Chapter 16: United States and North America

Map of Napa County AVAs

1. Chiles Valley District AVA 2. Howell Mountain AVA 3. Calistoga AVA 4. Diamond Mountain District AVA 5. Spring Mountain District AVA 6. St. Helena AVA 7. Rutherford AVA 8. Oakville AVA 9. Mount Veeder AVA 10. Yountville AVA 11. Oak Knoll District AVA 12. Los Carneros AVA 13. Atlas Peak AVA 14. Stags Leap District AVA 15. Wild Horse Valley AVA 16. Coombsville AVA

Map of Washington State AVAs

1. Puget Sound AVA 2. Naches Heights AVA 3. Yakima Valley AVA 4. Rattlesnake Hills AVA 5. Snipes Mountain AVA 6. Columbia Gorge AVA 7. Lake Chelan AVA 8. Columbia Valley AVA 9. Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley AVA 10. Royal Slope AVA 11. Wahluke Slope AVA 12. Lewis-Clark Valley AVA 13. Walla Walla Valley AVA 14. Red Mountain AVA 15. Horse Heaven Hills AVA

Map of Sonoma County AVAs

1. Rockpile AVA 2. Sonoma Coast AVA 3. Fort Ross-Seaview AVA 4. Russian River Valley AVA 5. Green Valley AVA 6. Petaluma Gap AVA 7. Los Carneros AVA 8. Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA 9. Dry Creek Valley AVA 10. Alexander Valley AVA 11. Knights Valley AVA 12. Chalk Hill AVA 13. Fountaingrove District AVA 14. Sonoma Valley AVA 15. Bennett Valley AVA 16. Sonoma Mountain AVA 17. Moon Mountain District AVA

Map of California's North Central Coast AVAs

1. Santa Cruz Mountains AVA 2. Ben Lomond Mountain AVA 3. Monterey AVA 4. Carmel Valley AVA 5. Santa Lucia Highlands AVA 6. Chalone AVA 7. Arroyo Seco AVA 8. San Bernabe AVA 9. San Lucas AVA 10. San Antonio Valley AVA 11. Livermore Valley AVA 12. Santa Clara Valley AVA 13. San Ysidro District AVA 14. Pacheco Pass AVA 15. San Benito AVA 16. Cienega Valley AVA 17. Mount Harlan AVA 18. Paicines AVA 19. Hames Valley AVA

Map of the Willamette Valley AVA (Oregon)

1. Tualatin Hills AVA 2.Ribbon Ridge AVA 3. Yamhill-Carlton AVA 4. McMinnville AVA 5. Van Duzer Corridor AVA 6. Eola-Amity Hills AVA 7. Laurelwood District AVA 8. Chehalem Mountains AVA 9. Dundee Hills AVA

Map of Oregon's AVAs

1. Willamette Valley AVA 2. Umpqua Valley AVA 3. Southern Oregon AVA 4. Rogue Valley AVA 5. Columbia Gorge AVA 6. Columbia Valley AVA 7. Walla Walla Valley AVA 8. The Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA 9. Snake River Valley AVA

Years during which Prohibition took place

1920-1933

Years during which US Prohibition took place

1920-1933

The state of Washington is the ___ largest producer of vinifera wine in the US

2nd

State law requires that any wine using a Washington State appellation contain a minimum of ___ percent Washington State grapes

95%

Federal agency responsible for enforcing laws concerning the smuggling of alcoholic beverages

ATF

Federal agency responsible for enforcing laws aimed at the illegal production of alcohol

ATF (Dept. of Justice)

Man recognized for bringing European vines to Sonoma in 1861; helped found California wine industry

Agoston Haraszthy

Santa Barbara County AVA known as a "Goldilocks Zone" for Rhône grapes

Alisos Canyon AVA (approved Aug. 2020, b/w Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley)

Sub-appellation of the Lodi AVA

Alta Mesa (also Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Sloughhouse)

Subregions of the Lodi AVA

Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River, Sloughhouse

The ___ AVA is named for the numerous pothole lakes formed by the Missoula Floods (12,000 years ago)

Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley AVA

Mendocino County AVA well-known for sparkling wine

Anderson Valley AVA

The Rogue Valley AVA has one sub-appellation, the ___ AVA

Applegate Valley AVA

Sub-appellation located in the cooler portion of the Monterey AVA

Arroyo Seco AVA (central, closer to Coast line)

