eagle peak mendocino county ava
( c) boundary. the eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area is located in mendocino county, california. the boundary of the eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area is as follows :
in the last 15 years, wines made from eagle peak mendocino county ava’s fruit have received international acclaim .
the new eagle peak mendocino county ava is home to masut vineyard and winery as well as four other vineyards .
the eagle peak, mendocino county, ava includes forsythe and mill creeks, part of the upper russian river watershed .
eagle peak, mendocino county, ava is located 125 miles north of san francisco and 25 miles inland from the pacific ocean .
docket number: ttb - 2013 - 0004 docket name: establishment of the eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area and realignments of the mendocino and redwood valley viticultural areas docket rin 1513 - ab96 supporting / related materials: map - - proposed eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area letters supporting realignment of the mendocino and redwood... compliance letters for the proposed eagle peak mendocino... petition to establish the
eagle peak mendocino county
...
ttb has also determined that the land within the ava will remain part of the larger north coast ava. the eagle peak mendocino county ava experiences the marine fog and breezes that are the primary features of the north coast ava. however, due to its much smaller size, the soil, terrain, and climate of the eagle peak mendocino county ava are more uniform than those of the large, multi - county north coast ava. the uniqueness of the soil, terrain, and climate of the eagle peak mendocino county ava also distinguish the ava from the surrounding region. therefore, ttb is recognizing the eagle peak mendocino county area as a distinct ava within the larger north coast ava .
( a) name. the name of the viticultural area described in this section is “eagle peak mendocino county”. for purposes of part 4 of this chapter, “eagle peak mendocino county” is a term of viticultural significance .
the establishment of the eagle peak mendocino county ava will not affect any existing viticultural area, and any bottlers using “north coast” as an appellation of origin or in a brand name for wines made from grapes grown within the north coast viticultural areas will not be affected by the establishment of this new viticultural area. the establishment of the eagle peak mendocino county ava will allow vintners to use “eagle peak mendocino county” and “north coast” as appellations of origin for wines made from grapes grown within the eagle peak mendocino county ava if the wines meet the eligibility requirements for the appellation .
the new eagle peak mendocino county ava is estimated to be 26, 260 acres overall. that includes 16 vineyards comprising 120 acres in total. golden vineyards and masut vineyards currently have land in both the mendocino and redwood valley avas. the new alignment would have those vineyards solely within eagle peak mendocino county .
proposed eagle peak mendocino county ava should no longer be part of the existing viticultural area. finally, ttb asked for comments on the proposed modification of the redwood valley and mendocino avas and whether the evidence presented in the proposed eagle peak mendocino county ava petition sufficiently differentiated the overlapped regions from the established avas to warrant removing the overlapped regions from the two avas and including the overlapping regions entirely within the eagle peak mendocino county ava. the comment period on notice no. 135 closed on august 26, 2013 .
see the narrative boundary description of the eagle peak mendocino county ava and the modified boundaries of the redwood valley and mendocino avas in the regulatory text published at the end of this final rule .
eagle peak mendocino county is an ava in mendocino county, in northern california. it takes its name from the nearby eagle peak summit, and covers a mountainous area situated within california' s coastal range just west of redwood valley ava. in true mendocino county fashion, pinot noir is king here, making balanced, lush red wines that are quite distinct from those made further south .
the eagle peak mendocino county ava, first proposed in june, 2013, comprises roughly 26, 260 acres and straddles highway 101 between the towns of ukiah and willits. it is directly west of the pre - existing redwood valley ava. the boundaries of both the redwood valley ava and the mendocino ava are being reduced simultaneously to eliminate overlap with eagle peak mendocino county. all this becomes effective on november 10, 2014 .
all of eagle peak, mendocino county, ava’s vineyards are between 800 and 3, 200 feet in elevation, significantly higher than nearby redwood valley (600 ft) .
the alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau (ttb) establishes the approximately 26, 260 - acre “eagle peak mendocino county” viticultural area in mendocino county, california. the viticultural area lies entirely within the multi - county north coast viticultural area. ttb also modifies the boundaries of the mendocino viticultural area and the redwood valley viticultural area to eliminate overlaps with the eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area. ttb designates viticultural areas to
eagle peak, mendocino county, ava’s vineyards are located on south and east facing hillsides. these vineyards are moderate to very steep, with angles between 30 and 50 percent .
