Contra Costa AVA

Last updated

Contra Costa
Wine region
TTB Map Contra Costa AVA.png
Type American Viticultural Area
Year established2024 [1]
Years of wine industry178 [2]
CountryUnited States
Part of California, Central Coast AVA, San Francisco Bay AVA
Other regions in California, Central Coast AVA, San Francisco Bay AVA Livermore Valley AVA, Santa Clara Valley AVA, Lamorinda AVA
Climate region Region III-V [3]
Heat units 3,008-4,275 GDD [3]
Precipitation (annual average)9 to 22 in (232–565 mm) [1]
Total area167,146 acres (261 sq mi) [1]
Size of planted vineyards1,700 acres (688 ha) [1]
No. of vineyards60 [1]
Varietals produced Carignane, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec,Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel [4] [5]
No. of wineries14 [1]

Contra Costa is the 150th American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California located in the San Francisco Bay Area. It lies east of San Pablo Bay in Contra Costa County on the southern banks of the Carquinez Strait encompassing the area around the cities of Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, Antioch and Brentwood. It was established on March 15, 2024 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Patrick Shabram on behalf of the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association proposing to establish an viticultural area named "Contra Costa." [1] [2] [5]

Contents

Upon careful review of the petition and the submitted comments, TTB found the evidence provided by the petitioner supported the establishment of the 167,146 acres (261 sq mi) Contra Costa AVA and the expansion of the San Francisco Bay and Central Coast viticultural areas boundaries by approximately 109,955 acres (172 sq mi) avoiding a boundary overlap and entirely encompass Contra Costa AVA. As of 2024, the AVA contains at least 14 wineries and 60 commercial vineyards cultivating about 1,700 acres (688 ha) under vine. The most commonly grown grape varietal is Zinfandel, but other varieties grown in Contra Costa include Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. [1]

Name Evidence

Contra Costa AVA takes its name from its location within Contra Costa County, California. The Spanish phrase "contra costa" translates to "opposite coast," which is a reference to the county’s northeastern location across San Francisco Bay from the city of San Francisco. Prior to Prohibition, Contra Costa County was one of the Bay Area’s leading winegrowing regions where the grapes from its vineyards with the reputation for having their own "Contra Costa style," described as an "earthy, dusty and leathery quality" attributed to the "defining terroir" of the region. The petition included multiple examples of the use of the name "Contra Costa" to describe the region. For example, the Contra Costa Water District supplies water to customers within the county. Non-profit agencies serving the area include Contra Costa Humane Society, Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa, and Sustainable Contra Costa. Other businesses within the AVA include Contra Costa Hardwood Floor Service, Alameda Contra Costa Fire Extinguisher Equipment Company, Contra Costa Farms LLC, Contra Costa Cinema, Contra Costa Country Club, Contra Costa Auto Sales, and Contra Costa Powersports. [2] [3]

History

The Contra Costa region has a longstanding viticulture history. The first vines were planted in Brentwood in 1846. [6] Between 1860 and 1890, three primary grape-growing areas in the county emerged: the Mt. Diablo area, the Martinez area, and the Oakley area. All of the Martinez and Oakley areas, and most of the Mt. Diablo area (which includes Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and parts of Clayton), lie within the Contra Costa AVA. By 1916, Contra Costa County was home to 6,000 acres (2,428 ha) of grapes with 2,700,000 individual vines. [7] A 1908 letter to the editor in the Pacific Rural Press confirms central Contra Costa County as the largest production center in Contra Costa County stating: "I write to inform your readers that the wine grape crop in this, the central part of Contra Costa county, is very short this year…. This conclusion is the result of careful investigation in the Concord, Clayton and Walnut Creek sections —the largest wine producing sections of this county." [8] At the time when the Viano family purchased the existing vineyards in the Vine Hill area in 1920, there were fifteen wineries in Vine Hill. While vineyards in Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood and at Vine Hill in Martinez survived Prohibition, most of Contra Costa’s vineyards did not. Nevertheless, Viano Vineyards is now run by fourth and fifth-generation members of the Viano family. [9] Cline Cellars, now based in Sonoma-Carneros but founded in Oakley, has sourced fruit from Oakley-area vineyards since 1982, along with other wineries that have continued to use the original Antioch/Oakley/Brentwood area vines. Fred Cline notes helping his grandfather produce wine on his Oakley farm prior to founding Cline Cellars in 1981. [10] More contemporary plantings started in earnest in the 1990s with Bloomfield Vineyards and Hannah Nicole Vineyards among the first with new plantings. Some of the larger, more recent plantings by the Nunn family, the Tamayo Family, Petersen Vineyards, the Campos family, and others mostly occurred in and around the communities of Brentwood, Byron, Knightsen and Oakley. Urbanization has limited the size, but not stopped, more contemporary plantings in and around Martinez. Aside from additional plantings at Viano Vineyards, plantings at three contemporary vineyards have been developed just west of Martinez. Shadowbrook Winery was established in 2005 in Walnut Creek at the foot of Mount Diablo. In 2011, a group of growers who had been meeting informally for several years prior established the Contra Costa Winegrowers Association to recognize the winegrowing region. The association currently includes thirteen winery members and four vineyards members. The association also has nineteen associate members and taster members, companies and individuals that recognize and support Contra Costa as a distinctive viticulture region. [2]

