Federal Register / Vol. 48, No. 65'1/ Monday, April 4, 1983 / Rules and Regulations
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
14374 Federal Register / Vol. 48, No. 65'1/ Monday, April 4, 1983 / Rules and Regulations becomes due or the date the tax is paid, CFR, define an American viticultural After repeal of Prohibition, William whichever is later. Records required by area as a delimited grape-growing Bridgman, a Sunnyside farmer and paragraph (c) of this section (including region distinguishable by geographical grapegrower, determined that the any record required by paragraph (a) or features. Approved American Yakima Valley was better suited for (b) that relates to a claim) shall be viticultural areas are listed in 27 CFR wine growing than central France. He maintained for a period of at least 3 Part 9. imported Vinifera grapes and years after the claim is filed. Section 4.25a(e)(2) outlines the established a winery and vineyard at procedures for proposing an American Sunnyside where he grew varietals such § 145.9000-1 [Amended] viticultural area. Any interested person as Johannisberg Riesling and Cabernet. Par. 2. Section 145.9000-1 is amended may petition ATF to establish a grape- By 1937 Washington State could count by adding at the end the following new growing region as a viticultural area. 42 wineries, the largest of which was in sentence: ATF was petitioned by the Yakima the Yakima Valley. Nevertheless, "Regulation § 145.2-1 through 145.2-6 Valley Appellation Committee to Concord grapes continued to be were assigned by OMB the control establish the first viticulturar'area in the dominant, and few local wines of number 1545-0744. State of Washington. The area distinction were produced. Many grapes (Sec. 521 of the Highway Revenue Act of 1982 petitioned for is a valley centered were shipped out of state for processing, (96 Stat. 2097) and section 7805 of the Internal around the Yakima River in south and Washington State wineries did not Revenue Code of 1954 (68A Stat. 917, 26 central Washington. The Yakima Yalley concentrate on producing premium U.S.C. 7805)) is nearly 75 miles long and 22 miles wide varietal wines. Roscoe L. Egger, Jr., at its widest point and contains In the 1950's, Dr. Lloyd Woodburne, a Commissioner of InternalRevenue. approximately 1040 square miles. professor at the University of Approved: March 28, 1983. In response to their petition, ATF Washington in Seattle, began to produce John E. Chapoton, published a notice of proposed home wines made from Washington State grapes. Other members of the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. rulemaking; Notice No. 436, in the Federal Register on November 24, 1982 University faculty joined him and in FRDoec. 83--435 led 3-30-83: 3:24 pml [47 FR 53051) proposing the 1961 they incorporated and planted five BILUNO CODE 4830-01-M establishment of the Yakima Valley acres of Pinot Noir and other Vinifera viticultural area. grapes at Sunnyside adjacent to Bridgman's vineyard. Their group Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Supporting Evidence Firearms eventually became Associated The Yakima Valley Appellation Vineyards which released their first 27 CFR Part 9 Committee, an association of Yakima wines to the public in 1968. With Valley grape-growers and Yakima demand for their Yakima Valley wines IT.D. ATF-128; Reference Notice No. 4361 Valley and Washington State wineries, growing, they planted 20 more acres at Yakima Valley Viticultural Area gave the following evidence for the Sunnyside, including Cabernet, Pinot establishment of the Yakima Valley Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, AGENCY: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco viticultural area in their petition. Semillon, and Chardonnay. and Firearms (ATF), Treasury. Name. The name Yakima Valley was During the 1970's, additional acreage ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision. well established. Yakima is the name of of Vinifera grapes were planted the Yakima Nation, a loose confederacy throughout Yakima Valley. Today there SUMMARY: This final rule establishes an of Indian tribes which once controlled a are approximately 23,400 acres of grapes American viticultural area in Yakima vast portion of eastern Washington. This in the valley. This includes 3500 acres of and Benton Counties, Washington name was given to th& city, valley and' Vinifera varieties, with the remainder known as "Yakima Valley." The river. Yakima Valley is also used on being Concord, White Diamond, and establishment of viticultural areas and U.S.G.S. maps to designate the valley Island Belle. Grapes are planted in the use of viticultural area names in surrounding the Yakima River. nea'rly every location in the valley wine labeling and advertising will allow Although Yakima Valley has only where irrigation is available, although wineries to designate the-specific grape- recently become recognized as a wine the majority of the Vinifera grapes are growing area where their wines producing region, it has been known as planted on the south facing slopes of the originate, and will help consumers to an important