Royal Slope AVA

Last updated

Royal Slope
Wine region
TTB Map Royal Slope AVA.png
Type American Viticultural Area
Year established2020 [1]
Years of wine industry41 [2]
CountryUnited States
Part of Washington, Columbia Valley AVA
Other regions in Washington, Columbia Valley AVA Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley AVA, Candy Mountain AVA, Goose Gap AVA, Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Naches Heights AVA. Lake Chelan AVA, Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Red Mountain AVA, Rocky Reach AVA, Snipes Mountain AVA, The Burn of Columbia Valley AVA, Wahluke Slope AVA, Walla Walla Valley AVA, White Bluffs AVA, Yakima Valley AVA
Precipitation (annual average)8 to 10 in (203–254 mm) [3]
Soil conditionsSurface loess, sand, and flood-deposited silt [1]
Total area156,389 acres (244 sq mi) [1]
Size of planted vineyards14,100 acres (5,706 ha) [1]
No. of vineyards13 [1]
Grapes produced Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Syrah [1]
No. of wineries1 [1]

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. [1] [3]

Contents

History

According to local lore, the name originated when two Scotsmen climbed the Saddle Mountains in the 1880s and observed the view to the north of the south-sloped topography and exclaimed, “Now that’s a Royal Slope!” Historically, the name “Royal Slope” is printed on USGS topographic maps of various scales since the 1950s to mark the general area. The name has been in common usage for more than 50 years to describe the rich agricultural district of tree fruit orchards, row and field crops and since the 1980s, viticulture. [4]

Terroir

Topography

The topography of the Royal Slope AVA is characterized by the gentle, south-facing slopes of an east–west trending 30 mi (48 km) range of hills called the Frenchman Hills. Slope angles are generally less than 15 percent, with very few slopes having angles of less than 3 percent. The slopes are gentle enough for agricultural purposes and are not as freeze-prone as flatter terrains such as valley floors. To the north of the AVA, the Frenchman Hills fall away to the Quincy Basin, which is a large, flat-floored valley. To the northeast are sand dunes and "pothole" ponds between the dune crests. To the east and south of the AVA is the Crab Creek Coulee gouged out by Missoula Floods, and on the west, the bedrock cliffs fall away steeply to the Columbia River, which has lower elevations and steeper, rockier terrain than the AVA. [1] About 90% of Royal Slope's area consists of gently to somewhat steeply south-facing slopes. These southern slopes represent the best aspect for wine grapes in the Pacific Northwest due to the northerly latitude.

Climate

The climate of the Royal Slope AVA is described as warm but not excessively hot, making it a suitable climate for growing a variety of red and white grape varietals, including Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Riesling. The AVA generally has greater growing degree day (In the Winkler climate classification system, annual heat accumulation during the growing season, measured in annual growing degree days (GDDs), defines climatic regions. One GDD accumulates for each degree Fahrenheit that a day's mean temperature is above 50 °F (10 °C), the minimum temperature required for grapevine growth.) accumulations and an average cool-climate viticulture sustainability index (The cool-climate viticulture sustainability index represents the number of days between the last temperature below 29 °F (−2 °C) in the spring and the first temperature below 29 °F (−2 °C) in the fall) number than all of the surrounding regions except the regions to the south and north. The AVA also has a lower risk of vine-damaging freezes, as it generally has fewer days per year with temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C) than all of the surrounding regions except the region to the south. Finally, the AVA has an average of only 9 days a year with temperatures above 95 °F (35 °C), which is fewer than the region to the south, and has fewer very hot days per year than the regions to the north, east, and west. Grape vines shut down photosynthesis at temperatures above 95 °F (35 °C), which can slow or even stop the synthesis of sugars and other ripening factors and may delay harvest.