the low pressure pulls cooler marine air from the pacific ocean through the big river airflow corridor and into the eagle peak, mendocino county, ava, resulting in frequent winds .
climate the proposal calls eagle peak mendocino county “a transitional climate between the cool, wet climate of the pacific coastline and the warmer, drier air of the interior valleys. ” on average temperatures exceed 90 degrees in eagle peak mendocino county only 22 times per year as opposed to 64 times in redwood valley and 80 in ukiah valley. those valleys also have higher diurnal and seasonal temperature variation, but less wind, than eagle peak mendocino county .
in response to notice no. 135, ttb received a total of seven comments, six of which supported the establishment of the eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area and the realignment of the redwood valley and mendocino ava boundaries. commenters included local residents, vineyard owners, and winemakers, as well as a local winery organization. none of the comments received during the comment period addressed the question of whether the eagle peak mendocino county ava is so distinguishable from the north coast ava that it should no longer be part of the north coast ava. ttb received no comments in opposition of either the eagle peak mendocino county ava, as proposed, or the proposed boundary modifications .
finally, comment 12 stated that if ttb established the proposed ava with the name “eagle peak mendocino county, ” the public would confuse the ava name with the fetzer vineyards' “eagle peak merlot” brand name. furthermore, comment 12 claimed that fetzer vineyards would become legally barred from continuing the use of its brand name, since it would be unable to source enough grapes from within the proposed ava or mendocino county .
the three proposals are related. the suggested eagle peak mendocino county ava boundaries overlap those of the current mendocino and redwood valley ava lines. adjusting the latter two as proposed would eliminate the overlap, resulting in three distinct avas with shared borders but no common acreage .
mendocino county is home to 11 unique american viticultural areas (ava) and two “super regions” that also hold ava status. a downloadable pdf map shows each of the ava regions .
in response to comment 12, jacob fetzer, owner of masut vineyards, submitted a comment (comment 13) on behalf of the petitioners for the proposed eagle peak mendocino county ava. comment 13 challenged the claim that the petition failed to provide adequate evidence that the proposed ava is known as “eagle peak mendocino county. ” the comment also disagreed with the claim that the proposed name would cause consumer confusion and force fetzer vineyards to abandon its “eagle peak merlot” brand name .
as originally proposed, a small portion of the eagle peak mendocino county ava would overlap portions of the redwood valley and mendocino avas. to eliminate the potential overlaps, the petitioner later proposed modifying the boundaries of the redwood valley and mendocino avas. the proposed boundary modifications would eliminate the potential overlaps and would remove the overlapped areas from the redwood valley and mendocino avas. the proposed modifications would reduce the size of the 32, 047 - acre redwood valley ava by approximately 1, 430 acres and reduce the size of the 327, 437 - acre mendocino ava by approximately 1, 900 acres. the overlapping areas would then become part of the eagle peak mendocino county ava .
after careful review of the petition and all 13 of the comments received in response to notice no. 135, ttb finds that the evidence provided by the petitioner supports the establishment of the approximately 26, 260 - acre eagle peak mendocino county ava and the modification of the boundaries of the redwood valley and mendocino avas. accordingly, under the authority of the faa act, section 1111 (d) of the homeland security act of 2002, and part 4 of the ttb regulations, ttb establishes the “eagle peak mendocino county” ava in mendocino county, california .
the eagle peak mendocino ava’s soils span two major california geological types, sandstone and shale (franciscan complex). these are significantly different than the alluvium soils of nearby avas .
during the re - opened comment period, ttb received six additional comments regarding the proposed establishment of the eagle peak mendocino county ava and the realignment of the redwood valley and mendocino avas. two of the six comments specifically supported the proposed ava (comments 9 and 10). one of the two comments was from a wine marketing and sales consultant, and the second comment was from the united states representative from the district that includes the proposed eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area. comment 10 also specifically supported the proposed realignment of the redwood valley ava boundary, stating that the proposed realignment area consists of mountainous and hillside terrain that is more consistent with the terrain of the proposed eagle peak mendocino county ava than the flatter, lower terrain found within the majority of the redwood valley ava .
