Appellation-mania

Appellation-mania, I call it: the desire to carve out as many official American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) as possible within a given wine region.

And why not? The smaller an AVA is, the more money a winery can charge.

The system of AVAs dates back decades, to a period when the federal government decided consumers were entitled to accurate information on the front label of a bottle of wine, including where the grapes were grown. And what department did the Feds house this function in? Treasury, of course – along with guns, cigarettes and explosives, and alcoholic beverages, lumped into the notorious BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Go figure (but that’s  another story).

The first California AVA approved by the ATF was Napa Valley. That was back in 1981. Since then, well more than 100 others have joined the list here in the Golden State. If you’re familiar with the European system of controlled appellations (for example, in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Germany), you might think that’s a good thing, and in part, it is. But it’s also led to a great deal of confusion on the part of consumers.

The biggest problem is this: an American AVA is not a guarantee of quality. It says nothing about how good or bad a wine is, only where 75% of the grapes are from. Yet we know from consumer studies that the appellation on the front label is one of the most important considerations consumers think about in making their wine-buying decisions. That’s the downside of AVAs. A well-regarded one, such as Napa Valley or Russian River Valley, is generally a dependable source of good wine, but not always. And sometimes, an AVA you never heard of can produce a real beauty.

In years past, the ATF (since renamed the Tax & Trade Bureau, or TTB) has been notoriously lax in granting AVA status to any group that put in the time and money to do the paperwork. Last month, though, the TTB showed real spine in rejecting an AVA petition for a Paso Robles “Westside” AVA. They concluded, correctly, that the evidence just wasn’t there to prove that “Westside” had unique growing conditions (which is a prerequisite for approving AVAs). That was a good sign that the TTB is saying to vintners, “Hold on a second. Do your homework before you apply for a new appellation.” What vintners and growers should do now is re-examine the existing AVAs to make sure they make sense, because a lot of them don’t.

E-mail: Steve@yummyletter.com

Yummy Wine Recommendations of the Week

Williams Selyem 2007 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay, $50.
I remember the first time Bob Cabral, the winemaker, offered me a glass of his Heintz Chardonnay, about 9 years ago. The top of my head exploded and my soul went to heaven. (Only a slight exaggeration.) Now he’s got the ’07 out, and it’s fantastic. Rich, ripe and oaky, the California equivalent of a great white Burgundy. Only 274 cases produced, but worth the search. Call the winery for availability at (707) 431-4861.

Four Sisters 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, $13.
Fans of dry, crisp, minerally Sauv Blancs will exult in this affordable wine from Australia (and sommeliers should scoop it up by the case for a house pour). My colleague at Wine Enthusiast, Joe Czerwinski gave it 90 points, easily making it a Best Buy. Should be easy to find, with 7,000 cases imported. You can call the importer, Epic Wines, at (831) 219-9100.

Sip-Worthy Wine Event

27th Annual American Wine & Food Festival, Oct. 2-4
This star-studded epicurean event and fundraiser takes place in Los Angeles with proceeds benefiting the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels. The main event is on Saturday, October 3 from 6 to 11 p.m., at the Universal Studios' back lot, when L.A.’s star chefs cook up gastronomic delights, paired with the best wines. It’s pricey: $300 per person. But if you’re in LaLa Land at that time, it’s a lot of fun. For tickets visit, www.AWFF.org.