[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 58050-58087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22528]
[[Page 58049]]
Vol. 78
Friday,
No. 183
September 20, 2013
Part III
Department of the Treasury
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Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
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27 CFR Part 9
Proposed Establishment of the Adelaida District, Creston District, El
Pomar District, Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo
District, Paso Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow Creek
District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel District, Santa Margarita Ranch,
and Templeton Gap District Viticultural Areas; Proposed Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2013 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 58050]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
27 CFR Part 9
[Docket No. TTB-2013-0009; Notice No. 140]
RIN 1513-AB47
Proposed Establishment of the Adelaida District, Creston
District, El Pomar District, Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles
Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow
Creek District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel District, Santa Margarita
Ranch, and Templeton Gap District Viticultural Areas
AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to
establish the Adelaida District, Creston District, El Pomar District,
Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso
Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Juan
Creek, San Miguel District, Santa Margarita Ranch, and Templeton Gap
District viticultural areas within the boundary of the existing Paso
Robles viticultural area in northern San Luis Obispo County,
California. The Paso Robles viticultural area, in turn, is located
within the larger multicounty Central Coast 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 these proposed additions to
its regulations.
DATES: TTB must receive your comments on or before January 21, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Please send your comments on this proposal to one of the
following addresses:
http://www.regulations.gov (via the online comment form
for this proposal as posted within Docket No. TTB-2013-0009 at
``Regulations.gov,'' the Federal e-rulemaking portal);
U.S. Mail: Director, Regulations and Rulings Division,
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW., Box 12,
Washington, DC 20005; or
Hand delivery/courier in lieu of mail: Alcohol and Tobacco
Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW., Suite 200E, Washington, DC
20005.
See the Public Participation section of this document for specific
instructions and requirements for submitting comments, and for
information on how to request a public hearing.
You may view copies of this document, selected supporting
materials, and any comments TTB receives about this proposal at http://www.regulations.gov within Docket No. TTB-2013-0009. A link to that
docket is posted on the TTB Web site at http://www.ttb.gov/wine/wine-rulemaking.shtml under Notice No. 140. You also may view copies of this
document, all related petitions, maps or other supporting materials,
and any comments TTB receives about this proposal by appointment at the
TTB Information Resource Center, 1310 G Street NW., Washington, DC
20005. Please call 202-453-2270 to make an appointment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen A. Thornton, Regulations and
Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G
Street NW., Room 200E, Washington, DC 20005; phone 202-453-1039, ext.
175.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background on Viticultural Areas
TTB Authority
Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act),
27 U.S.C. 205(e), authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe
regulations for the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt
beverages. The FAA Act provides that these regulations, among other
things, should prohibit consumer deception and the use of misleading
statements on labels, and ensure that labels provide the consumer with
adequate information as to the identity and quality of the product. The
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) administers the FAA Act
pursuant to section 1111(d) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002,
codified at 6 U.S.C. 531(d). The Secretary has delegated various
authorities through Treasury Department Order 120-01 (Revised), dated
January 21, 2003, to the TTB Administrator to perform the functions and
duties in the administration and enforcement of this law.
Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 4) allows the
establishment of definitive viticultural areas and the use of their
names as appellations of origin on wine labels and in wine
advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 9) sets
forth standards for the preparation and submission of petitions for the
establishment or modification of American viticultural areas and lists
the approved American viticultural areas.
Definition
Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i))
defines a viticultural area for American wine as a delimited grape-
growing region having distinguishing features as described in part 9 of
the regulations and a name and a delineated boundary as established in
part 9 of the regulations. These designations allow vintners and
consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other
characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to its
geographic origin. The establishment of viticultural areas allows
vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to
consumers and helps consumers to identify wines they may purchase.
Establishment of a viticultural area is neither an approval nor an
endorsement by TTB of the wine produced in that area.
Requirements
Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(2))
outlines the procedure for proposing an American viticultural area and
provides that any interested party may petition TTB to establish a
grape-growing region as a viticultural area. Section 9.12 of the TTB
regulations (27 CFR 9.12) prescribes standards for petitions for the
establishment or modification of American viticultural areas. Such
petitions must include the following:
Evidence that the area within the proposed viticultural
area boundary is nationally or locally known by the viticultural area
name specified in the petition;
An explanation of the basis for defining the boundary of
the proposed viticultural area;
A narrative description of the features of the proposed
viticultural area that affect viticulture, such as climate, geology,
soils, physical features, and elevation, that make the proposed
viticultural area distinctive and distinguish it from adjacent areas
outside the proposed viticultural area boundary;
A copy of the appropriate United States Geological Survey
(USGS) map(s) showing the location of the proposed viticultural area,
with the boundary of the proposed viticultural area clearly drawn
thereon; and
A detailed narrative description of the proposed
viticultural area boundary based on USGS map markings.