prominent summits in the ava include eagle peak at 2, 699 feet, irene peak at 2, 836 feet, and the 3, 360 - foot crest of laughlin ridge .
once this final rule to establish the eagle peak mendocino county ava and to modify the boundaries of the redwood valley and mendocino avas becomes effective, a transition rule will apply to labels for wines produced from grapes grown in the areas that were formerly within the redwood valley and mendocino avas. a label containing the words “redwood valley” or “mendocino” (other than in the
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today, the alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau opened three ava actions for comment. one proposal is the creation of a new ava, eagle creek mendocino county. the other two proposals are for boundary changes to the mendocino ava and redwood valley ava. unlike most recent ava adjustments, the suggested changes to mendocino and redwood valley would decrease rather than increase their acreage. the comment period for all three proposals closes on august 26, 2013 .
the native pomo people were the original inhabitants of the eagle peak ava. their name for the laughlin ridge was kachadana (arrowhead) mountain .
masút’s estate vineyard showcases the attributes of the eagle peak, mendocino county ava, with the vineyard blocks all having differing soil compositions, sun, wind, moisture, and slopes that create distinct differences in the flavors and aromas of pinot noir .
this is an interesting case that took almost six years from start to finish. the county name is included because the original submission, eagle peak ava, brought a challenge from concha y toro, who owns fetzer and uses
eagle peak
as a brand name. additionally, the proposal for this ava included small reductions in size for both the redwood valley and mendocino avas, so that the new ava would not overlap either .
the north coast ava is another overlay that includes all of mendocino county along with napa, sonoma, marin, solono, and lake counties .
( b) approved maps. the four united states geographical survey (usgs) 1: 24, 000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the eagle peak mendocino county viticultural area are titled :
the name eagle peak is taken from a well - known hilltop (2, 699 feet) in the area. the name is used for some roads and properties in the area as well. however, eagle peak is a somewhat common name for summits. there are 16 in california alone, hence the appending of mendocino county to the proposed ava name .
named after a prominent nearby summit, the eagle peak, mendocino county, ava consists of steep rugged terrain, high elevations, moderate temperatures, cooling winds, and well - drained mountain soils. it is ideally situated in a climatic transition zone between the cool, wet climate of the pacific coast and the warm, dry inland valleys of mendocino county .
furthermore, ttb modifies the boundaries of the redwood valley and mendocino avas as described in notice no. 135. ttb has determined that the mountainous terrain, shallow soils, cool growing season temperatures, and gusty winds of the realignment area described in notice no. 135 are more consistent with the features of the eagle peak mendocino county ava than with the low level valleys, deep alluvial soils, and warm temperatures of the redwood valley and mendocino avas. therefore, ttb is removing the realignment area from the redwood valley and mendocino avas and placing it entirely within the eagle peak mendocino county ava. these changes are effective 30 days from the date of publication of this document .
the decision on what to call the new ava, however, had proved slightly problematic. fetzer vineyards, which had been sold by the fetzer family to chilean wine producer concha y toro, some years prior, had a wine named
eagle peak
and concha y toro had objections to the ava' s proposed name of eagle peak. fortunately a rather neat solution was found –
mendocino county
was added to the ava' s full name .
the mendocino ava is overlay that includes all or part of the appellations marked with an asterisk (*) above. over 90% of grape growing acreage in mendocino county is part of this super region .
—mendocino county’s lesser known home for pinot noir and other grapes is now part of a new american viticultural area .
on october 9, the u. s. department of treasury’s alcohol and tobacco tax and trade board [ ttb ] approved 12 new california avas. today, our focus is the new eagle peak mendocino county ava. next week, we’ll cover the other 11, all of which fall within the previously existing paso robles ava .
julie golden, who grew up on a vineyard in mendocino county, said when she and her husband were developing the heart arrow property they found the growing degree - days and soil types had more in common with the rutherford ava than other nearby mendocino county avas. “we don’t align with the growing parameters in either the redwood valley or the mendocino county ava, ” she said. “so we decided to create our own designation. ”
the ava encompasses approximately 49 hectares (120 acres) of cultivated vines divided between five producers: masút vineyards and winery, golden vineyards, linholme vineyards, sea biscuit south vineyards and turan vineyards. masút is the sole winery and is owned and run by the fetzer family, key players in the foundation of the eagle peak mendocino county ava in november 2014 .
