Sta. Rita Hills AVA Expansion

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On Monday, August 22, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a final rule expanding the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area.[1] This long-awaited decision, which will take effect September 21, 2016, will add approximately 2,296 acres to the 33,380-acre region located in Santa Barbara County, California. The 2,296-acre expansion area contains three vineyards, two of which were already partially within the original boundaries of the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area. Beginning September 21, wines produced by these vineyards will be authorized to bear the Sta. Rita Hills name on their labels.

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Turf Wars: Proposed Expansion of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA

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In “The Law of Location: Reign of Terroir,” we explored the regulatory side of terroir. Now, a long-simmering battle in California wine country has started to boil, and terroir is at the heart of the dispute. This winter, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) will decide whether to expand the famed Sta. Rita Hills AVA, a 33,380-acre[1] appellation situated in picturesque Santa Barbara County, by about 2,300 acres. [Notice No. 145: Proposed Expansion of the Sta. Rita Hills Viticultural Area. The agency is accepting public comments on the proposed expansion through Friday, December 5, 2014.[2] This is a good opportunity to explore the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and the process of establishing and modifying an AVA. The petition, filed by geographer Patrick L. Shabram on behalf of John Sebastiano Vineyards and Pence Ranch Vineyards, is available here.

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