[[Page 58051]]
Adelaida District, Creston District, El Pomar District, Paso Robles
Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands
District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel
District, Santa Margarita Ranch, and Templeton Gap District
Viticultural Area Petitions
Paso Robles American Viticultural Area Committee Petitions
The Paso Robles American Viticultural Area Committee (PRAVAC)
petitioned TTB to establish 11 new viticultural areas located entirely
within the existing Paso Robles viticultural area (27 CFR 9.84) in San
Luis Obispo County, California. The proposed viticultural areas are:
Adelaida District, Creston District, El Pomar District, Paso Robles
Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands
District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel
District, Santa Margarita Ranch, and Templeton Gap District.
The PRAVAC proposal to establish the 11 proposed viticultural areas
would not alter the current boundary or size of the Paso Robles
viticultural area. According to PRAVAC, some portions of the Paso
Robles viticultural area are not included in any of the 11 proposed
viticultural areas because they are urban areas, are government-owned
lands unavailable for commercial viticulture, or they contain little or
no viticultural activity due to environmental or topographical factors.
The 59 wine industry members who constitute PRAVAC cumulatively own or
manage over 10,000 acres of vineyards in the 11 proposed viticultural
areas.
PRAVAC also simultaneously petitioned TTB to expand the
southwestern portion of the boundary of the Paso Robles viticultural
area to include the majority of the southern portion of the Santa
Margarita Valley, which was bisected by the then-existing boundary of
the Paso Robles viticultural area. The petitioned-for expansion was
approved in T.D. TTB-72 (published in the Federal Register on January
21, 2009, at 74 FR 3425).
Overview of the Paso Robles Viticultural Area
The Paso Robles viticultural area, originally established in 1983,
is located in northern San Luis Obispo County, California, along its
boundary with Monterey County (see T.D. ATF-148, published in the
Federal Register on October 4, 1983, at 48 FR 45239). The Paso Robles
viticultural area was expanded by approximately 52,600 acres in 1996 to
include vineyards to the west of the viticultural area that had been
planted since its establishment in 1983 (see T.D. ATF-377, published in
the Federal Register on June 13, 1996, at 61 FR 29952); and, as noted
above, another 2,635 acres were added to the viticultural area in 2009.
In addition, the now 612,000-acre Paso Robles viticultural area is
entirely within the larger, multicounty Central Coast viticultural area
(27 CFR 9.75; see T.D. ATF-216, published in the Federal Register on
October 24, 1985, at 50 FR 43130). The small York Mountain viticultural
area (27 CFR 9.80) is located outside of the Paso Robles viticultural
area along its southwestern boundary.
The Paso Robles viticultural area contains much of the San Luis
Obispo County-portion of the Salinas River valley and the valley of its
tributary, the Estrella River. Topographically, the Paso Robles
viticultural area is a basin, with river terraces and low rolling
hills, located between three ranges of California's South Coast Range
mountains: the Temblor Range to the north and northeast, the La Panza
Range to the south, and the Santa Lucia Range to the west and
southwest.
The Paso Robles viticultural area may be described as a large
polygon that spans approximately 42 miles from the Santa Lucia Range in
the west to the Cholame Hills of the Temblor Range in the east, and 32
miles from the San Luis Obispo county line in the north to the La Panza
Range and Los Padres National Forest in the south. The Paso Robles
viticultural area includes the cities or towns of San Miguel, Paso
Robles, Templeton, Atascadero, and Santa Margarita along U.S. Highway
101, and the small towns of Whitely Gardens along State Route 46,
Shandon along State Route 41, and Creston along State Route 229.
