Just before Christmas, the induction of the state’s 12th American Viticulture Area (AVA)–Naches Heights–became official.

This is a BIG DEAL, as the petition process is lengthy and arduous, and only a few truly unique viticultural areas are chosen.

Naches Heights is a particularly interesting AVA since all the grapes produced there are certified biodynamic, organic, or sustainable!

Our friends at The Tasting Room: Wines of Washington have organized a party for this Friday evening, January 13, to celebrate Washington’s newest AVA. Phil Cline of Naches Heights Vineyard and Paul Beveridge of Wilridge Vineyard, who are growing all organic and biodynamic grapes in the Naches Heights AVA, will both be on hand for the celebration to talk about the magic of the Heights and their journeys to make it an ideal growing site.

The official presentation will be given at 6  p.m. and the celebration will continue into the evening. There will be a special flight menu and discounted prices on everything produced by Naches Heights Vineyard and Wilridge.

For further details, here is the entire press release:

Naches Heights Approved as the 12th AVA in Washington State

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) today approved the establishment of the Naches Heights American Viticultural Area (AVA), creating Washington State’s 12th AVA. The establishment of the Naches Heights AVA will be effective in one month.

The Bureau’s approval will serve to further distinguish the quality and character of the wines produced with grapes grown on Naches Heights, a volcanic plateau located to the west of Yakima, WA. In order to carry the Naches Heights AVA, at least 85% of the grapes used to make a wine must be grown in the designated area. Naches Heights is further distinguished because all of the vineyards in the new AVA are certified biodynamic, organic or sustainable.

American Viticultural Areas are geographical wine grape growing regions in the United States with distinct soil and climate conditions. Their boundaries are defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the United States Department of the Treasury, and established at the request of wineries or other petitioners.

Phil Cline, owner of NHV vineyard and the first person to plant vines on Naches Heights, said: “We are pleased that the federal government agrees that Naches Heights is a distinctive place to grow wine grapes. We are also pleased that all of the vine growers on Naches Heights are committed to sustainable viticulture.”

Paul Beveridge, owner of Wilridge Winery & Vineyard on Naches Heights, commented: “We have been farming on Naches Heights for five years and producing wine from Naches Heights grapes for the past two years. While the large Columbia Valley AVA is characterized by river valleys and was shaped by the ancient Missoula floods, Naches Heights is located above the valleys on a one million year old Andesite lava flow from the Cascade Mountains that was never inundated by the historic floods. The Andesite is unique to Naches Heights in Washington State and we think it gives a distinctive character to our wines.”