AVA Anniversary

AVA Anniversary

AVA Anniversary. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Horse Heaven Hills American Viticulture Area or AVA is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary. While grapes have been growing in the area for the last 46 years this celebration is about the designation as an AVA. Monica Martinez with Martinez Vineyard and Horse Heaven Hill's Wine Grape Growers Member talks about how the Horse Heaven Hills AVA has grown.

MARTINEZ: The growth has doubled and in 2005 I think there was 6,000 acres of grapes and now there’s over 12,000 acres of grapes. The Horse Heaven Hills makes up over 25% of all the grapes in the state so it’s one of the biggest AVA’s. People are still planting.

Many AVA’s have unique properties and Martinez talks about what makes this one so special.

MARTINEZ: We always say earth, wine and wines. The terroir is obviously unique with the ancient volcanic silty loam and the wind out there we feel like is a huge part on what makes the Horse Heaven Hills wines unique. The reds have a lot of tannin but they’re fine tannins.

The AVA is home to many award winning wines and even some 100-point wines. Martinez talks about the upcoming celebration.

MARTINEZ: We’re putting on a really unique opportunity with food pairing and ten cabernet’s from the 2005. We’re trying to get some of the top wines, Martinez and Martinez will be there. That was our first vintage. We were lucky enough to have a cabernet in 2005.

The event will be June 26th at the Clore Center in Prosser and is limited to only 50 due to the limited quantities of these special wines.

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

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