As described in T.D. ATF-148, the Paso Robles viticultural area is
largely protected from Pacific marine air and coastal fog intrusions by
the Santa Lucia Range to its west and southwest. T.D. ATF-216, however,
recognized some marine influence on the climate of the Paso Robles
viticultural area from Pacific air moving up the Salinas River valley,
thus justifying the Paso Robles viticultural area's inclusion within
the marine-influenced Central Coast viticultural area. Overall, these
topographic factors give the Paso Robles viticultural area a drier and
warmer climate than the more marine-influenced regions to the west and
south, but a wetter and cooler climate than regions with little or no
marine influence further inland to the east.
The Paso Robles viticultural area's distinguishing climate is
evidenced by its diurnal temperature change (from beginning to end of
the day) of 40 to 50 degrees, its Winkler Region III climate of 3,001
to 3,500 growing degree days (GDDs) of heat accumulation,\1\ and its
average annual rainfall of 10 to 25 inches. Regions to the west and
south are cooler and wetter, with diurnal temperature changes of 20 to
30 degrees, Winkler Region I climates, and average annual rainfall of
up to 45 inches. Inland regions to the east of the Paso Robles
viticultural area can have diurnal temperature changes of over 50
degrees, are warmer, with Region IV or V climates of over 3,500 GDDs of
heat accumulation, and are semi-arid to arid in terms of precipitation.
T.D. ATF-148 further states that the Paso Robles viticultural area is
characterized by well-drained, alluvial soils in terrace deposits and
elevations of 600 to 2,400 feet, with most vineyards planted at
elevations between 800 and 1,000 feet. This contrasts with the more
mountainous areas to the west and south and the flatter terrain of
California's San Joaquin Valley to the east.
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\1\ As a measurement of heat accumulation during the grape-
growing season, one degree day accumulates for each degree
Fahrenheit that a day's mean temperature is above 50 degrees, which
is the minimum temperature required for grapevine growth. In the
Winkler climate classification system, heat accumulation as measured
in growing degree days (GDDs) per year defines climatic regions.
Climatic region I has less than 2,500 GDDs per year; region II,
2,501 to 3,000; region III, 3,001 to 3,500; region IV, 3,501 to
4,000; and region V, 4,001 or more. See Albert J. Winkler, General
Viticulture (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974), pages
61-64.
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Geographical and Viticultural Diversity of the Paso Robles Viticultural
Area
Dr. Deborah Elliott-Fisk, a professor at the University of
California, Davis, and expert on the geography and terroir of
California, provided a report on the distinguishing features of the
Paso Robles viticultural area, which was incorporated into the PRAVAC
petitions. In the report, Dr. Elliot-Fisk explains that the Paso Robles
viticultural area includes a diversity of localized growing conditions,
including differences in local climates, surface soils, and subsurface
water availability throughout the area. Despite some general features
that are shared with the larger Paso Robles viticultural area, these
local variations in the physical geography and environment throughout
the Paso Robles region create site-specific conditions for winegrapes,
influencing the performance of grape rootstocks, clones, and yields,
and affecting fruit characteristics. According to Dr. Elliott-Fisk,
these diverse growing conditions effectively subdivide the
[[Page 58052]]
Paso Robles viticultural area into more specifically distinctive grape
growing regions.
The sections below provide a summary of the PRAVAC petitions'
evidence concerning the varied geographical features throughout the
Paso Robles viticultural area. Unless otherwise indicated, the
information and data in the following sections regarding the Paso
Robles viticultural area are from Dr. Elliot-Fisk's report.
Geology, Topography, and Soils
Elevations within the Paso Robles viticultural area range between
600 feet and 2,400 feet. Low mountain ranges bound the Paso Robles
viticultural area on all sides. In the central part of the viticultural
area, there is a tectonic basin that is deeply filled with both
alluvial (deposited by water) and colluvial (deposited by landslides)
sediments.
The San Andreas Fault Zone stretches southeast to northwest through
the eastern portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area, according to
the Geologic Map of California Series, San Luis Obispo Sheet (Charles
W. Jennings, California Division of Mines and Geology, Sacramento,
1977). In the western portion of the viticultural area, a parallel zone
of multiple fault lines runs through the South Coast Ranges at the base
of the Santa Lucia Range. The Salinas River runs northward through the
region, eventually emptying into Monterey Bay, outside the Paso Robles
viticultural area. The movement of the faults, as well as the flowing
and flooding of the Salinas River and its tributaries, has created a
variety of landforms within the viticultural area, including alluvial
fans, alluvial terraces, incised channels, old planation surfaces,
landslide deposits, debris flows, and floodplains.