topography eagle peak mendocino county is said to range from 1, 100 to 3, 320 feet with rolling and steeply sloping terrain (southern exposures), a contrast to surrounding areas such as redwood valley and ukiah valley which are mostly flat and lower overall .
the most controversial thing about this new ava is its name. the problem was that concha y toro, the large chliean wine producer which purchased fetzer from a 3rd party in 2011, had trademark concerns. fetzer had a merlot brand called eagle peak which it discontinued in 2004. concha y toro planned to revive the eagle peak brand though. they sent a letter protesting the new ava’s name on the final day of the comment period last year. the dispute was eventually resolved with “mendocino county” being appended to the ava name to distinguish it from the brand and to add “viticultural relevance. ”
( d) transition period. a label containing the word “mendocino” in the brand name (other than in the phrase “mendocino county” or “eagle peak mendocino county”) or as an appellation of origin approved prior to november 10, 2014 may be used on wine bottled before november 10, 2016 if the wine conforms to the standards for use of the label set forth in § 4. 25 or § 4. 39 (i) of this chapter in effect prior to november 10, 2014 .
eagle peak mendocino county also benefits from the thin, gravelly soils that help to drain water rapidly out of the vineyard, reducing disease pressure and helping curb leafy canopy growth. however, sometimes drainage is too efficient and irrigation is necessary to keep the vines hydrated throughout the growing season .
, announced that the ttb has approved the new eagle peak ava. masut is the only winery in the new ava, which encompasses nearly 21, 000 acres of mountains and valleys about 10 miles north of ukiah, calif. the name comes from the tallest mountain in the coast range running along the western boundary of the new ava .
, who claimed an eagle peak ava would conflict with the company’s eagle peak merlot brand, which had originally been produced by the fetzer family. jake fetzer, however, said the issue never became one of serious contention, and the application proceeded through the ttb process. “after that there’s not bad blood, because we sold them a little bit of fruit this year, ” he said .
part 4 of the ttb regulations prohibits any label reference on a wine that indicates or implies an origin other than the wine' s true place of origin. with the establishment of this ava, its name, “eagle peak mendocino county, ” will be recognized as a name of viticultural significance under 27 cfr 4. 39 (i) (3). the text of the regulation clarifies this point. once this final rule becomes effective, wine bottlers using the name “eagle peak mendocino county” in a brand name, including a trademark, or in another label reference as to the origin of the wine, will have to ensure that the product is eligible to use the viticultural name as an appellation of origin .
the eagle peak, mendocino county ava vineyards are all on high coastal range slopes, mostly facing east and south, above the redwood and potter valleys, the two nearby, well - established avas. the ava’s region is significantly affected by marine air that courses through the gaps in the coastal mountain range. marine fog is common in the mornings and nights within the ava. this factor cools the vines to a different degree than the neighboring valleys. moreover, the air drainage of the area assists in grape growing by reducing frost hazard .
gradually grapes became the dominant crop throughout mendocino county, replacing grain and hay in the early 1900’s, hops in the 1930’s and pears and prunes in recent years .
masút vineyard and winery’s estate vineyards are situated in the new eagle peak, mendocino county ava. commercial wine grape production in the ava includes four other growers: golden vineyards, linholme vineyards, sea biscuit south vineyards, and turan vineyards. including masút, they have a total of 115 acres under vine. masút, the only operating winery within the new ava, and golden vineyards have both produced award - winning and highly reviewed wines from several vintages released prior to the approval of the new ava. the region has been noted for wine grape - growing since the early 1900’s, following the influx of italian and swiss immigrants into the area .
known by that name. ttb finds that comment 12 did not provide evidence that the region of the proposed ava is not known as eagle peak mendocino county, nor did it provide any evidence that the region is currently known as either “forsythe creek” or “walker valley. ” although old usda soil surveys do refer to the area as “forsythe creek valley” or “forsythe creek gap, ” ttb regulations require the name evidence to show that the region of the proposed ava is currently known by the proposed name .
at night, cold air drains off the mountain slopes and into the lower elevations of the neighboring ukiah and redwood valleys, resulting in warmer nighttime temperatures within eagle peak’s viticultural area .
