Three new AVAs were approved in Washington State this past month. White Bluffs AVA, Goose Gap AVA, and The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA.
Recorded a quick video about it for those who prefer that format, but I’ll include some other findings here that stood out to me from the CFR documents.
White Bluffs AVA
Petitioned by Kevin Pogue, a geologist/vineyard consultant who also wrote up petitions for the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA and Candy Mountain AVA.
White Bluffs is made up of two plateaus that rise 200ft above the surrounding Pasco Basin, east of the Columbia River in the center of the Columbia Valley AVA. In spring and fall, cold air settles at the bottom of the basin, below the plateaus. Without the frost risk that comes with that cold air, grapes benefit from a few extra weeks of hang time.
The AVA covers over 90k acres, of which 1,100 are planted. There’s only one winery located in the AVA — Claar Cellars — and 9 commercial vineyards. I read that 1 in every 10 Washington wineries buys fruit from the area, so I do expect to start seeing White Bluffs on labels.
Goose Gap AVA
Petitioned by vineyard consultant/geologist Alan Busacca (AKA “Dr. Dirt”). Alan has also written petitions for Wahluke Slope, Lake Chelan, Lewis-Clark Valley, and Royal Slope AVAs.
Goose Gap is a subregion of the Yakima Valley AVA, located just east of the Red Mountain AVA. It is centered on the north-facing slope of Goose Hill. Where most AVAs in the area have sunny, south-facing aspects, the south side of Goose Hill is too steep.
The AVA covers over 8,000 acres. 1,800 acres are currently planted. It is currently home to just one winery, Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards & Winery. There are two commercial vineyards operating in the AVA with 16 different varieties planted. Over 20 wineries buy fruit from these vineyards, so we might see some Goose Gap AVAs out before long.
The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA
The AVA was petitioned by representatives of two of Washington’s biggest wine companies—Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Mercer Ranches—alongside a soil scientist from Washington State University.
I read through the public comments that were submitted to the petition, and while I wasn’t surprised, I thought it was interesting to see just how specific this AVA is to Ste. Michelle/Mercer.
There was 1 objection. I’ll link it here because I think it’s worth reading.
Here’s a quote:
In my mind, such a petition would never have been attempted were it not for the fact the three developers just acquired control of an 11,000 ac ranch that is so large they want to try to find a way to help market it.
The rest were in support. Some highlights:
- One was from John Mercer.
- One was from James Beeks, a rancher and major landowner in the AVA.
- One was from Jeff Andrews, who has grown grapes for Ste. Michelle for 20 years in Horse Heaven Hills.
- A few were from local Klickitat County boards.
- One anonymous comment said “Usually in situations like this I follow President Trump’s lead, but unfortunately he doesn’t drink.”
The Burn is said to accumulate about the same amount of heat as some of Washington’s warmer regions, but over a longer period of time. It also sees some wind from the Gorge to the west.
Of the 16k+ acres that make up the AVA, about 1,500 are currently planted.
For a few years, Ste. Michelle has been using Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from The Burn for its Borne of Fire brand. Since Ste. Michelle and Mercer Ranches are so heavily invested in the area, they’ll likely be the ones to market the AVA in the future.
Possibly relevant to the Burn AVA is the V75 LLC venture, a Ste. Michelle project to develop tourism in nearby Goldendale.
The property owners have prepared a master plan for the 11,500-acre ranch, home to cattle, wheat and alfalfa operations. Under the master plan, the land could be developed over the next seven years into more vineyards as well as a hotel, trails and other amenities. About 4,000 acres of planted vineyards could eventually be developed, Callan said.
Congratulations to all of you in the Washington wine industry who have been waiting patiently for this! All the best.