How important is an AVA?

How important is an AVA? I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

An American Viticulture Area or AVA is a grape growing region defined by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and they must receive a request from wineries or other petitioners. AVA like the Napa Valley have used that distinction and marketed it to the point that wines from the Napa Valley are widely recognized. But according to Jim Holmes of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, there are good and bad sides of an AVA.

HOLMES: And also for tourist promotion you hope that your AVA has some good "other things for tourists to come out but as your reputation grows, tourists come knock on your door.

Bottom line according to Holmes is quality.

HOLMES: And AVA’s mislead consumers. You know you put that little line on there and they’ll ask if it’s a good wine. Well no, this won’t guarantee that this wine is any better than anyone else’s wine. Don’t buy that wine just because it says AVA, no that just a big mislead & big fraud. Really the bottom line here is that wine ought to be sold on the merits of the cask. Is it good, is it bad; that ought to be the whole game.

Holmes’ Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is part of the Red Mountain AVA in Eastern Washington, an area that is quickly becoming known for high quality wines.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.