Terroir

Topography

Contra Costa AVA consists of relatively flat terrain interrupted in places by rolling hills. Most of the terrain has elevations below 100 ft (30 m), and nearly all of the AVA is below 1,000 ft (305 m). Slope angles are typically less than 5 percent, but can reach up to 30 percent in some of the hills along the western and southern boundary and in the ridgeline that runs north-south between Concord and Bay Point. Although some areas of steep slopes are included in the AVA in order to simplify the boundary, the petition states that over 71 percent of the AVA has slopes with less than 5 percent grade, and 78 percent of the AVA has slopes with less than 10 percent grade. The petition states that cool, heavy marine air stays at lower elevations, leading to diurnal cooling. Areas at higher elevations are above the layer of marine air and experience less cooling. Differences in temperatures can cause differences in grape development, the timing of harvest, and sugar accumulation and acidity in the grapes. East of the AVA, the terrain is generally flat as one moves into the California Delta and the San Joaquin Valley. To the south and west of the AVA, the terrain becomes steeper, with slope angles generally exceeding 20 percent and commonly above 30 percent. Elevations to the west and south of the AVA are also generally higher than within the AVA, exceeding 1,300 ft (396 m) in the region to the west and reaching 3,849 ft (1,173 m) at the summit of Mt. Diablo to the south of the AVA. [2] [3]

Climate

The petition provided information about the climate of the Contra Costa AVA. According to the petition, the warm days, cool afternoon breezes and nightly temperature drops causes a significant diurnal temperature shift that affects the character of the grapes grown and the resulting wine, creating a "definitive Contra Costa style" that is characterized by an "earthy, dusty and leathery quality." [2] Climate data included growing degree day (GDD) accumulations, average annual precipitation amounts, average growing season, maximum temperatures and the average minimum temperatures within the AVA and the surrounding regions. However, because the temperature data was from only 2 years, TTB was unable to determine if maximum and minimum temperatures are a distinguishing feature of the AVA, and the information is not included in this rule making document. To the east, within the San Joaquin Valley, GDD accumulations are generally warmer than within the AVA, as the marine influence decreases as one moves farther inland. West of the AVA, as one moves closer to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, GDD accumulations are lower than within the AVA. GDD accumulations west of the AVA range from 1,848 at El Cerrito which is adjacent to San Francisco Bay, to 3,469 at Briones Regional Park, which is further inland and closer to the Contra Costa AVA. Within the AVA, GDD accumulations range from 3,008 to 4,275, Region III-V on the Winkler scale, and average annual precipitation amounts range from 9 to 22 in (232–565 mm). The precipitation data shows that the Contra Costa AVA received less rainfall than the regions to the west and southwest. [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA</span> Viticultural area in Washington, USA

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Royal Slope is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Adams and Grant Counties in central Washington state. Royal Slope is the state's 15th appellation recognized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury on October 2, 2020, after reviewing the petition submitted by Alan Busacca, a licensed geologist and founder of Vinitas Vineyard Consultants, LLC, on behalf of the Royal Slope Wine Grower's Association, proposing the viticultural area named “Royal Slope.” The AVA lies between the Quincy Basin and Saddle Mountains surrounding the town of Royal City encompassing 156,389 acres (244 sq mi) entirely within the vast Columbia Valley AVA. There are currently 13 producing commercial vineyards cultivating approximately 14,100 acres (5,706 ha) with only one winery. According to the petition, the distinguishing features of the Royal Slope AVA are its climate, topography, geology, and soils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachain High Country AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in Virginia and West Virginia

