AVA, Labeling, California General Flashcards
Before AVAs, what were the legal appellations for wine in the US?
Just political boundaries: states and counties
What gov’t body created new system of AVAs based on geographical, physical and climatic features? When?
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
Late 1970s… 1st AVA 1980
What was the first AVA? When?
Augusta, Missouri
1980
When did Napa Valley gain AVA status?
1981
What federal bureau created by Homeland Security act of 2002 oversees the AVA system now?
Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
Why did the AVA system get suspended in 2007? Explain
-controversy over Calistoga AVA
-contention between rights of a brand and truth in appellation labeling
-Calistoga Estates and Calistoga Cellars didn’t have enough Calistoga fruit if Calistoga AVA got approved
-Calistoga AVA was approved in 2009, neither were grandfathered in, set new standard for label integrity
If label lists AVA what % of fruit must be from that AVA?
85%
If label lists county, state or country (USA) what percentage must be from there?
75%*
*Except CA, WA, OR
What percentage of grapes required if Oregon or California listed on label?
100%
What percentage of grapes required if Washington listed on label?
95%
What percentage required if single vineyard listed on label?
95%
What is required of wines with vintage date?
-American or imported - must carry appellation smaller than country
-AVA - min 95% from vintage
-county or state - min 85%
What percentage required for varietally labeled wine?
85%
**Vitis labrusca (Concord) only requires 51%
What is required for alcohol content labeling
-must state alcohol content
-within margin 1.5%
-7-14% may be labeled “table wine” or “light wine”
When must a wine label say “contains sulfite”
when they are present in concentration more than 10 parts per million
What % is required for “estate bottled” wine
-100% comes from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by winery
-winery and all vineyards within the same AVA
** Large AVAs that contain smaller ones circumvent this
4 large AVAs of California:
-North Coast AVA
-Central Coast AVA
-South Coast AVA
-Sierra Foothills
What does the South Coast AVA cover and is it notable?
-Covers land stretching from LA to San Diego
-has made little impact in terms of fine wine production
How much of CA’s wine is produced in the Central Valley? Is it an AVA?
75%
NO not AVA
What two French varieties are common in the Central Valley for bulk wine production?
Colombard
Chenin Blanc
What is Meritage?
-term trademarked by Maritage Alliance
-used by producers to indicate premium blend
-can be red or white
-must be from Bordeaux varieties
-no grape more than 90%
What grape do some consider the unique American style? What is it actually linked to?
Zinfandel
-linked by Carole Meredith’s research to Croatia’s Crljenak Kastelanski
What is Crljenak Kastelanski
Croatian name for Zin
Name a few grapes that were popular in field blends but have receded in acreage:
Charbono (bonarda, douce noir)
Carignan
Alicante Bouschet (Teinturier)
