KELSEYVILLE – Winegrape growers from the Big Valley area have an opportunity to help create greater promotional possibilities for their region's wine.
The growers of Big Valley will gather Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Big Valley Grange to hear a presentation on petitioning for designation of a new appellation. The Lake County Winegrape Commission is arranging the meeting.
Lake County is home to the Red Hills Lake County Appellation, the High Valley Appellation, Guenoc Appellation and Lake County/Clear Lake Appellation, according to commission Executive Director Shannon Gunier.
An appellation is "a winegrowing region with officially recognized boundaries," states information on the Appellation America Web site, http://wine.appellationamerica.com.
Regions specifically defined by actual growing conditions are known as American Viticultural Areas (AVA), one of three classes of appellations.
The Web site notes there are 311 officially recognized wine growing regions in North America, of which only 191 are AVAs in the United States.
Big Valley growers are interested in becoming one of the elite designation to reap the benefits associated with the classification, such as the success both the Red Hills and High Valley appellations have had in promoting and selling Lake County wine, the Commission executive director stated.
There are more than 50 winegrape growers in the Big Valley area who stand to profit if the AVA designation is obtained.
To assist the growers in understanding what has to happen to garner the AVA designation, Rick Gunier, owner of CPI Marketing, will make the presentation Thursday to the Big Valley winegrape producers.
Based on his experience in helping put together development of the Red Hills Lake County AVA, Gunier will outline the logistics involved and discuss the growers' interests and concerns.
A region, via its wineries and winegrape growers, must petition the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. To qualify as an AVA, the petitioners must prove that the region has a unique climate, similar soil types, and a historic link to the name used, Gunier explained. The process for obtaining the designation usually takes a year or two, he said.
The advantage is that the wineries from the area or those using grapes from the area can then boast of the AVA designation by stating it on the wine label, thus differentiating the unique region. It typically enables growers to get better prices for their product than their competitors in other areas of the country, Gunier explained.
Additional information about Lake County appellations and grower outreach meetings can be found on the Lake County Winegrape Commission website,www.lakecountywinegrape.org.
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