Ribbon Ridge AVA
Utopia Vineyard is located within the Treasury Department's assigned Ribbon Ridge viticultural area. The 3,350-acre viticultural area is about 4 miles northwest of Dundee, 22 miles southwest of Portland, and 40 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The Ribbon Ridge viticultural area lies within the larger, established Willamette Valley viticultural area. Geographically, Ribbon Ridge is a distinct, 3.5 mile long by 1.75-mile wide ridge separated from the surrounding mountains and hills on all sides by creek valleys. According to the petition, the geographic isolation of Ribbon Ridge, its soils, and, to a lesser extent, its climate distinguish it from surrounding Willamette Valley grape-growing regions.
[Federal Register: June 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 104)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 31342-31345]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jn05-4]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
27 CFR Part 9
[T.D. TTB-27; Notice No. 21]
RIN 1513-AA58
Establishment of the Ribbon Ridge Viticultural Area (2002R-215P)
AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury.
ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision.
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SUMMARY: This Treasury decision establishes the Ribbon Ridge
viticultural area in northern Yamhill County, Oregon. The new Ribbon
Ridge viticultural area is entirely within the existing Willamette
Valley viticultural area. We designate viticultural areas to allow
vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow
consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
DATES: Effective Date: July 1, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N. A. Sutton, Regulations and
Procedures Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 925
Lakeville St., 158, Petaluma, CA 94952; telephone 415-271-
1254.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background on Viticultural Areas
TTB Authority
Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (the FAA
Act, 27 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) requires that alcohol beverage labels
provide the consumer with adequate information regarding a product's
identity and prohibits the use of misleading information on such
labels. The FAA Act also authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to
issue regulations to carry out its provisions. The Alcohol and Tobacco
Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) administers these regulations.
Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 4) allows the
establishment of definitive viticultural areas and the use of their
names as appellations of origin on wine labels and in wine
advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 9) contains
the list of approved viticultural areas.
Definition
Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i))
defines a viticultural area for American wine as a delimited grape-
growing region distinguishable by geographical features, the boundaries
of which have been recognized and defined in part 9 of the regulations.
These designations allow vintners and consumers to attribute a given
quality, reputation, or other characteristic of a wine made from grapes
grown in an area to its geographic origin. The establishment of
viticultural areas allows vintners to describe more accurately the
origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers to identify
wines they may purchase. Establishment of a viticultural area is
neither an approval nor an endorsement by TTB of the wine produced in
that area.
Requirements
Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB regulations outlines the procedure
for proposing an American viticultural area and provides that any
interested party may petition TTB to establish a grape-growing region
as a viticultural area. Section 9.3(b) of the TTB regulations requires
the petition to include--
Evidence that the proposed viticultural area is locally
and/or nationally known by the name specified in the petition;
Historical or current evidence that supports setting the
boundary of the proposed viticultural area as the petition specifies;
Evidence relating to the geographical features, such as
climate, soils, elevation, and physical features, that distinguish the
proposed viticultural area from surrounding areas;
A description of the specific boundary of the proposed
viticultural area, based on features found on United States Geological
Survey (USGS) maps; and
A copy of the appropriate USGS map(s) with the proposed
viticultural area's boundary prominently marked.
Ribbon Ridge Petition
The North Willamette Valley AVA Group petitioned TTB for the
establishment of the ``Ribbon Ridge'' viticultural area in northern
Yamhill County, Oregon. The 3,350-acre viticultural area is about 4
miles northwest of Dundee, 22 miles southwest of Portland, and 40 miles
inland from the Pacific Ocean. The Ribbon Ridge viticultural area lies
within the larger, established Willamette Valley viticultural area (27
CFR 9.90). As of 2002, the petitioned-for area contained 3 commercial
wineries and 14 vineyards covering about 286 acres.
Geographically, Ribbon Ridge is a distinct, 3.5 mile long by 1.75-
mile wide ridge separated from the surrounding mountains and hills on
all sides by creek valleys. According to the petition, the geographic
isolation of Ribbon Ridge, its soils, and, to a lesser extent, its climate
distinguish it from surrounding Willamette Valley grape-growing regions.
Evidence supporting establishment of the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area is
described below.