Subregion of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA

Ben Lomond Mountain AVA

Subregion of the Sonoma Valley AVA

Bennett Valley AVA

Elements that are required on a US wine label

Brand name, alcohol content, net contents by volume, name and address of the bottler, sulfite statement (10ppm), and health warning

Leading red grape of Napa County

Cabernet Sauvignon

The leading red grapes of Washington State are ___ and ___. While ___ is grown in smaller quantities, it often draws some of the highest critical acclaim

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah (think of Columbia Valley wines)

___, located in the Mexican state of Coahuila, is one of the oldest wineries in North America

Cada Madero (founded by Don Lorenzo de Garcia in 1597 as Hacienda de San Lorenzo)

André Tchelistcheff

California winemaker who introduced the US to modern techniques and mentored other winemakers

Washington State's smallest appellation is the ___ AVA, located to the southeast of Red Mountain

Candy Mountain AVA

Mountain range that provides a rain shadow for much of eastern Washington State

Cascade Mountains

Area planted with 55% of California's grape acreage

Central Valley

Man recognized as the founder of the first Napa Valley winery in 1861

Charles Krug

Napa County AVA, located somewhat to the east of the valley floor, that extends into the Vaca Mountains

Chiles Valley District AVA

The smallest AVA within the US

Cole Ranch AVA (located in Mendocino county)

Smallest AVA in the US

Cole Ranch AVA (located within Mendocino County)

The ___ AVA, shared with Oregon, is located where the Columbia River cuts a narrow passage through the Cascade Mountains

Columbia Gorge AVA (outside the bounds of the Columbia Valley AVA)

The ___ AVA, one of the largest in the country, encompasses most of Washington's total vineyard area

Columbia Valley AVA

Three AVAs that straddle the Oregon-Washington State border

Columbia Valley AVA, Columbia Gorge AVA, and the Walla Walla Valley AVA

US Appellation of Origin Rules

Country: 75% min., required if wine is imported or lists a vintage date; State: 75% min. grapes come from that state except California/Oregon require 100% and Washington requires 95%; County: 75% min. grapes come from said county, and the label can list up to three contiguous counties (same with states) if the percentage from each is listed; AVA: 85% min. grapes from said AVA except Oregon requires 95%; Vineyard: 95%. min grapes from listed vineyard

Three UC Davis graduates often credited with being the "pioneers" of the modern Oregon wine industry

David Lett, Charles Coury, and Dick Erath

Tier of the three-tier system that applies to wholesalers

Distributors

A viticulturist from Russia named ___ is credited with championing the planting of vinifera grapes in the cold-climate environment of New York

Dr. Konstantin Frank

AVA that is best known for Zinfandel

Dry Creek Valley AVA (north-central Sonoma County on Dry Creek River)

Cool-climate AVA located in San Luis Obispo County

Edna Valley AVA

AVA that is best known for Pinot Noir

Eola-Amity Hilla AVA (sub-AVA of Willamette Valley AVA along with Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Van Duzer, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, Chehalem, Laurelwood, and Tualatin Hills)

T/F: A standard 750mL wine bottle contains 22 fluid ounces

False (25.4 fl oz)

T/F: If a wine's stated place of origin is a specific vineyard, then 100% of the wine must be from the named vineyard

False (95% min.)

T/F: The term estate bottled may not be used on American wines

False (may be used if winery owns/leases vineyards that grow grapes, and those vineyards and the winery are located in a single AVA together)

T/F: If a wine's stated place of origin is the state of California, then a min. of 90% of the wine in the bottle must be from California

False (must be 100% from California, same rule as Oregon, and Washington state requires 95%)

T/F: The use of the term Champagne has never been permitted on a US wine label

False (permitted on labels approved before 2006 with American geographic indication, i.e. California Champagne)

T/F: In the US, varietal wines produced with native North American grapes (Vitis labrusca) must contain a minimum of 75% of the named grape variety

False (standard for labrusca wines is 51% min.)