agricultural region since Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, Snipes identify the wines they purchase. the early 1900's when river water was Mountain, Ahtanum Ridge, and on the DATE: This final rule is effective on May first used to irrigate the valley. Yakima steeper north banks of the Yakima 4, 1983. Valley has achieved special fame for River. There are six bonded wineries in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: apples, soft fruits and hops. The the Yakima Valley and the term Yakima Charles N. Bacon, Research and petitioner submitted numerous Valley has been used since 1967 as an Regulations Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, newspaper articles and other literature appellation of origin for wines made Tobacco and Firearms, Washington, DC which use the term Yakima Valley to from Yakima Valley grapes. 20226, Telephone: 202-566-7626. describe the area, especially as a grape- Topography.Topography SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: growing region, distinguishes Yakima Valley from History of viticulture. Island Belle surrounding areas. Background grapes were introduced into the Yakima Eastern Washington is characterized Title 27 CFR, Part 4 provides for the Valley in the early 1900s. Later, Concord by a series of east to west basaltic establishment of definite viticultural grapes became the dominant grape uplifts which occurred millions of years areas. Thes'e~regulations also allow the throughout Washington State. Concord ago, and which created a number of name of an approved viticultural area to grapes were not, however, made into large and small valleys with distinct be used as an appellation of origin on wine but were processed at grape juice north/south boundaries and slopes. wine labels and in wine advertisements. plants at Grandview and Prosser in the Yakima Valley is one of these valleys Sections 9.11 and 4.25a(e)(1), of Title 27, Yakima Valley, and atYakima. bounded on the north and south by four Federal Register / Vol. 48, No. 65 / Monday, April 4, 1983 / Rules and Regulations 14375 basaltic uplifts. Ahtanum Ridge and the days, ranging from 184 days at White Compliance With Executive Order 12291 Rattlesnake Hills comprise the northern Swan to 196 days at Benton City. It has been determined that this final boundary separating the Yakima Valley Soils. There are at least 13 different rule is not a "major rule" within the from Ahtanun Valley and Moxie Valley. soil associations within the Yakima meaning of Executive Order 12291 of The Toppenish Ridge and Horse Heaven Valley viticultural area; however, most February 17, 1981, because it will not Hills form the southern boundary. vineyards are planted in just two have an annual effect on the economy of Yakima Valley's eastern boundary is associations. The Warden-Shano 100 million Association is found on the slopes of the dollars or more; it will not formed by Rattlesnake Mountain, Red result in a major increase in cost or Mountain and Badger Mountain, all of valley. These soils are silt-loam throughout and are deep to moderately prices for consumers, individual which serve to separate it from the industries, Federal, State, or local Columbia Basin. The foothills of the deep over basalt bedrock. The Scootenay-Starbuck Association is government agencies, or geographical Cascade Mountain Range define the regions; and it will not have significant western boundary. found predominately along the Yakima River. These soils are silt-loam, and are adverse effects on competition, The western portion of the Yakima employment, investment, productivity, Valley is a vast expanse of flat land, shallow to very deep over gravel or basalt bedrock, being formed in old innovation, or on the ability of United while the eastern portion is composed of States-based enterprises to compete gently sloping land north of the Yakima alluviums. Boundaries.The boundaries of the with foreign-based enterprises in River. The valley itself is drained by the domestic or export markets. Yakima River which enters the valley on Yakima Valley viticultural area are the the north at Union Gap, and flows in a mountain ranges surrounding the valley. List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9 The boundary follows the crest of the southeasterly direction exiting the Administrative practices and valley ata gap between Rattlesnake Ahtanum Ridge and the Rattlesnake Hills on the north, crosses the top of procedures, Consumer protection, Mountain and Red Mountain. .Viticultural areas, Wine. Climate. The climate'of Yakima Rattlesnake Mountain, Red Mountain, Valley is a distinguishing factor of the and Badger Mountain on the east, and- Drafting Information viticultural area. In general, the follows the 1,000 foot contour line of the House Heaven Hills and the crest of the The principal author of this final rule mountains to the west experience is Charles N. Bacon, Research and significantly cooler temperatures while Toppenish Ridge on the south. The western boundary is composed of the Regulations Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Yakima Valley is not as warm as areas Tobacco and Firearms.