with respect to the statement in comment 12 that the petition must provide evidence that the proposed ava name has historical significance with regard to viticulture, ttb notes that its regulations (27 cfr 9. 12 (a) (1) ) only require the petition to demonstrate that the proposed ava name is “currently and directly associated with an area in which viticulture exists. ” the regulations do not require that the proposed name itself be associated with viticulture, only that viticulture must be taking place within the region known by the proposed ava name. the petition to establish the eagle peak mendocino county ava provided the names of the commercial vineyards within the proposed ava as evidence of current viticultural activity within the region known by the proposed name .
another new ava for the books, measuring in at 26, 260 acres .
a detailed narrative description of the proposed ava boundary based on usgs map markings .
the final two comments received during the re - opened comment period addressed the proposed ava name. one comment was in the form of a letter from an attorney on behalf of his client, fetzer vineyards of hopland, california (comment 12). fetzer vineyards is currently owned by viña concha y toro sa and is no longer associated with the fetzer family, including jacob and ben fetzer, who own masut vineyards, and john fetzer, who owns saracina vineyards. both masut vineyards and saracina vineyards are within the proposed eagle peak mendocino county ava, and jacob, john, and ben fetzer are signatories to the petition to establish that ava .
bobby fetzer died in a river - rafting accident in 2006, and fetzer said he wanted to complete the appellation that he had discussed with his father after planting the vineyards in the late 1990s. he said he reached out to ralph carter, who wrote up applications for two of mendocino county’s other avas and has helped with several other ava applications, and began a process that fetzer thought would take about three years but ended up lasting longer. “it’s exciting to get it done and add a little distinction to mendocino county, ” he said .
only one of the seven comments specifically addressed the proposed modification of the redwood valley and mendocino avas' boundaries (comment 3). the commenter, who owns a vineyard that is within the proposed ava but not within the proposed realignment area, supported the proposed boundary modifications because “ [ t ] he eagle peak area is all upland, mountainous terrain with shallow soils, while redwood valley is mostly level with deep soils” and the mendocino ava “contains many different characteristics and is not limited to the upland area. ” ttb notes that there are two vineyards located within the proposed realignment area, and the petition included letters from both vineyard owners in support of the proposed boundary modifications .
in notice no. 135, ttb solicited comments on the accuracy of the name, boundary, climatic, and other required information submitted in support of the petition. in addition, given the proposed ava' s location within the existing north coast ava, ttb solicited comments on whether the evidence submitted in the petition regarding the distinguishing features of the proposed ava sufficiently differentiates the proposed viticultural area from the north coast ava. ttb also asked for comments on whether the geographical features of the proposed viticultural area are so distinguishable from the surrounding north coast ava that the
the goldens worked with bobby fetzer as well as the fetzers’ vineyard manager jerry yates to develop their properties and view the new appellation as a dream becoming a reality. yates continues to oversee the vineyard in the eagle peak ava as well as the goldens’ 25 - acre syrah vineyard at fairbairn ranch near hopland, calif. all of the goldens’ vineyards are certified demeter biodynamic and organic .
ttb published notice no. 135 in the federal register on june 27, 2013 (78 fr 38613), proposing to establish the eagle peak mendocino county ava and modify the boundaries of the redwood valley and mendocino avas. in the notice, ttb summarized the evidence from the petition regarding the name, boundary, and distinguishing features for the proposed viticultural area. the distinguishing features of the proposed viticultural area include climate, geology, topography, and soils. the notice also compared the distinguishing features of the proposed viticultural area to the surrounding areas. for a description of the evidence relating to the name, boundary, and distinguishing features of the proposed viticultural area, and for a comparison of the distinguishing features of the proposed viticultural area to the surrounding areas, see notice no. 135 .
section 4. 25 (e) (2) of the ttb regulations outlines the procedure for proposing an ava and provides that any interested party may petition ttb to establish a grape - growing region as an ava. section 9. 12 of the ttb regulations (27 cfr 9. 12) prescribes standards for petitions for the establishment of avas. petitions to establish an ava must include the following :
the region’s many perennial and occasional streams feed into the headwaters of the russian river, which meanders through mendocino and sonoma counties on its way to the pacific ocean .
