Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/56967
By Michelle Locke Sonoma NEWS FLASH Appellation Alterations The big AVA issue in Sonoma County is the controversial addi- tion of about 14,000 acres to the Russian River Valley viticultural region. Meanwhile, two new AVAs, Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak and Fort Ross-Seaview, have been approved. And the state law requir- ing all wineries to add "Sonoma County" to labels is two years away from being mandatory. Considering that the county's last new AVA was Bennett Valley, approved in 2003, perhaps it's not surprising that, as Sonoma County Winegrape Commission president Nick Frey put it, "There's some activity and lots of discussion." Prompting most of the talk is the Russian River Valley (RRV) expansion, which took effect in December 2011 and extends the appellation to the south and east. E. & J. Gallo Winery, which owns the Two Rock Vineyard in the expan- sion area, asked federal regulators to make the change. The expansion area shares "the same coastal fog intrusion, climate, topography, soil and growing conditions, which is why the expan- sion petition had broad support from local farm- ers, winery own- ers, consumers and agricultural organizations," Susan Hensley, Gallo vice presi- dent of corporate public relations, said in a state- ment. Opponents, including sev- eral members of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers (RRVW), dis- agreed, saying the addition doesn't have enough in common with the existing AVA. They said the addi- tion has a cooler climate and could 12 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT MAR - APR 2012 dilute the Russian River Valley name. In 2008, RRVW membership voted on the proposed expansion. The majority of votes submitted were in opposition to the request, although the association ultimately took a neutral position. After federal regulators ruled in favor of the expansion, RRVW pres- ident Nick Leras indicated it was time to move on, releasing a state- ment that said, "While this has been an issue on which our mem- bership has had diverse opinions, those discussions have always reflected the passion of our mem- bers and their commitment to this very special place." The Russian River Valley, a cool- weather appellation known for pinot noir and chardonnay, already has two sub-appellations, Chalk Hill and Green Valley. In the wake of the Russian River Valley extension, there's been talk of creating more sub-appellations, although those ideas are still in the nascent stages. "A lot of people are talking about splitting up the Russian River Val- ley into some sub- appellations," said Adam Lee, co-owner of Siduri Wines in Santa Rosa, Calif., which makes pinot noir, including wines from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. "And while I think some of them make a lot of sense geographically, I don't know that it's neces- sarily going to do a service to consumers when we really haven't fully defined the Russian River Valley." Siduri stayed The Russian River Valley AVA has under- gone a 14,000-acre expansion. out of the Rus- sian River Valley expansion fight. As it happens, Lee sources grapes from a vineyard that falls into the addition, although he plans to keep using the existing Sonoma Coast designation. As for suggestions that Sonoma Record Numbers Attend Unified Symposium The 2012 Unified Wine & Grape Sym- posium in Sacramento, Calif., drew a record-breaking crowd of 12,400 in late January. John Aguirre, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, attributed the jump in atten- dance to the improved economy and relevant session topics. "People want the latest information, research and analysis as a way to stay competitive in 2012," he said. Scientists prove regional variations in yeast Scientists in New Zealand have proved for the first time that wine yeasts vary from region to region. The research, conducted by the University of Auck- land, detected distinct differences between indigenous yeast strains in different regions. At present the research is confined to New Zealand. New Jersey to Allow Direct Shipping In January, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a bill that, when it goes into effect in May, will allow limited, regulated direct shipping by wineries licensed to ship to New Jersey consumers. However, the law includes a "capacity cap" that allows small wineries to ship directly to consumers but bans shipments from mid-sized wineries or wine companies producing more than 250,000 gallons per year. Additionally, the bill prohibits out-of-state retailers from direct shipping. Sonoma State to offer EMBA in Napa Valley Sonoma State University and the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) are partnering to bring the university's Executive Masters of Business Administration program (EMBA) to the Napa Valley. With a special emphasis on wine industry issues, the 17-month program will be held at NVV's headquarters in St. Helena. See www.sonoma.edu/ emba for details. For more industry news briefs, visit the News Flash page on V&WM's website: www.vwm-online.com. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM