AVA topic at Rotary

On Sept. 6, Jim Arnold of Triassic Vineyards and the Tehachapi Winegrowers Association told Rotarians that the application for a Tehachapi AVA has been submitted to Washington DC. An American Viticultural Association designation is necessary in order to call local wines "Tehachapi" wines. Until that time, they must be labeled "California" wines.

"The decision-making body is a division of the Treasury Department," said Arnold.

Julie Bell, a member of the Winegrowers Association, has been working on the application for over two years. Back up information that accompanies the application includes nearly 10 years of climate and growing records for the area as well as what makes the area unique. At 4,000-feet, Tehachapi will be the highest AVA in the country due to the warm days and cool nights created by having the Central Valley on one side and the Antelope Valley on the other. The application approval process in Washington can take as long as two years.