Red Mountain (Benton County, Washington)
In 2001, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury recognized Red Mountain as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) after reviewing the petition submitted by Lorne Jacobson of Hedges Cellars to establish an area known as "Red Mountain." Some of Washington's primer wine estates source grapes from Red Mountain. The sandy loam soil of the region is high in calcium and alkaline. Red Mountain's vineyards are characterized by good air drainage, light soils and deeply rooted vines. With only 6 to 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rainfall, area growers must irrigate, which allows them to control vine vigor and ease vines into dormancy before winter. Red Mountain's growing season averages 180 days. The vineyards are located on the south-facing slopes, between the cities of Benton City and West Richland within the larger Yakima Valley viticultural area. About 700 acres (283 ha) of the mountain slopes are cultivated for winegrapes, which mainly include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese. The area is resident to 37 wineries.
Nearby cities and towns
Benton City, Kennewick, Pasco, Prosser, Richland, West Richland.
References
- ^ "Red Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ "Red Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Red Mountain AVA". Washington Wine. Washington State Wine Commission Center. 2024.
- ^ Perdue, Andy. "How Red Mountain grew into Washington's premier wine region". Barron's. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- ^ "Red Mountain Viticultural Area (99R– 367P)" (27 CFR Part 9 [T.D. ATF–448; Re: Notice No. 897] RIN: 1512–AAO7 Final Rule). Federal Register. 66 (69). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 18543–18546. April 10, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 18, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.