Washington gets new AVA
Horse Heaven Hills will become Washington states Seventh recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA) on August 1, 2005. The area is bordered by the Yakima Valley and Columbia Valley AVA’s and consists of 570,000 acres of land, of which only 6,000 acres are currently under production. This area has 4 wineries in the region, Champoux Vineyard, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, Andrew Vineyard , (Alder Ridge ?), and numerous others that use grapes from the area, including Andrew Will Winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Columbia Winery, Hogue Cellars, and Woodward Canyon, among others. The land that makes up this AVA is unique:
The hills are geologic folds in the earth’s crust which account for the consistent winds that blow across the land, lowering the risk of vineyard disease and pests. These continual winds stress the vines of vineyards across the region, drying them out and setting the stage for drip irrigation to be used as a canopy management tool to limit the plants’ vigor. All these factors lead to intense-flavored grapes with a structural balance of sugars and acids. (More about the area here)
