Central Coast Flashcards
What are the major American grape species?
Vitis Labrusca (Concord)
Vitis Aestivalis (Norton)
Vitis Rotundifolia (Scuppernong)
What was America’s first AVA?
Augusta, Missouri (1980)
When did Napa Valley gain AVA status?
1981
Who oversees the AVA system?
Originally the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF);
Currently the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
What are the required % for County or State labeled wines?
Vintage: 85%
Varietal: 75%
Location: 75%
What are the required % for AVA labeled wines?
Vintage: 95%
Varietal: 75%
Location: 85%
What % of grapes must be from the state to label Calfornia, Oregon, or Washington?
CA and OR: 100%
WA: 95%
What % is required to varietally label vitis labrusca wines?
51.00%
What % is required to list a single vineyard?
95.00%
What is required to qualify a wine as Estate Bottled?
100% of the wine must come from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the winery, and the vineyards and the winery itself must be within the same AVA.
What AVAs are between San Francisco and Monterey?
San Francisco Bay
Livermore Valley (within San Francisco Bay)
Ben Lomond Mountain (within Santa Cruz Mtns)
Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Clara Valley
Pacheco Pass
San Ysidro District
Which AVA southeast of SF is NOT included in the Central Coast? What other larger AVA is it excluded from?
Santa Cruz Mountains
San Francisco Bay
What was the first AVA to be designated by altitude, and what are its minimums? Why?
Santa Cruz Mountains, 1981.
Best vineyards are planted on steep ridges above the reach of the fog; altitude and ocean breezes collaborate to create a long, cool, growing season.
400ft-800ft, depending on where you are on the boundary.
What are the AVAs of Monterey County?
Monterey
Carmel Valley (coastal, direct maritime influence)
Chalone (east, inland side of the mountains)
Santa Lucia Highlands
Arroyo Secco
San Bernabe
San Lucas
San Antonio Valley (surrounds San Antonio Lake)
Hames Valley
What major river runs north through Paso, San Lucas, Hames, Bernabe, Arroyo Seco, and Monterey? Largest river in the central coast!
Salinas River