T/F: If a single vinifera grape variety appears on a California wine label, then the wine must contain a minimum of 70% of the named variety

False (varietal claims on US wine labels must contain at least 75% of the listed grape, except for labrusca wines or Oregon iconic varieties)

New York's ___ AVA and its two sub-AVAs, the ___ AVA and the ___ AVA, account for over 85% of the state's wine production

Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake

Subregion of the Sonoma Coast AVA

Fort Ross-Seaview AVA

AVA located (in Sonoma) just north of the Sonoma Valley AVA

Fountaingrove District AVA

US event in 1849 that led to increased population in California and and increased demand for wine

Gold Rush

Subregion of the Russian River Valley AVA

Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA

An AVA that is a subregion of the Russian River Valley AVA (located in Sonoma County)

Green Valley-Russian River Valley AVA

AVA found within Lake County

Guenoc Valley (along with Benmore Valley, Clear Lake, High Valley, Red Hills Lake, and Big Valley District Lake)

Sub-appellation located in the warmer portion of the Monterey AVA

Hames Valley AVA (far south)

The only elevation-specific AVA of Napa County

Howell Mountain AVA (boundary drawn at 1,400 ft. minimum)

The Brotherhood Winery is located in the ___ AVA, located north of NYC

Hudson River Region AVA

County that, according to the EPA, has the purest air quality in California

Lake County

The ___ AVA is shared b/w Washington and Idaho

Lewis-Clark Valley AVA

AVA located in the far north of the Central Coast AVA

Livermore Valley AVA

The ___ AVA is located two hours east of NYC. It has two sub-appellations, including the North Fork of Long Island AVA and the ___ AVA

Long Island AVA, Hamptons AVA

AVA shared between Napa and Sonoma Counties (southwest Napa)

Los Carneros AVA

Santa Barbara County AVA approved in January of 2016

Los Olivos AVA

Top Burgundy producer who established a wine estate in Oregon in 1988, and the name of the Winery

Maison Joseph Drouhin, who established Domaine Drouhin in the Willamette Valley in 1988

AVA often referred to as "Islands in the Sky"

Mendocino Ridge AVA

County that produces nearly 20% of California's Chardonnay

Monterey County

Washington State is considered one of the premier ___ regions for Riesling

New World

A ridge of cliffs known as the ___ has a major effect on the climate of the Niagara Peninsula region, giving the area a wide range of microclimates

Niagara Escarpment

The ___ appellation is home to most of the vineyards in Ontario

Niagara Peninsula

The founder of the first successful commercial winery in the US (in Ohio)

Nicholas Longworth

Sub-appellation of the Sierra Foothills AVA

North Yuba (also Fiddletown, El Dorado, California Shenandoah, and Fair Play)

Due to the state's ___, Washington has more total sunshine hours than California

Northerly latitude

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Health Claims

Not permitted; cannot suggest relationship b/w consumption and health benefits, nor can they refer consumers to a third party

Big-box stores such as Costco and Sam's Club

Off-premise retailers

Wine shops, liquor stores, and supermarkets

Off-premise retailers

The premier grape growing area in British Columbia, found east of the Coast Range, is the ___

Okanagan Valley (led by Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir)

Restaurants and hotels

On-premise retailers

Wine bars

On-premise retailers

The majority of Canada's wine grapes are grown on the shores of the Great Lakes in the province of ___

Ontario

Wine region affected by the Niagara Escarpment

Ontario (Lake Ontario and the Niagara Peninsula)

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Label art

Optional

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Appellation of origin

Optional to list country of origin unless wine is imported or vintage date is listed, anything more specific is optional

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Grape Variety

Optional; 75% min. grapes grown in the listed appellation, 51% min. for Vitis labrusca wines, 90% min. grapes for Oregon's iconic varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris (EU's min. for varietal and vintage claim is 85%)

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Vintage Date

Optional; 95% min. grapes from that year if AVA or foreign equivalent, 85% min. for state/county or foreign equivalent

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - "Estate Bottled"

Optional; grapes must come from vineyards owned/leased by the winery, and the vineyards and winery must be contained within a single AVA

David Lett and Dick Erath are pioneers of the wine industry in ___

Oregon (primarily Willamette Valley)

Large AVA with 11 sub-appellations, including San Juan Creek and Templeton Gap

Paso Robles AVA

AVA shared between Sonoma and Marin Counties

Petaluma Gap AVA

Red wine grape particularly well-suited to the Russian River Valley AVA

Pinot Noir

Three types of wine for which Oregon has gained particularly wide acclaim

Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Sparkling wine

"Tier" of the three-tier system that applies to wineries

Producers

Tier of the three-tier system that applies to wine importers

Producers

Three tiers of the US wine distribution system

Producers, Distributors, and Retailers

The ___ AVA is the only Washington State AVA located on the western side of the Cascades

Puget Sound AVA

The ___ of the Cascades results in near-desert conditions for much of eastern Washington State

Rain shadow

Two sub-appellations of the Umpqua Valley AVA

Red Hill Douglas County and Elkton Oregon AVAs

The ___ AVA is actually a steep, southwest-facing slope near the Yakima River

Red Mountain AVA

Describe a Meritage wine

Red blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, and/or Cab Franc; White blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and/or Muscadelle

