TTB Approves the Calistoga AVA
Ξ December 3rd, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Wine & Politics, Wine History, Wine News, Wineries |
After years of contentious debate, foot-dragging and play in a house of mirrors, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued late yesterday (Dec. 3) their approval of the Calistoga AVA. The terse statement reads,
SUMMARY: This Treasury decision establishes the Calistoga viticultural area in Napa County, California. The viticultural area is entirely within the existing Napa Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
The full text of the decision is unavailable on either the TTB website or Thursday’s Federal Register as of this writing.
— Dec. 11th update: here is the link to the TTB announcement. The text reads,
Washington, D.C. – The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a final rule in the Federal Register establishing the Calistoga viticultural area in Napa County, California. In this final rule, TTB addresses the effect that establishment of the viticultural area would have on existing businesses which use the term “Calistoga” in the
brand name of their wines, including whether certain such brand names should be allowed to continue appearing on wine labels under a specific, limited grandfather provision.
The final rule does not provide a new grandfather provision for the continued use of labels that contain “Calistoga” in the brand name; it provides a 3-year transition period for the continued use of those brand names on wines that do not source a sufficient amount of grapes from the new viticultural area for that name to appear on wine labels.
This final rule becomes effective January 7, 2010.
For a bit of background reading please see two pieces previously posted on this blog. Each recounts different aspects of the struggle for Calistoga’s recognition from people closely associated with the effort. The first post is a verbatim account of remarks made by Pat Stotesbury of Ladera: The Fight for the Calistoga AVA, the Legal Front.
The second piece presents verbatim remarks by Calistoga’s elder statesman, Dr. J. Bernard Seps of Storybook Mountain Vineyards: Terroir and History.
Congratulations to the new Calistoga AVA!
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