The United States Department of Agriculture's 1978 General Soil Map
for the Paso Robles Area of San Luis Obispo County categorizes the 55
soil series in the Paso Robles region into floodplain, alluvial
terrace, and hillside major mapping groups. The area's climate plays a
role in the formation of these soils, as the balance of water
determines whether minerals in the water are leached down through the
soil profile or are deposited within the soil profile. Within these
general groups, the soil series are diverse and vary widely in their
formations and properties. The soil characteristics directly influence
farming and agricultural production in the region. For example, the
alkalinity and acidity levels of the soils throughout the Paso Robles
region vary significantly, with some grassland soils (or Mollisols)
having higher alkalinity levels and some woodland soils (or Alfisols)
being more acidic.
Climate
A maritime influence characterizes the climate of the Paso Robles
viticultural area, resulting in smaller monthly temperature ranges
within the viticultural area than in regions further inland to the
east. During summer and fall afternoons, sea breezes from Monterey Bay
occasionally travel up the Salinas River valley into the Paso Robles
region. The southwestern portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area
lies along the crest and eastern slope of the Santa Lucia Range and
marine air off the cool Pacific Ocean will spill west-to-east through a
series of gaps in the crest of the Santa Lucia Range, creating sea
breezes in the Paso Robles area. The frequency and duration of the sea
breezes incrementally diminish inland, and the lessening of these
marine influences affects the native vegetation and agricultural
potential of the various areas of the Paso Robles region.
In addition to the cooling influence of the marine breezes, cold
air drains off the mountain slopes of the Santa Lucia Range at night
and into the Paso Robles viticultural area. This cold air drainage
creates mountain breezes that lower early evening temperatures across
the region, resulting in lower degree-day totals. This factor also
varies throughout the Paso Robles viticultural area depending on the
topography of specific regions within the viticultural area.
Overview of the 11 Proposed Viticultural Areas
The elevation, marine influence, and topography of the Paso Robles
viticultural area create smaller-scale local climates, which form the
basis for the proposed establishment of the 11 viticultural areas
described in the PRAVAC petitions. These regional variations in
temperature, precipitation, wind, cloud and fog cover, growing degree-
days, and other climate variables distinguish each of the 11 proposed
viticultural areas and are important factors for grape-growing in the
region.
TTB notes that not all of the information provided in the PRAVAC
petitions is discussed in this document. Only information directly
relevant to determining the distinctiveness of the 11 proposed
viticultural areas is discussed in the sections below. Each of the 11
petitions is available for viewing in its entirety as a supporting
document within Docket No. TTB-2013-0009.
The following table provides a brief description of the most
distinguishing features of each of the 11 proposed viticultural areas.
The proposed viticultural areas are discussed in greater detail in the
following sections. Unless otherwise noted, the information and data
contained in the following sections are from the PRAVAC petition
submitted for the respective proposed viticultural area.
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Proposed viticultural area Description
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Adelaida District................. High, rolling slopes; elevations
from 900 to 2,200 feet; modest
marine influence; average annual
precipitation of 25 inches;
transitional Winkler Region II-III
climate.
Creston District.................. Old river terraces and mountain
foothills; elevations from 1,000 to
2,000 feet; modest marine
influence; average annual
precipitation of 11.5 inches;
Winkler Region II climate.
El Pomar District................. High terraces, alluvial fans, and
hills; elevations from 740 to 1,600
feet; primarily alkaline soils,
pronounced marine influence;
average annual precipitation of 15
inches; Winkler Region II climate.
Paso Robles Estrella District..... Rolling hills; elevations from 745
to 1,819 feet; mild marine
influence; average annual
precipitation of 12.5 to 15.5
inches; moderate Winkler Region III
climate.
Paso Robles Geneseo District...... High hills and terraces; elevations
between 740 and 1,300 feet; mostly
acidic soils; modest marine
influence; average annual rainfall
of 13 to 14 inches; transitional
Winkler Region III to IV climate.
Paso Robles Highlands District.... Valley floor transitioning to
mountain slopes; elevations between
1,160 to 2,086 feet; continental
climate; average annual
precipitation of 12 inches; low
Winkler Region IV climate.
Paso Robles Willow Creek District. Mountainous terrain; strong marine
influence; average annual rainfall
of 24 to 30 inches; Winkler Region
II climate; elevations from 960 to
1,900 feet.
