco), Barbera, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon—but NOT Pignoletto.

However, as we now know, the EU chose NOT to approve the registration of the Pignoletto DOC. This left Italy with a conundrum: should they re-consolidate the separated DOCs? That sounds complicated and fails to solve the unique Problema Pignoletto.  Accordingly, a relatively simple solution was suggested: change the name. What could have/would have been the Pignoletto DOC will move forward as the Emilia-Romagna DOC.

Note: Another Pignoletto-based appellation—the Colli Bolognese Pignoletto DOCG—was created in 2004. The Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG is an ultra-small production appellation approved for Pignoletto-based white wines only (dry or off-dry [non-sparkling] wines only). The Colli Bolgonese Pignoletto DOCG has stricter standards—as per yield, planting density, and aging) as compared to the Pignoletto-based wines of the larger Emilia-Romagna DOC.

It was a long and winding road, but…Welcome to the World, Emilia Romagna DOC!

References/for more information:

• Disciplinare-Emilia Romagna DOC
• EU Council Implementing Deicsion Emilia Romagna DOC December 2023

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

Photo via the Tarragona CR

The Tarragona DO—registered in 1947—is a diverse, discontiguous wine region located in Catalonia. The eastern section of the appellation stretches along Spain’s Mediterranean Coast, while a smaller outpost is located further inland. The area includes the coastal plain just south of Penedès, the foothills of the Serra de Montalt, and a portion of the Ebro River Valley.

As befits such a diverse area, the list of grape varieties allowed for use in the DO is long and involved. Leading red grapes include Garnacha Negre, Carignan (here known as Samsó or Carinyena), Tempranillo (Ull de Llebre), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. White grapes include Garnacha Blanca, Chardonnay, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Moscatel (Muscat), Parellada, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The catalog of wine styles allowed for production under the auspices of the DO is even more impressive and contains no less than ten styles of wine. Included are various styles of white, red, and rosé wine in addition to oxidized wines (vino rancio), sparkling wines, fortified wines, mistela, and late-harvest wine.

As of November 2023, as published in the Journal of the European Union, the Tarragona DO is approved for one more style of wine: Orange Wine (referred to as Vino Brisado in Spanish or Vin Orange in French).

The Orange Wine of Tarragona is a skin-contact white wine macerated on the skins, seeds, and (perhaps) stems of the grapes in addition to the juice. It may be produced using the same grape varieties as allowed in the appellation’s white wines—Chardonnay, Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Moscatel, Parellada, Sauvignon Blanc, or Malvasia (Subirat Parent)—as well as Xarel-lo Rosado (a pink-berried mutation of Xarel-lo). It is described as being clear and bright, and ranging in color from intense yellow to amber/orange. Primary, herbaceous, and vegetal aromas are typical, as is a good balance of acidity. Some bitter and/or tannic notes may be noted as well.

References/for more information:

• Tarragona Orange Wine EU Journal
• Tarragona DO 2023

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