Soil

The Royal Slope AVA, like the rest of the Columbia Valley AVA, is underlain with Miocene-era basaltic bedrock and has been affected by Ice Age megafloods. Within the region of the AVA, the floodwaters followed flood channels to the east and northeast. The waters entered the region in a relatively smooth fashion, and the AVA remained largely above the floodwaters. As a result, the AVA was not heavily eroded and remained a landscape of gentle hills with deep soils suitable for cultivation. By contrast, the regions to the east and south of the AVA were eroded by fast-moving floodwaters which cut deeply into the landscape and formed the scablands of Crab Creek Coulee. Similarly strong floodwaters flowed through the region to the west of the AVA, creating the steep canyon of the Columbia River. North of the AVA, the floodwaters were smoother and gentler and deposited vast amounts of sand in what is now the Quincy Basin, creating a landscape of dunes and ‘‘pothole’’ lakes. Within the AVA, the soils are a combination of sediments from glacial floods and wind-blown post-glacial sand and silt (loess). The soils are generally deep enough for vines to extend their roots far into the soil before encountering bedrock or other impediments. The predominant soils are Aridosols, which are characterized as well-drained and low in organic material. Major soil series include Warden, Sagemoore, Adkins, and Kennewick, which together comprise approximately 59 percent of the soil in the AVA. By contrast, the regions to the east, west, and immediate south of the AVA are scablands, which have very little, if any, topsoil. Farther south of the AVA, within the established Wahluke Slope AVA, the soils are deep and fertile but are primarily Entisols, including the Quincy soil series, which comprise less than two percent of the soils in the AVA. The region to the north of the AVA is also primarily composed of Entisols, including the Quincy soil series. [1]

Industry

Royal Slope AVA has the potential, situated between Wenatchee and Tri Cities and about two and half hours from Seattle, to become a popular destination within the state's growing enotourism industry. The region gained industry recognition when a Charles Smith 2006 Royal City Syrah was rated 100 points by Wine Enthusiast as the first vintage in the state to rank that high. [5] [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy Mountain AVA</span> Viticultural area in Washington, USA

Candy Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington that encompasses the slopes surrounding Candy Mountain in Benton County located southwest of Richland along the Columbia River. The viticultural area is the state's 16th AVA formally established on September 24, 2020, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Dr. Kevin R. Pogue, professor of geology at Whitman College, on behalf of the following industry members with wine businesses within the Candy Mountain appellation: Ramer Holtan, who is developing a commercial wine grape vineyard on Candy Mountain; Premiere Columbia Partners LLC, owners of Candy Mountain Vineyard; and Paul and Vickie Kitzke, owners of Kitzke Cellars. For wines to bear the “Candy Mountain AVA” label, at least 85% of the grapes used for production must be grown in the designated area, Candy Mountain is a sub-appellation entirely within the Yakima Valley and the expansive Columbia Valley AVAs adjacent to the eastern boundary of Goose Gap AVA and few miles southeast of Red Mountain AVA. Within the 815 acres (330 ha) minute AVA, there are currently two producing commercial vineyards, Candy Mountain Vineyard and Kitzke Cellars, which cultivate approximately 54 acres (22 ha) with future expansions for 200 acres (81 ha)

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

The Burn of Columbia Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Klickitat County in south-central Washington on the north banks of the Columbia River along the Oregon state border. The Burn of Columbia Valley was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury on July 17, 2021, after reviewing a petition received from Kevin Corliss, Vice President of Vineyards for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Joan R. Davenport, Professor of Soil Sciences at Washington State University, and John Derrick, Vice President of Operations for Mercer Ranches, Inc., proposing “The Burn of Columbia Valley” viticultural area. The appellation, known colloquially as “The Burn,” encompasses about 16,870 acres (26 sq mi) where 3 commercial vineyards cultivate approximately 1,261 acres (510 ha) as many Washington wineries source grapes from here. The state's 18th AVA lies entirely within the vast Columbia Valley appellation and stands alone between the Columbia Gorge and the Horse Heaven Hills viticultural areas. The distinguishing features of The Burn of Columbia Valley are its soils, climate, and topography.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Establishment of the Royal Slope Viticultural Area" (27 CFR 9 [Docket No. TTB–2019–0008; T.D. TTB–162; Ref: Notice No.186] RIN 1513–AC53 Final Rule). Federal Register . 85 (171). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury: 54491–54494. September 2, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 17, 2023.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Royal Slope" (PDF). WA Wine. January 1, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  3. 1 2 James, Erin (April 28, 2021). "The Ultimate Guide to the Royal Slope AVA". Sip Magazine. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. Garrison, Becky (June 18, 2021). "Royal Slope Designated as Washington State's Newest American Viticultural Area". Grapevine Magazine. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  5. "Charles Smith 2006 Royal City Syrah (Columbia Valley (WA))". Wine Enthusiast. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  6. Steigmeyer, Rick (November 4, 2021). "Royal Slope AVA" (A source of treasure for wineries around the state). Foothills Magazine. Wenatchee, WA: Wenatchee World. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.

46°57′54″N119°39′00″W / 46.965°N 119.650°W / 46.965; -119.650