Elevated Status

By Greg Norton A “nested AVA” might sound like something sought by a birdwatcher. In the U.S., the term refers to American Viticultural Areas, some within larger winegrowing appellations. Designated in July 2006, the Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley’s fifth nested AVA, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. SIZE MATTERS After the Willamette Valley AVA was established in 1983, wineries could more accurately indicate a wine’s origin. “Nobody had ever heard of the Willamette Valley at that point,” recalled Pat Dudley, Bethel Heights Vineyard co-founder and wife of Eola-Amity Hills petitioner Ted Casteel. “We were all busy trying to distinguish it from Oregon as an appellation.” The Willamette Valley AVA covers 3.5 million acres spanning over 100 miles from north to south. Soon after the turn of the 21st century, it became obvious more precise geographical distinctions were needed. “It’s really big,” Dudley continued,

by Hilary Berg · source ↗