masút vineyard and winery is part of the legacy of the fetzer family, one of the original founding families of the modern mendocino county wine industry. owners jacob and ben fetzer are the third generation of fetzer winemakers, the sons of bobby and sheila fetzer, and grandsons of barney and kathleen fetzer, the founders of fetzer vineyards in 1968 .
while the terrain makes new plantings a challenge, fetzer said he could definitely see the total number of planted acres growing. “with the size of the ava and knowing the area pretty well, i don’t see why the ava down the road couldn’t have 500 acres or more than that, ” he said .
for a wine to be labeled with an ava name or with a brand name that includes an ava name, at least 85 percent of the wine must be derived from grapes grown within the area represented by that name, and the wine must meet the other conditions listed in 27 cfr 4. 25 (e) (3). if the wine is not eligible for labeling with an ava name and that name appears in the brand name, then the label is not in compliance and the bottler must change the brand name and obtain approval of a new label. similarly, if the ava name appears in another reference on the label in a misleading manner, the bottler would have to obtain approval of a new label .
the new ava is situated 125 miles north of san francisco and encompasses nearly 21, 000 acres of mountainous terrain. only 115 acres are currently under vine between golden, masút, linholme, sea biscuit south, and turan vineyards .
another unique characteristic of the area are regular winds in the afternoon that moderate high temperatures. “what really defines our ava are the windy afternoons every day coming through that big river gap, and they just hum through here, ” fetzer said .
different rules apply if a wine has a brand name containing an ava name that was used as a brand name on a label approved before july 7, 1986. see 27 cfr 4. 39 (i) (2) for details .
the area’s moderate temperatures can be attributed, in part, to coastal fog. although the coastal range blocks the heaviest of the marine fog from moving farther inland, some enters the ava through a gap, known as the big river airflow corridor .
a strong coastal influence provides fog in the morning and nights while the mountainous terrain provides good air drainage that also lessens the risk of frost. the elevation and marine influence create an alternate home for pinot noir in the county aside from anderson valley where it has gained a very good reputation .
the new ava is in a rugged part of northern california with little flat terrain and numerous small canyons and valleys. fetzer said the region’s vineyards are located on hillside vineyards mostly facing east and south and at higher elevations then the nearby redwood and potter valley avas .
at the northern tip of the greater north coast appellation, fetzer said the region finally has more of an identity to support the grapes grown there. he said the 2013 vintage of masut would be the first of his wines to bear the new ava on the label .
masut may be the only winery, but the new ava is home to four other growers—golden vineyards, linholme vineyards, sea biscuit south vineyards and turan vineyards—for a total of 115 planted acres. julie and joe golden, who own golden vineyards, produce their own wine at custom - crush facilities under the
in the 1850’s, settlers used the interior valleys and nearby foothills as open range for cattle. during this time italian and swiss immigrants planted wine grapes on the bench lands and mountain terraces throughout the county. they left the land on the valley floors for more profitable crops that needed the rich alluvial soil like hops, alfalfa, grains and fruit .
( 18) proceed northwesterly in a straight line approximately 0. 95 mile, crossing onto the greenough ridge map, to the 2, 617 - foot elevation point, section 14, t17n / r14w, and continue northwesterly in a straight line approximately 0. 8 mile to the 2, 836 - foot elevation point of irene peak, section 11, t17n / r14w; then
there are 16 commercial vineyards within the new ava, accounting for 120 acres combined. the most significant of these is masut vineyards, owned and operated by brothers jake and ben fetzer. they produce pinot noir of very high quality from 23 acres. other vineyards in the area include golden, linholme, sea biscuit south, and turan .
the hilly terrain, with vineyards reaching as high as 3200ft (975m) in elevation, is the ava' s main point of difference. sunny south - and east - facing sites benefit from a cool, marine - influenced climate that ensures a long growing season and a balance of flavor and acidity in the grapes. the steep slopes help with air movement, greatly reducing the risk of frost .
section 4. 25 (e) (1) (i) of the ttb regulations (27 cfr 4. 25 (e) (1) (i) ) defines a viticultural area for american wine as a delimited grape - growing region having distinguishing features as described in part 9 of the regulations and a name and a delineated boundary as established in part 9 of the regulations. these designations allow vintners and consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to its geographic origin. the establishment of avas allows vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers to identify wines they may purchase. establishment of an ava is neither an approval nor an endorsement by ttb of the wine produced in that area .