[[Page 58053]]
San Juan Creek.................... Alluvial plains and terraces;
elevations between 980 and 1,600
feet; strong continental influence;
average annual rainfall of 10.4
inches; transitional Winkler Region
III to IV climate.
San Miguel District............... Alluvial fans and terraces;
elevations from 580 to 1,600 feet;
very mild marine influence; average
annual rainfall of 11.4 inches;
Winkler III climate.
Santa Margarita Ranch............. Valley floor and hillsides;
elevations from 900 to 1,400 feet;
moderate marine influence; average
annual rainfall of 29 inches;
Winkler Region II climate.
Templeton Gap District............ Broad terraces; elevations from 700
to 1,800 feet; very strong marine
influence; average annual rainfall
of 20 inches; Winkler Region II
climate.
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The following map shows the location of each of the 11 proposed
viticultural areas within the larger Paso Robles viticultural area, as
well as the location of the adjacent York Mountain viticultural area.
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P
[[Page 58054]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP20SE13.007
[[Page 58055]]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-C
Adelaida District
The proposed 53,000-acre Adelaida District viticultural area is
located in the westernmost portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area
and contains approximately 1,300 acres of vineyards.
Name Evidence
The proposed ``Adelaida District'' name is based on both historical
and modern connections of the name ``Adelaida'' to the region in which
the proposed viticultural area is located. The ``District'' modifier in
the proposed name is a reference to the surrounding, larger Paso Robles
viticultural area.
The ``Adelaida'' or ``Adelaida District'' name historically has
been used to geographically identify the area within the proposed
Adelaida District viticultural area, and the ``Adelaida'' name was
given to a local post office in 1877.\2\ In addition, the Adelaida
Mining District, established in the late 1800s, is located in the
southwest corner of the proposed viticultural area; the Adelaida School
was located in the area and remained open until 1964; and the Adelaida
Cemetery District, formed in 1940, serves the local rural population.
(Although some early references use the spelling ``Adelaide,''
``Adelaida'' is the currently accepted spelling.)
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\2\ J. Fraser MacGillivray, History of Adelaida, California
(1993), pages 33-35.
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The small town of Adelaida and the Adelaida Cemetery, both founded
in 1891, are located within the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area, as shown on the USGS Adelaida quadrangle map. According to a 2001
San Luis Obispo County map produced by the Automobile Club of Southern
California, Adelaida Road extends westward from the city of Paso Robles
into the proposed viticultural area. The ``Adelaida'' name is also used
in connection with the Adelaida Planning Area, established by San Luis
Obispo County as part of the county's land use plan. TTB notes that the
boundary of the Adelaida Planning Area encompasses a larger area that
includes the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area within it, as
shown on the ``Adelaida Rural Land Use Category Map.''
Boundary Evidence
The northern portion of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area boundary follows intermittent streams, straight lines between
elevation points, and roads. The proposed boundary meanders west to
east through mountainous terrain and then descends alongside San Marcos
Creek toward the Salinas River. A portion of the northeastern boundary
of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area is shared with the
southern boundary of the proposed San Miguel District viticultural
area.
The eastern portion of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area boundary is based on the Salinas River and the western boundary of
the city of Paso Robles. The proposed boundary separates the foothills
and mountains of the proposed viticultural area from the near-flat,
urbanized region to the east.
The southern portion of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area boundary follows roads, an intermittent stream, a range line, and
a straight line between map points from the western boundary of the
city of Paso Robles to a rugged portion of the Santa Lucia Range. The
southern boundary of the proposed viticultural area boundary is shared
with a portion of the northern boundary of the established York
Mountain viticultural area (27 CFR 9.80) and with the northern boundary
of the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District viticultural area.
The western portion of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area boundary follows a range line, which runs through the Santa Lucia
Range in the area of the Las Tablas Creek watershed. The western
portion of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area boundary is
shared with a segment of the Paso Robles viticultural area's western
boundary.
Distinguishing Features
The distinguishing features of the proposed Adelaida District
viticultural area include a modest marine influence, average annual
precipitation of 25 inches, a transitional Winkler Region II-III
climate, and high rolling slopes.