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Address of the bottler/importer

Required

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Brand name

Required

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Sulfite statement

Required for wines containing more than 10ppm of SO2

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Net contents (volume)

Required, either on label or embossed in the glass

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Alcohol Content

Required; "table wines" may be used for wines 14% abv or below, otherwise the percentage must be listed and TTB allows for 1.5% variance at 14% abv or below, 1% variance if above 14% abv

US Wine Labels: Required, Optional, Not Permitted - Name of the bottler/importer

Required; names the person or company which has ultimate control over the content of the wine

Grapes best suited for the Finger Lakes AVA

Riesling and Cabernet Franc (cold-hardy grapes)

The tiny ___ AVA is located in the Oregon side of the larger Walla Walla Valley AVA, which is itself shared with ___

Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA, Washington State

Napa AVA often noted for its "dust"

Rutherford AVA (Rutherford dust)

The Paso Robles AVA is located in ___ County

San Luis Obispo

The northernmost AVA in Santa Barbara County

Santa Maria Valley AVA

AVA that covers a large expanse of land, yet only contains 1% of California's vineyard acreage

Sierra Foothills AVA

Large AVA that contains only 1% of California's wine grape acreage

Sierra Foothills AVA (north, east of Central Valley)

Washington State AVA well-known for Cabernet Sauvignon

Snipes Mountain AVA

Bob Trinchero

Son of Sutter Home's co-founder, Mario Trinchero, who developed the idea to make a white wine from red Zinfandel grape, saving California's Zin vines

The ___ AVA combines the Rogue Valley and Umpqua Valley AVAs

Southern Oregon AVA

AVA located mostly within the larger Santa Ynez Valley AVA

Sta. Rita Hills AVA (cool-climate sub-appellation in Santa Barbara)

Federal agency responsible for overseeing alcohol labeling and advertising

TTB

Federal agency responsible for the collection of alcohol excise taxes

TTB

Federal agency that maintains the list of American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)

TTB

Federal agency responsible for enforcing laws relevant to businesses engaged in the importation of alcohol

TTB (Dept. of Treasury)

1976 event considered to be the turning point that changed the world's perception of California wines

The Paris Tasting

T/F: If a wine's stated place of origin is a country, then a min. of 75% of the wine in the bottle must be from the named country

True

T/F: Semi-generic place-names may be used on a US wine label as long as an American geographic term is also used, provided that the label was approved prior to March 2006

True

T/F: Some European place-names, including Chablis, Burgundy, and Chianti, are considered by the US to be "semi generic"

True

T/F: The term Fumé Blanc is an approved synonym for Sauvignon Blanc in the US

True

T/F: The term old vine has no legal definition in the US, but is permitted to be used on a wine label, provided the term is not misleading

True

T/F: If a wine's appellation of origin is a specific AVA, then a min. of 85% of the wine must be from the named AVA

True (95% min. in Oregon)

T/F: Oregon Pinot Noir must contain a minimum of 90% Pinot Noir grapes

True (Oregon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay require 90% min. for varietal claims)

T/F: The term Meritage refers to wines that are made with Bordeaux grape varieties

True (must be winery's most expensive wine of its style, blend of Bordeaux grapes with max. 90% of any single variety)

The main wine region of Baja California is the ___, located near the city of ___

Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada

The wine laws of Ontario are defined by an appellation and quality-control system known as the ___

Vintner's Quality Alliance (VQA)

With a climate similar to Germany's, New York does well with grapes from the ___ species and cold-hard ___, in addition to vinifera varieties such as Riesling and Cabernet Franc

Vitis labrusca, hybrids

AVA shared between Napa and Solano Counties (southeast Napa)

Wild Horse Valley AVA

The ___ AVA, located an hour's drive south of Portland, is home to nearly ___ of Oregon's vineyards

Willamette Valley AVA, 75% (northwest section of Oregon)

Frank Schoonmaker

Wine journalist credited with introducing and promoting the concept of varietal labeling to help California better define its wines

The ___ AVA was Washington's first appellation

Yakima Valley AVA

Leading red grape of the Dry Creek Valley AVA

Zinfandel

If a wine is labeled as "Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc", then ___% of the wine must be Sauvignon Blanc

min. 75% for varietal claim (except labrusca, Oregon icons)

If a wine's appellation of origin is Napa Valley, then ___% of its contents must be from the Napa Valley AVA

min. 85% for AVAs