two of the comments received during the re - opened comment period did not address the substance of the proposed rulemaking. one of those two commenters stated that he neither supported nor opposed establishment of the proposed ava or the proposed boundary modifications, but rather requested that ttb remove the periods from the township and range designations in the proposed regulatory text of § 9. 93 so as to conform to the style of the current regulatory text for that section (comment 8). ttb notes that the periods in the proposed regulatory text are consistent with the style of the current regulatory text of § 9. 93, and the proposed amendment to the section will be adopted as final without change. the other comment (comment 11), which was addressed to the department of justice, called for stronger alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives transfer regulations, topics which are outside the scope of the proposed rule. accordingly, that topic will not be addressed in this rulemaking .
the soils are thin and well - drained. due to this, the slopes, and shallow root depths because of hard subsoil, water doesn’t stick around long. there is enough water - holding capacity to keep vines healthy from dormancy through fruit set. after that, some irrigation is required to usher the vines through to harvest .
“we are excited to have official recognition of this growing region, because it is so different from, and distinctive in comparison to our neighboring regions. it has always been a very important and personal project for me to complete after my father, robert fetzer, passed away in 2006. he gave us the vision, ” said jake fetzer, winemaker at masút .
the region’s soils are also composed of soil types found on mountain slopes, which often are better draining, such as coarse gravel, clay, and loam mixes. the undulating contours of the range’s slopes are a myriad of micro - climates that affect wine grapegrowing in minute but important ways, creating diverse flavors and aromas vineyard to vineyard, and block to block .
after fetzer vineyards was sold in 1992, bobby fetzer decided to purchase a 1, 500 - acre ranch that was adjacent to his family’s home ranch. upon discovering a historic native american map of northern california, fetzer noticed that his new property was referred to as masút, which means “dark, rich earth. ”
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ha! thanks! i just mapped out that region. now i can add this too !
its 20, 960 acres are bordered by the ukiah valley to the south, the california coastal range to the west, and redwood valley to the east. it extends north, to walker valley .
the steep slopes encourage good air circulation, helping to prevent frost and heavy fogs that can damage grapevines .
the steepness of the slopes promotes water drainage and prevents an excess of standing water .
the southerly facing slopes enable the soil to warm faster in the spring, promoting early vine growth .
the area is influenced by cool, moist air from the pacific ocean, which moderates daily temperatures and seasonal temperature variations. this allows steady, gradual ripening of the area’s fruit while maintaining good acidity .
data shows an average of only 22 days per year with temperatures over 90 degrees fahrenheit (as opposed to 64 days in redwood valley and 80 days in the ukiah valley) and only a 25 - degree difference in average temperature between the average warmest month and average coldest month .
the steep upland terrain of the area also plays a role in moderating temperatures .
during the summer, hot air rises from nearby redwood, potter, and ukiah valleys creating low pressure at ground level .
the breezes moderate high summer temperatures, but are not strong enough to damage vines or fruit .
the defining characteristic of these soils is low water - holding capacity. because these mountain sites are better drained, excess water is not a problem .
these soils also tend to be less agriculturally vigorous. mountain vines tend to grow in a more balanced manner than their peers growing on thicker and more vigorous substrate .
the first documented western settlers in the area were the recipients of mexican land grants in the 1840’s .
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soil shallow, very well - draining upland soils on franciscan complex sandstone and shale .
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jake fetzer and his brother ben fetzer own masut winery, which specializes in estate pinot noir wines. masut is located on a 1, 500 - acre ranch their father bobby fetzer purchased in 1992 after the family sold the original fetzer vineyards. fetzer and his sons started planting vineyards on the property in 1997. the new appellation is a continuation of their father’s vision for the property, said jake fetzer. “we’re excited. we’re happy to have it finally done. ”
fetzer said the area is really the transition between the warmer valleys to the south and the much cooler areas that are home to california’s iconic coastal redwood trees .
unlike the fetzers’ focus on pinot noir, the goldens’ 2, 000 - acre heart arrow ranch includes more than 30 acres of mostly cabernet sauvignon vines .
