Responding to a petition from Maui Wines Winemaker Mark Beaman, Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau proposed to establish the “Ulupalakua” AVA.
The proposed Ulupalakua AVA is located within the privately-owned, 18,000-acre Ulupalakua Ranch on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The proposed AVA contains approximately 70 acres, with approximately 16 acres of vineyards.
The petition notes that an additional 5 acres of land within the proposed AVA have been prepared with trellising and irrigation in preparation for vineyard expansion. Three other parcels averaging two acres each have also been surveyed for future planting within the proposed AVA.
Grape varietals grown within the proposed AVA include Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Grenache, Malbec, and Syrah. Although there is no winery within the boundary of the proposed AVA, grapes from the proposed AVA are made into wine at the Maui Wines facility, which is a short distance south of the proposed AVA.
In a separate proposed rulemaking, TTB proposed to add about 27,945 acres to the approximately 64,640-acre “Clarksburg” viticultural area.
The Clarksburg viticultural area is located in Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, in California, and the proposed expansion area is in Sacramento and Solano Counties. The established Clarksburg viticultural area and the proposed expansion area are not located within any established viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on this proposed amendment to its regulations.
Comments on both proposals are due Jan. 11, 2021.