Name Evidence
Colby Carter, an early settler from Missouri, named Ribbon Ridge in
1865, and the ridge has been known by that name ever since. The first
official use of the Ribbon Ridge name dates to 1888 with the creation
of Ribbon Ridge School District No. 68. Built along Ribbon Ridge Road,
which runs along the ridge's spine, the school operated from 1889 to
about 1953. A reference to Ribbon Ridge also appears in the ``Oregon
Historical Quarterly,'' vol. XLIV, page 307, March-December 1943. It
reads, ``Ribbon Ridge is a spur in the southwest part of the Chehalem
Mountains, about east of Yamhill. The top of the ridge twists like a
ribbon, hence the name.''
The USGS Dundee Quadrangle map and other commercial maps show
``Ribbon Ridge'' as the name of the ridge encompassed by the Ribbon
Ridge viticultural area. The Dundee Quadrangle map also shows Ribbon
Ridge Road running north and south along the spine of the ridge. In
addition, a search of the U.S. Geological Survey's Geonames database
(see http://geonames.usgs.gov/) shows ``Ribbon Ridge'' to be the name
of the ridge encompassed by the viticultural area's boundary. This
search also shows the site of the historic Ribbon Ridge School to be
within the viticultural area's boundary.
Boundary Evidence
Ribbon Ridge is geographically distinct from the surrounding hills
and mountains due to its topographic isolation. Creek valleys surround
Ribbon Ridge on all sides, giving the ridge an ``island-like''
appearance as it rises above the Chehalem Valley floor, according to
the petition. Two creeks, Ayres Creek in the north and Dopp Creek in
the east, separate Ribbon Ridge from the Chehalem Mountains. Chehalem
Creek separates Ribbon Ridge from the Coast Range to the west and from
the Dundee Hills to the south.
A 10-mile long loop of county roads also surrounds Ribbon Ridge at
or near its base. Beginning at the ridge's northern end, this loop
follows Dopp Road south along the ridge's eastern side, and then
follows North Valley Road along its southern and western sides, and
after traveling east a short distance on Albertson Road, the loop is
closed along the ridge's northern side. Since these roads largely
follow the base of Ribbon Ridge, the petitioners used these roads to
help delineate the proposed viticultural area.
Local residents also view Ribbon Ridge as a distinct farming
district, with its own mix of crops, separate from the adjoining
Chehalem Valley, Kings Grade, and Rex Hills regions, according to the
petition. Winegrowing activity began on Ribbon Ridge in 1980, with the
planting of Ridgecrest Vineyards. The first commercial vineyard was
established in 1982, with the planting of 54 acres of Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay. Yamhill Valley Vineyards first used grapes from these
vineyards in wine production in 1985. Vineyards and winery operations
now own in excess of 700 total acres on Ribbon Ridge. Approximately
1,000 to 1,400 acres are suited for premium wine grape planting within
the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area boundaries, the petition states.
Distinguishing Features
Geography
As noted above, creek valleys separate Ribbon Ridge from the
higher, surrounding landmasses. The ``island'' of Ribbon Ridge, which
extends southward from the Chehalem Mountains, rises to a maximum
height of 683 feet from the 200-foot Chehalem Valley floor. Ayres
Creek, which flows west then north, and Dopp Creek, which flows south,
separate Ribbon Ridge from the Chehalem Mountains along, respectively,
the ridge's north and east sides. On the western side of Ribbon Ridge,
the Chehalem Creek valley separates the ridge from the Coast Range
hillsides associated with the Yamhill-Carlton District viticultural
area (27 CFR 9.183). After a gorge-like drop of 300 feet into the
quarter-mile wide ravine of Chehalem Creek, the creek's valley widens
at the southern foot of Ribbon Ridge into the broad, flat Chehalem
Valley, separating the Chehalem Mountains and Ribbon Ridge from the
Dundee Hills to the south.
Soils
Ribbon Ridge is a distinct geological formation of eastward-tilted,
marine sedimentary strata that dates to the upper Eocene geological era
and is unusual in having only two geological strata--the Keasey and
Pittsburgh Bluff Formations. The ridge is ancient and stable, and the
soils formed from the fine sedimentary parent materials are well
weathered. Consequently the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area's soils are,
on the average, deeper in profile and more finely structured than soils
in surrounding areas. The soils of Ribbon Ridge are relatively uniform,
all being formed of fine-textured marine sediment (mainly Willakenzie
series) at vineyard elevations, and neither slides nor erosion have
significantly altered them.
