VASCM: FW: [santacruzmountains] SCM/CC

Wed Dec 21 13:24:19 PST 2011

From: Bill Cooper [mailto:Bill at cgv.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 12:18 PM
To: santacruzmountains at yahoogroups.com; VASCM at kkn.net
Subject: [santacruzmountains] SCM/CC

The SCMWA President has proposed a working group to study the pros and cons
of including the Santa Cruz Mountains in the Central Coast AVA.  

Unfortunately, the matter is neither that simple nor ours to decide, would
consume a great deal of time and money, and could destroy what makes the
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA unique.

Let me explain:

AVAs 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. AVAs are established, in part, on the
features of the viticultural area that affect viticulture, such as climate,
geology, soils, physical features, and elevation, that make it distinctive
and distinguish it from adjacent areas outside the viticultural area
boundary.  

When the 400,000 acre SCM AVA was established in 1981, the petitioner
claimed the "Santa Cruz Mountains" possesses a soil type, climate, and
protective setting which provides a singular viticultural identity,
including "a climate which is greatly influenced in the western portion by
the Pacific Ocean breezes and fog movements, and in the eastern portion by
the moderating influences of the San Francisco Bay. These two influences
tend to produce weather which is generally cool during the growing season.
Temperatures in the slopes of the hillsides where most of the vineyards are
located appear to vary from that at the lower elevations. This is caused by
the marine influence coming off the Pacific Ocean which cools the mountains
at night much more than the valley floor."

When the 1,000,000 acre Central Coast AVA was established in 1985, the basis
of evidence was that the marine climate influence is present throughout the
proposed area.  Based on three comments received, the AVA was expanded
northward to include the Livermore Valley AVA and "the portion of Santa
Clara under the marine climate influence," i.e., around Sarah's Vineyard.
The SCM AVA became the western boundary of the northern extension.  

In 2007, prompted by the Calistoga AVA petition, TTB began a multi-year
study of AVA system based, in part, on the premise that "petitions
for.changes to existing AVAs.should be expected to dispel any apparent
inconsistency or to explain why it is acceptable."  

In the final rule (attached), TTB makes several points, including:

.         The smaller AVA is, by its very existence, distinct from the AVA
that surrounds it, with the result that wine produced within it should not
be labeled with the name of the larger AVA.

.         When a smaller AVA has name recognition and features that so
clearly distinguish it from a larger AVA that surrounds it, TTB may
determine in the course of the rulemaking that it is not part of the larger
AVA and that wine produced from grapes grown within the smaller AVA would
not be entitled to use the name of the larger AVA as an appellation of
origin or in a brand name.

.         That it would be inappropriate to adopt regulatory language that
prohibits future approvals of AVAs that entirely surround or lie entirely
within, or that overlap, existing AVAs, provided such approvals are
adequately justified through petition evidence and rulemaking procedures.

.         The intent of the provisions dealing with AVAs within AVAs is to
apply it prospectively to newly established areas only.

With that background, I note that:

.         SCMWA members are divided on the issue.

.         The well-funded, multi-year attempts by Kendall Jackson to
establish a California Coast AVA evoked an unusually large public response
and were  <http://www.ttb.gov/pdf/notices_alcohol/notice_951supprpt.pdf>
denied in 2001.

.         The well-funded, three-year effort by Gallo to expand the Russian
River by 14,000 acres was
<http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-11-16/pdf/2011-29519.pdf> approved
over a range of objections and took effect last Friday.

.         The requirement for substantive arguments (rather than a desire
for quality protection and blending options) to realign the AVA would
require substantial time and money to devise a position that might be
accepted by the TTB.

If, after reading the attached rule, there are growers or wineries that who
want to explore a petition to change AVA boundaries, I suggest they caucus
as John originally suggested (attached) and devise arguments that will
convince the skeptical members, the public (who will be invited to comment
on the petition), and the TTB that, thirty years after the fact, the
original AVA was "improperly drawn or that there is no unity or consistency
in the features of the existing AVA that give it a unique and distinctive
identity in a viticultural sense."

For my part, I suggest that we take pride in being "America's Premier
Mountain Appellation" and live with the 85% rule.  

Looking ahead, I believe our annual meeting time will be better spent
listening to Allison Jordan, our individual resources better spent improving
the sustainability of our individual wineries and vineyards, and our
collective resources better spent promoting the existing appellation.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Bill Cooper

Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards

22645 Garrod Road

Saratoga, CA 95070

408.867.8440

www.cgv.com

From: santacruzmountains at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:santacruzmountains at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of WFM
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 10:32 AM
To: santacruzmountains at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [santacruzmountains] SCM/CC

Hi all, 

Just a heads up that we are getting a lot of opinions on the Yahoo Group
regarding the Santa Cruz Mountains as part of the Central Coast issue that
John Bargetto sent out yesterday. Rather than flood everyone's email box
with back and forths, I thought this would be an opportunity to put together
a working group to discuss the pros and cons of the inclusion of the Santa
Cruz Mountains as part of the Central Coast and then to present it to the
Board and Membership so we can vote and make a unified decision. This issue
needs more in-depth discussion than what the Yahoo Group forum can supply. 

I have reached out to John Bargetto about getting this together and if you
are interested in being a part of it please let me know off the Yahoo Group.
I can be reached at cheryl at clos.com <mailto:cheryl%40clos.com> . As we
continue to develop this group and the Association's stance on the issue, we
will look to everyone to submit their opinions one way or the other. Be on
the look out for instructions how to do so. 

This will definitely be a part of the agenda at the Annual Meeting in March,
so be sure to attend!

Cheers and Happy Holidays,

Cheryl

__._,_.___

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