POLITICIAN AIMS TO UPHOLD THE PASO NAME
The Paso Robles AVA has a new hero. California Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee introduced new legislation earlier this week to create a labeling law to protect, and promote, the Paso Robles name. His bill, AB 87, would require vintners that use a Paso Robles “sub” appellation on their labels to also include Paso Robles AVA on the bottle.
Currently, the Paso Robles AVA is being divided into smaller, more distinctive viticultural areas, which some insiders fear will eventually take away from the Paso Robles winegrowing area and confuse consumers. Winegrowers in Paso Robles have been working on a proposal for "sub" AVAs for several months and a filing will likely be submitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau within a few weeks, according to winebusiness.com.
The executive director of Paso Robles Wine Alliance, Stacy Jacob, welcomed the news, saying the Alliance had received support for the proposal from the Wine Institute, CAWG (California Association of Winegrape Growers) Family Winemakers, and the Napa Valley Vintners Association.
The recent increase in AVAs comes at a time when regional associations are trying to gain control of their marketing. Global competition and dwindling grape prices has made it imperative that vintners and growers find a way to make their regions stand out, as seen with Sonoma, Paso Robles and Mendocino. In fact, there are now roughly 200 AVAs in North America, but most consumers barely know what an AVA is. That’s why regional associations will have to get more involved in educating consumers about AVAs and their importance.
Currently, the Paso Robles AVA is being divided into smaller, more distinctive viticultural areas, which some insiders fear will eventually take away from the Paso Robles winegrowing area and confuse consumers. Winegrowers in Paso Robles have been working on a proposal for "sub" AVAs for several months and a filing will likely be submitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau within a few weeks, according to winebusiness.com.
The executive director of Paso Robles Wine Alliance, Stacy Jacob, welcomed the news, saying the Alliance had received support for the proposal from the Wine Institute, CAWG (California Association of Winegrape Growers) Family Winemakers, and the Napa Valley Vintners Association.
The recent increase in AVAs comes at a time when regional associations are trying to gain control of their marketing. Global competition and dwindling grape prices has made it imperative that vintners and growers find a way to make their regions stand out, as seen with Sonoma, Paso Robles and Mendocino. In fact, there are now roughly 200 AVAs in North America, but most consumers barely know what an AVA is. That’s why regional associations will have to get more involved in educating consumers about AVAs and their importance.
posted at 1:37 PM
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