The Wine Knows

The federal government is taking comments (press release, PDF) on the establishment of a new American Viticultural Area in Washington's Yakima Valley.

The Snipes Mountain AVA would be the state's second-smallest appellation at 4,145. About 535 acres of vineyards already are planted in the proposed region, including some of the state's oldest. Included in the region is Harrison Hill.

According to Ron Irvine's 1997 book, The Wine Project: Washington State's Winemaking History, William Bridgman purchased land on Harrison Hill after arriving in Sunnyside in 1902. The adjacent Snipes Mountain was where Bridgman planted his first wine grapes.

In 1962, Bridgman sold Harrison Hill to the group of University of Washington professors who created Associated Vintners, which later became Columbia Winery.

Today, DeLille Cellars in Woodinville makes a red Bordeaux blend simply called Harrison Hill, with all the grapes coming from that old vineyard.

This would be Washington's 10th AVA. It would be entirely within the Yakima Valley AVA (which is entirely within the Columbia Valley AVA), and would join Red Mountain and Rattlesnake Hills as sub-AVAs of the Yakima Valley, which was established in 1983.

Comments on the proposed AVA are being accepted until June 27.