North America Flashcards
Who is the 5th largest producer of wine in the world?
U.S.
What was the first bonded winery in the US?
Pleasant Valley Wine Company, est. 1860 in Hammondsport, Finger Lakes, NY
Who oversaw the creation of the AVA system in the 1970s and who oversees AVA laws today?
1970s: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
Today: Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
What was the first AVA in the US, approved in 1980?
Augusta in Missouri
What % of grapes are required for labeling by place must originate in that place (country/state/county, AVA, vineyard)?
Country/State/County: 75%***
AVA: 85%**
Vineyard: 95%
- **In CA and OR, it’s 100%. In WA it’s 95%
- *In Oregon it’s 95% for AVA labeling
What are the US labeling requirements for a vintage dated wine and for a varietally labelled wine?
Vintage:
- AVA: 95%
- State/County: 85%
Varietal:
- 75% (exception: vitis labrusca grapes only need 51%)
- 90% in Oregon
What are the requirements for a US “Estate Bottled” Wine?
- 100% of the grapes must come from land owned or controlled by the winery
- All vineyards used in the production must be within the same AVA
What are the 4 large regions of California:
- North Coast
- Central Coast
- South Coast
- Sierra Foothills
What is Meritage?
A term used by producers to indicate a Bordeaux varietal blend where no grape accounts for more than 90% of the wine.
What counties are included in the North Coast?
- Napa
- Sonoma
- Mendocino
- Lake
- Solano
- Marin
Napa Valley AVA is home to a classic style of what grape?
Classic American Cabernet Sauvignon
What is the southern most AVA within Napa County and what is it known for?
Carneros AVA–suitable for sparkling wines
What is the northern most AVA within Napa County and what is it known for?
Calistoga AVA–Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel
What weather feature makes the southern Carneros AVA so much colder than the northern Calistoga AVA?
Cool ocean air funnels through the Petaluma Gap into the San Pablo Bay and upward through the valley
What two mountain ranges make up the Napa Valley?
Mayacamas Mountains (west–borders Sonoma)
Vaca Mountains (east)
What are the sub-AVAs of Napa Valley (north to south)?
- Calistoga
- Diamond Mountain
- Chiles Valley District
- Spring Mountain District
- Howell Mountain
- St. Helena
- Rutherford
- Oakville
- Yountville
- Mount Veeder
- Stags Leap District
- Atlas Peak
- Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
- Coombsville
- Wild Horse Valley
- Los Carneros
What grapes grow in Napa?
Cabernet Sauvignon--dominates Chardonnay--dominate white Zinfandel Merlot Cabernet Franc Petit Verdot Sauvignon Blanc Petite Syrah Syrah Sangiovese Pinot Noir
What grape is heavily planted in Carneros for sparkling and still wine production?
Pinot Noir
What are the AVAs of Sonoma County?
- Sonoma Coast
- Sonoma Valley
- Sonoma Mountain
- Fort Ross-Seaview
- Rockpile
- Pine Mtn-Cloverdale Peak
- Dry Creek Valley
- Alexander Valley
- Chalk Hill
- Knights Valley
- Russian River Valley
- Green Valley of Russian River Valley
- Bennett Valley
- Moon Mountain
- Los Carneros (shared w/ Napa)
- Northern Sonoma
- Fountaingrove District
What grapes are grown in the Russian River Valley?
Known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but the moderate climate would do well for most Rhone varieties and Zinfandel as well
What is the warmest AVA in Sonoma?
Knights Valley–known for Cabernet Sauvignon
Geographically, where is Sonoma Valley AVA located and what grapes grow there?
Situated between the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountains, it runs parallel to Napa Valley.
Zinfandel
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Starting in 2011, all wines produced in Sonoma County are required to be labeled as what, regardless of whether an AVA is also listed?
All wines must state Sonoma County if produced in Sonoma County
Mendocino’s best wine growing regions are a the confluence of what two rivers?
Russian River and Navarro River
What is the smallest AVA in the US?
Cole Ranch (sub-AVA of Mendocino AVA)
What are the sub AVAs of Mendocino AVA?
- Anderson Valley
- Potter Valley
- Redwood Valley
- McDowell Valley
- Yorkville Highlands
- Mendocino Ridge
- Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak (shared w/ Sonoma)
- Dos Rios
- Cole Ranch
What is Anderson Valley known for?
Sparkling wines (Louis Roederer established US operations here)
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
What are the sub-AVAs of the Central Coast AVA?
- Livermore Valley
- Santa Cruz Mountains
- Ben Lomond Mountain
- Santa Clara Valley
- San Ysidro District
- San Francisco Bay
What areas make up the Central Coast?
- Whole area from SF Bay to Santa Barbara County
- Monterey County
- San Luis Obispo County
- Santa Barbara County
In Monterey, what two grapes dominate?
Chardonnay–over 50% of the plantings
Pinot Noir–highlighted in the Santa Lucia Highlands
What is one AVA of note in Monterey?
Santa Lucia Highlands
What is the giant appellation within San Luis Obispo?
Paso Robles AVA–no has 11 sub-AVAs
What are the AVAs of note in Santa Barbara County?
- Santa Ynez Valley AVA
- -Sub AVAs
a. Sta. Rita Hills
b. Ballard Canyon
c. Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
What mountain range goes through Washington, creating a rain shadow to the east?
Cascade Mts.
What are the AVAs of Washington?
- Columbia Valley
- Columbia Gorge
- Walla Walla Valley
- Lake Chelan
- Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley
- Wahluke Slope
- Yakima Valley
- Naches Heights
- Red Mountain
- Snipes Mountain
- Rattlesnake Hills
- Horse Heaven Hills
- Puget Sound
What is the largest AVA in Washington?
Columbia Valley AVA
What Washington AVA runs along the border of Oregon, and what sub-AVA is actually entirely located in Oregon?
Walla Walla Valley runs the border
The Rocks of Milton-Freewater is entirely in Oregon and obtained it’s own AVA in 2015.
What are the 6 sub-AVAs of Willamette Valley?
- Dundee Hills
- Eola-Amity Hills
- Ribbon Ridge
- McMinnville
- Yamhill-Carlton District
- Chehalem Mountains
What is the soil type that makes up the “red hills” of the Dundee Hills AVA?
Jory–well drained soil of volcanic origin
What AVAs are shared by Washington and Oregon
- Columbia Gorge
- Columbia Valley
- Walla Wall Valley
- The Rocks of Milton-Freewater
Outside of Dundee Hills, what soil dominates Willamette Valley?
Willakenzie–marine, sedimentary soil
What state is the 2nd largest producer of wine in the US?
NY
What is the VQA and which areas have VQA status?
Vitners’ Quality Alliance
Required by law in Ontario but voluntary in British Columbia
What are the 3 sub-regions of Ontario?
- Niagara Peninsula
- Lake Erie North Shore
- Prince Edward Island
What grapes are grown in Ontario and what style of wine is it known for?
Riesling
Chardonnay
Cabernet Franc
Pinot Noir
Icewine is acclaimed in Niagara Peninsula