Appalachian High Country is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located mainly in North Carolina with sections in Tennessee and Virginia. The approximately 2,400 square miles viticultural area encompasses all or portions of the following counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, and Watauga Counties in North Carolina; Carter County and Johnson Counties in Tennessee; and Grayson County in Virginia. The appellation was recognized on February 28, 2016 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury as the country's 239th, North Carolina's 5th, Tennessee's 2nd and Virginia's 8th AVA after reviewing the petition from Johnnie James, owner of Bethel Valley Farms, on behalf of members of the High Country Wine Growers Association, proposing the establishment of the viticultural area named "Appalachian High Country."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian High Country AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in Virginia and West Virginia

Appalachian High Country is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located mainly in North Carolina with sections in Tennessee and Virginia. The approximately 2,400 square miles viticultural area encompasses all or portions of the following counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, and Watauga Counties in North Carolina; Carter County and Johnson Counties in Tennessee; and Grayson County in Virginia. The appellation was recognized on February 28, 2016 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury as the country's 239th, North Carolina's 5th, Tennessee's 2nd and Virginia's 8th AVA after reviewing the petition from Johnnie James, owner of Bethel Valley Farms, on behalf of members of the High Country Wine Growers Association, proposing the establishment of the viticultural area named "Appalachian High Country."

Upper Cumberland is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Tennessee and expands all or portions of the following eight counties in Middle Tennessee: Cumberland, Fentress, Macon, Putnam, Overton, Smith, Warren, and White. The viticultural area encircles the cities of Cookeville and McMinnville, lies east of Nashville and Murfreesboro, and encompasses approximately 3,417 square miles with 55 vineyards cultivating over 71 acres (29 ha) and sourcing nine wineries. There is at least one vineyard in each county within the AVA, demonstrating that commercial viticulture and wine-making occurs throughout the entire AVA with additional new vineyard and winery projects in various stages of development. The appellation was recognized on June 14, 2024, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury as the state's 3rd AVA after reviewing the petition submitted by the Appalachian Region Wine Producers Association, proposing establishment of a viticultural area named "Upper Cumberland." This is a relatively new region for modern viticulture development but grape growing and winemaking have a long substantial history in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in North Carolina

Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Henderson County, North Carolina encompassing 215 square miles. It was established on August 19, 2019, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Mark Williams, the executive director of Agribusiness Henderson County, and Barbara Walker, the county extension support specialist for North Carolina Cooperative Extension, on behalf of local vineyards and winery operators, proposing the viticultural area named "Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dahlonega Plateau AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in Georgia

Dahlonega Plateau is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the state of Georgia's northern region across portions of Lumpkin and White Counties. The state's 2nd appellation was recognized on July 30, 2018 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Amy Booker, president of he Dahlonega–Lumpkin Chamber & Visitors Bureau, on behalf of the Vineyard and Winery Operators of the Dahlonega Region of Northern Georgia group, proposing the establishment of the AVA to be designated "Dahlonega Plateau."

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Establishment of the Contra Costa Viticultural Area and Modification of the San Francisco Bay and Central Coast Viticultural Areas" (27 CFR 9 [Docket No. TTB–2023–0004; T.D. TTB–191; Ref: Notice No. 223] RIN 1513–AC97 Final Rule). Federal Register . 89 (52). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB}, Treasury: 18797–18802. March 15, 2024.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Petition To Establish A New American Viticultural Area To Be Named Contra Costa And To Expand The Central Coast And San Francisco Bay AVAs" (PDF). TTB.gov. December 28, 2023.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Proposed Establishment of the Contra Costa Viticultural Area and Modification of the San Francisco Bay and Central Coast Viticultural Areas" (27 CFR 9 [Docket No. TTB–2023–0004; Notice No. 223] RIN 1513–AC97). Federal Register . 80 (60). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB}, Treasury: 18471–18480. March 29, 2023.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ↑ "Contra Costa County: Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Welcome to the world, Contra Costa AVA!". Wine Wit and Wisdom. March 18, 2024. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024.
  6. ↑ Comiskey, Patrick J. (June 16, 2021). "Gone Tomorrow". Wine & Spirits. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  7. ↑ "State Will Number Every Grape Vine". Sacramento Union, Vol. 188, No. 21. March 21, 1916.
  8. ↑ Busev, J.F. (August 29, 1908). "Wine Grapes in Contra Costa County". Pacific Rural Press, Vol 76, No. 9.
  9. ↑ "About Us". Viano Vineyards. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Our Story". Cline Cellars. Retrieved November 28, 2024.

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