New Wine AVA

New Wine AVA

New Wine AVA. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Idaho and Washington’s wine industries are very excited about a new AVA that was designated late last week. Moya Shatz Dolsby, Executive Director of the Idaho Wine Commission talks about the new Lewis-Clark Valley American Viticultural Area.

DOLSBY: It’s great for Idaho and Washington but it’s especially great for Idaho because it’s our third AVA and it’s our second AVA we’ve gotten approved in the last six months so it’s really helping put us on the map. What’s kind of different about this one is it carves out a section of the Columbia Valley AVA. Basically, it’s the Lewis-Clark Valley so it’s a natural 600 meter elevation, is what defines the AVA.

The Lewis Clark AVA is made up of steep canyons of the Clearwater and mid-Snake Rivers and their tributaries.

DOLSBY: There’s around 220-thousand acres which is equivalent to around 480 square miles and so it’s a decent size but currently there’s only 80 acres planted but there’s definitely a lot on the horizon

She says this is a big plus for the economic development of the Lewis-Clark Valley.

DOLSBY: Grapes were started planting there in the 1860’s and 1870’s so it’s one of the areas actually where the first group of plantings in the northwest so it’s reemerging because there was was all this history and the prohibition killed it all so it’s like a reemergence of a once prosperous grape growing area.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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