The soils found within the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area differ
from the alluvial sedimentary soils found the Chehalem Valley flood
plain, and the area's soils also differ from the adjacent volcanic
soils of the Chehalem Mountains and Dundee Hills. Finally, the Ribbon
Ridge soils are related to, but have significant differences from, the
marine sedimentary hillsides (mainly Willakenzie and Peavine series) to
the west of the Chehalem Creek valley in the Yamhill-Carlton District
viticultural area (27 CFR 9.183) in that they are younger, finer, and
more uniform, due to finer parent materials of sandstone, siltstone,
and mudstone.
Climate
Ribbon Ridge's ``island-like'' topography and the proximity of the
surrounding, higher landmasses tend to shield and protect the proposed
Ribbon Ridge viticultural area from many of the extremes that affect
the other agricultural microclimates in the northern Willamette Valley.
Low clouds tend to accumulate on the hilltops surrounding Ribbon Ridge,
and fog settles on the valley floor in the early and late parts of the
growing season. To the west, the Coast Range and Yamhill Mountains
encourage weather systems to drop their moisture before reaching Ribbon
Ridge and serve to block the severe winds of Pacific storms. To the
north, the Chehalem Mountains, Bald Peak, and Portland Hill tend to
protect the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area from Columbia Gorge and
eastern Oregon weather systems, which deliver cold temperatures in the
winter and heat or winds in the summer. To the south, the Dundee Hills
shield Ribbon Ridge from the extreme winds that funnel coastal weather
systems through the Van Duzer corridor, whether hot, cold, or wet in
the summer or winter.
Ribbon Ridge's grape-growing hillsides are slightly warmer and
drier when compared to valley floor sites within the northern
Willamette Valley. These climatic differences are especially
significant during the April to October grape-growing season. During
that time, hillside warming is especially important in achieving grape
ripening similar to that found at warm valley sites, but without the
risk of frost or excess soil moisture. The ridge's hillsides have
higher minimum (2-3[deg] F) and maximum (2-7[deg] F) daily temperatures
during the early and late portions of the growing season than do exposed
valley floor sites. These moderate temperatures permit early growth in the
spring, consistent and even ripening--with retention of acids--over the
summer, and a long, full maturing season in the fall.
Ribbon Ridge's annual rainfall is less than that of other wine
growing regions in the northern Willamette Valley. Annual precipitation
on the protected hillsides of the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area is up
to 10 inches (approximately 25 percent) less than that of nearby
unprotected valley floor sites. Growing season precipitation within the
Ribbon Ridge area is reduced even further, with 7.7 inches accumulating
April through October, on average. This is approximately 35 percent
less than the amount received at Coast Range and valley floor sites.
Rainfall in the Ribbon Ridge area is also less than that of the nearby
Yamhill-Carlton District (27 CFR 9.183) and Dundee Hills (27 CFR 9.180)
viticultural areas.
Boundary Description
As proposed, the boundary of the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area
followed a 9.85-mile loop of county roads around the base of the ridge,
but the proposed regulatory text limited the viticultural area to land
at or above 240 feet in elevation within that loop. Since the road loop
largely follows the 200- to 240-foot base of Ribbon Ridge, we have
revised the regulatory text to eliminate the 240-foot elevation
restriction, slightly expanding the size of the viticultural area. The
area now includes land below 240 feet along the western side of Dopp
Road and a small area around the Lake View School south of Albertson
Road. In addition, we have also revised the wording of the boundary
description in the regulatory text for clarity, and we have revised the
beginning point from the intersection of the 240-foot contour line and
North Valley Road to the intersection of Albertson and Dopp Roads. For
a complete description of the viticultural area's boundary, see the
regulatory text published at the end of this notice.
Maps
The petitioner(s) provided the required maps, and we list them
below in the regulatory text.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
TTB published a notice of proposed rulemaking, Notice No. 21, in
the Federal Register on November 3, 2003 (68 FR 62259), regarding the
establishment of the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area. In that notice,
TTB requested comments by January 2, 2004, from anyone interested. We
received one supporting comment and no opposing comments.
