BRENTWOOD, Calif., June 21,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax
and Trade Bureau (TTB) officially approved the establishment of the
Contra Costa Viticultural Area along with modifications to the San
Francisco Bay and Central Coast Viticultural Areas in March of
2024, with the ruling becoming effective on April 15th 2024. This landmark decision marks a
significant milestone for the wine industry and the entire
agricultural community in the region and underscores the unique
characteristics of Contra Costa
County's viticultural landscape. Establishing the Contra
Costa Viticultural Area and modifying the San Francisco Bay and
Central Coast Viticultural Areas, not only celebrates the rich
viticultural heritage of the region but also provides winemakers
and grape growers with increased recognition and marketing
opportunities.
![Contra Costa Winegrowers Association Contra Costa Winegrowers Association](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2444328/CCWG_Landscape_Logo.jpg)
The Contra Winegrowers Association is excited to announce the
accreditation of a new AVA (American Viticultural Area).
Rebecca Bloomfield, President of the
Contra Costa Wine Growers Association explains the significance of
this decision, that has been over 5 years in the making, "It is our
very strong belief that becoming "Contra Costa AVA, will
attract more new prospects of farmers planting vines and making
wine, and it will also ensure that winegrowers receive fair pricing
for their grapes." This decision means that over 109,000 additional
agricultural acres are now included in the Central Coast and San
Francisco Bay AVAs. This new ruling brings the total Contra
Costa AVA acreage to 167,146. Bloomfield adds, "Our unique
winegrowing region has now been recognized and designated as a
distinguished area for producing high-quality winegrapes. This
designation will allow vintners to better describe the origin of
their wines, and will likely promote a greater level of Ag tourism
and the planting of more vines in the area."
The approval follows a comprehensive petition submitted to the
TTB, by Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR
4.25(e)(2)), which outlines the rigorous criteria for proposing an
American Viticultural Area (AVA). The petition provided compelling
evidence supporting the establishment of the Contra Costa
Viticultural Area.
The TTB conducted an in-depth review of the petition and
supporting evidence, ultimately determining that the proposed AVA
meets the criteria for establishment. With this approval, the
Contra Costa Viticultural Area joins the ranks of esteemed AVAs,
further enhancing the reputation and diversity of California's wine industry. This process
ensured that the Contra Costa Viticultural Area received
recognition for the distinguishing features that justify this
accreditation as a premier winegrape growing region.
The petition, written by Patrick Shabram Geographic
Consulting on behalf of the Contra Costa Wine Growers
Association, describes the distinctive features of the proposed AVA
affecting viticulture, including climate, geology, soils, and
physical features. The petition was funded and supported by the
City of Brentwood and the Contra
Costa Winegrowers Association.
See Attached for Reference:
- Map of Contra Costa AVA, Central Coast AVA, SF Bay
AVA
- List of Contra Costa Wine Grape Producers
- Link to the TTB Final Report: CLICK
HERE
MORE INFO:
Please visit https://www.ccwinegrowers.com
Contact:
Rebecca Bloomfield
President, Contra Costa Wine Growers Association
ccwinegrowers@gmail.com | 925.783.0050
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ttb-establishes-contra-costa-ava-and-expands-central-coast-and-san-francisco-bay-avas-302178622.html
SOURCE Contra Costa Winegrowers Association