71372 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Rules and Regulations [FR Doc. 04–27017 Filed 12–8–04; 8:45 am] Definition Ocean. The proposed area is wholly BILLING CODE 6717–01–P Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB within Yamhill and Washington regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) defines Counties in northwestern Oregon and is a viticultural area for American wine as entirely within the existing Willamette Valley viticultural area (27 CFR 9.90). DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY a delimited grape-growing region distinguishable by geographical As of the 2002 Yamhill-Carlton District features, the boundaries of which have petition, there were 26 vineyards within Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade the area, with about 650 acres planted Bureau been recognized and defined in part 9 of the regulations. These designations to grapes. The proposed Yamhill-Carlton 27 CFR Part 9 allow vintners and consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or District viticultural area is distinguished primarily by elevation, soil, and climate. [TTB T.D.–20; Re: Notice No. 19] other characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to its Within the viticultural area’s described boundary the defined viticultural area is RIN 1513–AA59 geographic origin. The establishment of viticultural areas allows vintners to limited to elevations between 200 feet Establishment of the Yamhill-Carlton describe more accurately the origin of and 1,000 feet, yielding size of 8,500 District Viticultural Area (2002R–216P) their wines to consumers and helps acres. A precedent exists for elevation as consumers to identify wines they may a distinguishing factor with the AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and purchase. Establishment of a viticultural establishment of the Mendocino Ridge Trade Bureau, Treasury. area is neither an approval nor an viticultural area in Mendocino County, ACTION: Final rule; Treasury decision. endorsement by TTB of the wine California, which includes land only at produced in that area. or above the 1,200-foot elevation (see 27 SUMMARY: This Treasury decision CFR 9.158 and T.D. ATF–392 at 62 FR establishes the Yamhill-Carlton District Requirements 55512, October 27, 1997). viticultural area in Yamhill and Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB Name Evidence Washington Counties, Oregon. The new regulations outlines the procedure for Yamhill-Carlton District viticultural proposing an American viticultural area This viticultural area is locally known area is entirely within the existing and provides that any interested party as the ‘‘Yamhill-Carlton District,’’ Willamette Valley viticultural area. We may petition TTB to establish a grape- according to the petition. The designate viticultural areas to allow growing region as a viticultural area. viticultural area surrounds the towns of vintners to better describe the origin of Section 9.3(b) of the TTB regulations Yamhill and Carlton, Oregon, which lie their wines and to allow consumers to requires the petition to include— 3 miles apart along State Route 47 in better identify wines they may • Evidence that the proposed Yamhill County. While the two towns purchase. viticultural area is locally and/or operate independently, they have had DATES: Effective Date: February 7, 2005. nationally known by the name specified strong ties since their separate in the petition; incorporations over 100 years ago. The FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N. • Historical or current evidence that hyphenated expression of the cities’ A. Sutton, Program Manager, supports setting the boundary of the names has been used since 1853 with Regulations and Procedures Division, proposed viticultural area as the the establishment of the Yamhill- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade petition specifies; Carlton Pioneer Cemetery. Bureau, 925 Lakeville St., #158, • Evidence relating to the In modern times, the Yamhill-Carlton Petaluma, CA 94952; telephone 415– geographical features, such as climate, 271–1254. Union High School has existed since soils, elevation, and physical features, 1955 and operates under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: that distinguish the proposed supervision of the Yamhill-Carlton viticultural area from surrounding areas; School District. The two cities share a Background on Viticultural Areas • A description of the specific newspaper, the Carlton-Yamhill Review. TTB Authority boundary of the proposed viticultural The USGS Carlton map identifies the Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol area, based on features found on United towns of Yamhill and Carlton and the Administration Act (the FAA Act, 27 States Geological Survey (USGS) maps; Yamhill-Carlton Pioneer Cemetery. U.S.C. 201 et seq.) requires that alcohol and • Boundary Evidence beverage labels provide the consumer A copy of the appropriate USGS with adequate information regarding a map(s) with the proposed viticultural Geographically, the Yamhill-Carlton product’s identity and prohibits the use area’s boundary prominently