After careful review, TTB finds that the evidence submitted with
the petition supports the establishment of the proposed viticultural
area. Therefore, under the authority of the Federal Alcohol
Administration Act and part 4 of our regulations, we establish the
``Ribbon Ridge'' viticultural area in Yamhill County, Oregon, effective
60-days from this document's publication date.
Impact on Current Wine Labels
Part 4 of the TTB regulations prohibits any label reference on a
wine that indicates or implies an origin other than the wine's true
place of origin. With the establishment of this viticultural area and
its inclusion in part 9 of the TTB regulations, its name, ``Ribbon
Ridge,'' is recognized as a name of viticultural significance.
Consequently, wine bottlers using ``Ribbon Ridge'' in a brand name,
including a trademark, or in another label reference as to the origin
of the wine, must ensure that the product is eligible to use the
viticultural area's name as an appellation of origin.
For a wine to be eligible to use as an appellation of origin the
name of a viticultural area specified in part 9 of the TTB regulations,
at least 85 percent of the grapes used to make the wine must have been
grown within the area represented by that name, and the wine must meet
the other conditions listed in 27 CFR 4.25(e)(3). If the wine is not
eligible to use the viticultural area name as an appellation of origin
and that name appears in the brand name, then the label is not in
compliance and the bottler must change the brand name and obtain
approval of a new label. Similarly, if the viticultural area name
appears in another reference on the label in a misleading manner, the
bottler would have to obtain approval of a new label.
Different rules apply if a wine has a brand name containing a
viticultural area name that was used as a brand name on a label
approved before July 7, 1986. See 27 CFR 4.39(i)(2) for details.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
We certify that this regulation will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This
regulation imposes no new reporting, recordkeeping, or other
administrative requirement. Any benefit derived from the use of a
viticultural area name is the result of a proprietor's efforts and
consumer acceptance of wines from that area. Therefore, no regulatory
flexibility analysis is required.
Executive Order 12866
This rule is not a significant regulatory action as defined by
Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735). Therefore, it requires no
regulatory assessment.
Drafting Information
N. A. Sutton of the Regulations and Procedures Division drafted
this document.
List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9
Wine.
The Regulatory Amendment
0
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, we amend 27 CFR, chapter 1,
part 9 as follows:
PART 9--AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS
0
1. The authority citation for part 9 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205.
Subpart C--Approved American Viticultural Areas
0
2. Amend subpart C by adding Sec. 9.182 to read as follows:
Sec. 9.182 Ribbon Ridge.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Ribbon Ridge.''
(b) Approved Maps. The appropriate maps used to determine the
boundaries of the Ribbon Ridge viticultural area are the following two
United States Geological Survey (USGS), 1:24,000 scale, topographical
maps (7.5 minute series).
(1) Laurelwood Quadrangle, Oregon, 1956, photorevised 1978; and
(2) Dundee Quadrangle, Oregon, 1956, revised 1993.
(c) Boundary. The Ribbon Ridge viticultural area is located in
northern Yamhill County, Oregon, northwest of the town of Dundee.
(1) The beginning point is on the Laurelwood Quadrangle map at the
intersection of a light-duty road known locally as Albertson Road and
Dopp Road (named on the Dundee map), just east of the Lake View School,
section 58, T2S, R3W. From the beginning point, the boundary line--
(2) Continues south on Dopp Road for about 4.9 miles, crossing onto
the Dundee map, to the road's intersection with North Valley Road, near
the Erwin Young School, section 39, T3S, R3W (Dundee Quadrangle); then
(3) Continues west then north on North Valley Road for about 5
miles, crossing over to the Laurelwood map, to the road's intersection
with Laughlin and Albertson Roads, just west of the Lake View School,
section 58, T2S, R3W (Laurelwood Quadrangle); then
(4) Continues east on Albertson Road for about 0.2 miles and
returns to the beginning point.
Signed: April 21, 2005.
John J. Manfreda,
Administrator.
Approved: May 11, 2005.
Timothy E. Skud,
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Tax, Trade, and Tariff Policy).
[FR Doc. 05-10881 Filed 5-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P
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