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printed version: pdf publication date: 10 / 09 / 2014 agencies: alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau dates: this final rule is effective november 10, 2014. effective date: 11 / 10 / 2014 document type: rule document citation: 79 fr 60968 page: 60968 - 60974 (7 pages) cfr: 27 cfr 9 agency / docket numbers: docket no. ttb - 2013 - 0004 t. d. ttb - 124 ref: notice no. 135 rin: 1513 - ab96 document number: 2014 - 24177
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allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase .
karen a. thornton, regulations and rulings division, alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau, 1310 g street nw. , box 12, washington, dc 20005; phone 202 - 453 - 1039, ext. 175 .
section 105 (e) of the federal alcohol administration act (faa act), 27 u. s. c. 205 (e), authorizes the secretary of the treasury to prescribe regulations for the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt beverages. the faa act provides that these regulations should, among other things, prohibit consumer deception and the use of misleading statements on labels, and ensure that labels provide the consumer with adequate information as to the identity and quality of the product. the alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau (ttb) administers the faa act pursuant to section 1111 (d) of the homeland security act of 2002, codified at 6 u. s. c. 531 (d). the secretary has delegated various authorities through treasury department order 120 - 01 (revised), dated december 10, 2013, to the ttb administrator to perform the functions and duties in the administration and enforcement of this law .
part 4 of the ttb regulations (27 cfr part 4) allows the establishment of definitive viticultural areas and the use of their names as appellations of origin on wine labels and in wine advertisements. part 9 of the ttb regulations (27 cfr part 9) sets forth standards for the preparation and submission of petitions for the establishment or modification of american viticultural areas (avas) and lists the approved avas .
the seventh comment (comment 7) requested an extension of the comment period so that the commenter could further review the proposed rule. the extension request was received too late for ttb to extend the original comment period. therefore, ttb published notice no. 135a in the federal register on august 28, 2013 (78 fr 53103), re - opening the comment period for an additional 60 days, until october 28, 2013 .
the petitioner provided the required maps, and they are listed below in the regulatory text .
ttb certifies that this regulation will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. the regulation imposes no new reporting, recordkeeping, or other administrative requirement. any benefit derived from the use of a viticultural area name would be the result of a proprietor' s efforts and consumer acceptance of wines from that area. therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required .
it has been determined that this rule is not a significant regulatory action as defined by executive order 12866 of september 30, 1993. therefore, no regulatory assessment is required .
karen a. thornton of the regulations and rulings division drafted this final rule .
( 7) thence due west along the t. 18n. / t. 17n. common line until the common line intersects with the r. 13w. / r. 12w. common line ;
( 8) thence in a straight line in a south - southwesterly direction, crossing onto the willits map, to the intersection of the 1, 600 - foot contour line and baker creek (within mcgee canyon) along the west boundary line of section 25, t. 17n. / r. 13w. ;
( 9) thence in a southeasterly direction (downstream) along bakers creek to where the creek intersects with the 1, 400 - foot contour line in section 25, t. 17n / r. 13w. ;
( 10) thence in a straight line in a southeasterly direction to the southeast corner of section 36, t. 17n. / r. 13w. ;
( 11) thence in a straight line in a west - southwesterly direction to the intersection of u. s. highway 101 and an unnamed road known locally as reeves canyon road in section 1, t. 16n. / r. 13w. ;
( 12) thence in a straight line in a southeasterly direction to the southeast corner of section 1, t. 16n. / r. 13w.;
eagle peak is a wine growing region in mendocino county , california . it was established in 2014 . pinot noir grows best in this ava , as the temperature tends to be cooler than the inland valleys . the area is home to only one winery , masút , founded by third generation vintners ben and jake fetzer . 
eagle peak is a wine growing region in mendocino county, california. it was established in 2014. pinot noir grows best in this ava, as the temperature tends to be cooler than the inland valleys. the area is home to only one winery, masút, founded by third generation vintners ben and jake fetzer.
eagle peak is a wine growing region in mendocino county, california. it was established in 2014. pinot noir grows best in this ava, as the temperature tends to be cooler than the inland valleys. the area is home to only one winery, masút, founded by third generation vintners ben and jake fetzer.