marked. District viticultural area is a south- of misleading information on such Yamhill-Carlton District Petition facing bowl containing a series of labels. The FAA Act also authorizes the horseshoe-shaped eroded hills Secretary of the Treasury to issue General Background composed of sedimentary parent regulations to carry out its provisions. TTB received a petition from Alex material. To the area’s west is the The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Sokol-Blosser, Secretary of the North higher-elevation Coast Range, to the Trade Bureau (TTB) administers these Willamette Valley AVA Group, on south is a cooler maritime-influenced regulations. behalf of Yamhill-Carlton District area, and to the east and north are Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR winegrowers, proposing a new natural lowland drainages. The area’s part 4) allows the establishment of viticultural area to be called the western boundary is based on the definitive viticultural areas and the use ‘‘Yamhill-Carlton District.’’ Ken Wright change to sedimentary soils from the of their names as appellations of origin was the author of the petition. The volcanic soils of the Coast Range. The on wine labels and in wine proposed Yamhill-Carlton District higher elevations of the coastal hills to advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB viticultural area is located about 35 the west, generally ranging from 1,000– regulations (27 CFR part 9) contains the miles southwest of Portland, Oregon, 2,000 feet, are much cooler and have list of approved viticultural areas. and 25 miles inland from the Pacific proven unsuitable for grape growing. VerDate jul<14>2003 19:13 Dec 08, 2004 Jkt 205001 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\09DER1.SGM 09DER1 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 236 / Thursday, December 9, 2004 / Rules and Regulations 71373 At the viticultural area’s southwestern sedimentary soils often contain distinct viticultural area. The fertility and water- boundary, the area’s almost purely aromatic flavors (coffee, cocoa, anis, holding capacity of these low-elevation sedimentary parent material changes to cedar, tobacco) not found in the same soils extends the vegetative period of a mix of basalt, slate, and sedimentary wine varietals grown in different soils, the vine and delays the ripening of material. The southern boundary according to the petition. Also, the vines planted in the Willamette valley. petition adds that the wines made from transitions to a valley floor that contains Elevation deep soils composed of Willamette silts. grapes grown in these ancient The frost-prone nature of this lower sedimentary soils are consistently lower Within the Yamhill-Carlton District elevation region, combined with its high in acid than wines made from grapes viticultural area’s boundary, which is soil permeability and fertility, makes it grown in basaltic or wind-blown soils. described in the regulatory text below, unsuitable for production of quality According to ‘‘The Roadside Geology only land from 200 feet to 1,000 feet in vinifera grape varieties. of Oregon’’ (David Alt and Donald W. elevation is included within the Abbey and Kuehne Roads serve as the Hyndman), the soils of the Yamhill- viticultural area. At elevations below Yamhill-Carlton District viticultural Carlton District, formed in the Eocene 200 feet, the low valley floors are prone area’s eastern border and mark the era, are derived from marine sediments to frost. Conversely, at elevations greater change from its sedimentary soils to the and ocean floor volcanic basalt that than 1,000 feet, the higher terrain is volcanic soils of the Dundee Hills. have a high water-holding capacity with significantly cooler and lacks the Millican Creek, a natural drainage moderate to high erosion levels. Alan necessary heat to properly ripen wine between the viticultural area and the Campbell of NW Vineyards prepared a grapes. Dundee Hills, runs along this boundary vineyard soils map of Yamhill County, Climate line, flowing from north to south and Oregon, which shows that the western The climate of the Yamhill-Carlton eventually joining the Yamhill River hills of the Yamhill-Carlton District District viticultural area is distinct from near the town of Lafayette. Chehalem comprise two soils groups, Willakenzie the surrounding areas. It is bordered on Creek’s drainage system separates the on the lower elevation slopes and the west by the mountains of the Coast Yamhill-Carlton District from Ribbon Peavine on the upper slopes. Peavine Range, which have a colder climate as Ridge and the Chehalem Mountains to soils dominate the northern section of measured in degree-days (a heat the northeast. The Yamhill-Carlton the viticultural area, while its eastern summation obtained by totaling each District’s sedimentary soils are generally slopes comprise Wellsdale and day’s temperature above 50 degrees coarser in texture and subject to more Willakenzie soil series. Fahrenheit during the growing season), faulting, uplifts, and erosion than the The sedimentary soils of the Yamhill- and which are unsuitable for production Ribbon Ridge sedimentary soils.