Climate
The marine influence on the climate in the proposed Adelaida
District viticultural area is more modest than in areas to the west
outside the proposed viticultural area because the crest of the Santa
Lucia Range largely shields the proposed viticultural area from the
Pacific Ocean. This high-elevation range, located to the west and
southwest of the proposed viticultural area, rarely allows marine air,
heavy fog, or strong sea breezes into the proposed viticultural area.
The range also inhibits the inland path of the prevailing wet, winter
storms off the Pacific Ocean. Although the range blocks most of these
storms, the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area still receives
about 25 inches of rain annually. The marine air that moves southward
through the Salinas Valley from Monterey Bay typically is limited to
altitudes below 1,000 feet and cannot reach the high elevations of the
proposed viticultural area. The result is clear, fog-free days and cool
nights in the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area, which
result in a longer growing season and later harvest date than regions
with more marine influence.
Although strong sea breezes usually do not reach the proposed
Adelaida District viticultural area, light mountain and valley breezes
result from warm air rising from lower elevations during the day and
cool air sinking from the mountain peaks at night. These breezes help
to moderate the daily temperature ranges within the proposed
viticultural area and make high temperatures extremely rare. The annual
heat summation of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area
averages about 3,000 growing degree day (GDD) units, which is a high
Region II or a low Region III in the Winkler climate classification
system.
Topography
The proposed Adelaida District viticultural area is generally a
mountainous area with steep ridges, frequently oriented in a northwest-
to-southeast direction. The mountainous topography is primarily a
result of the faulting and uplift of the South Coast Ranges,
particularly the Santa Lucia Range. Elevations range from approximately
900 feet to approximately 2,200 feet, although most area vineyards are
planted at elevations of 1,000 to 1,800 feet. At night, cool air drains
off these high, steep ridges into the lower, flatter regions outside
the proposed viticultural area. Because of the cool air drainage, frost
is not a common occurrence within the proposed viticultural area.
Soils
The soils of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area are
hillside residual soils, which generally have shallow rooting depths
and a relatively high water-holding capacity, but are also well-drained
by the subsurface weathered bedrock. The primary parent material of the
soils of the proposed viticultural area is the Monterey Formation,
which is comprised of sedimentary shales, mudstones, and sandstones.
Soil textures within the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area are predominantly silty clay loam and clay loam, with some
gravelly units. The soils are generally moderately developed Mollisols
where surface humus is abundant, Alfisols where more leaching to depth
has occurred, and
[[Page 58056]]
Vertisols where pedogenic clay dominates the texture. The soils are
slightly alkaline, with a surface horizon pH of between 7.4 and 8.4 and
have low-to-moderate nutrient levels. The modest rooting depths,
nutrient levels, and water-holding capacity of the soils promote a
moderate amount of stress on grapevines, and low vineyard yields are
common within the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed Adelaida District viticultural area and compares those
features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas. In
addition, the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area is
immediately adjacent to, and would share its southern-most boundary
with a portion of, the York Mountain viticultural area's northern
boundary. The York Mountain viticultural area is distinguishable from
the proposed viticultural area because it contains lower elevations on
the slopes of the Santa Lucia Range, has a cooler maritime Winkler
Region I climate, and receives an average of 45 inches of annual
rainfall.
TTB notes that the region to the north of the proposed viticultural
area is within the Paso Robles viticultural area, but it is not
included in any of the viticultural areas proposed in this document.
This area is distinguishable from the proposed Adelaida District
viticultural area based on its generally lower elevations and flatter
terrain. In addition, a large portion of this region is unavailable for
commercial viticulture because it is part of the Camp Roberts Military
Reservation. The area immediately to the west that is not within either
the Paso Robles viticultural area or the York Mountain viticultural
area contains the rugged, mountainous terrain of the Santa Lucia Range.
Comparison of Proposed Adelaida District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the east: Paso To the south: Paso
Distinguishing features Adelaida district To the north: San Robles Estrella Robles Willow
Miguel District District Creek District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region.................. Transitional Warm Region III... Moderate Region Region II
Region II-III. III.
Maritime Climate *.............. 6................. 7................. 5................. 1
Precipitation................... 25 inches/year.... 11.4 inches/year.. 12.5-15.5 inches/ 24-30 inches/year
year.
Topography...................... Santa Lucia Range Santa Lucia Range Rolling plains of Mountain slopes of
high mountain footslope into Estrella River Santa Lucia Range
slopes grading to Salinas and valley and to the west of
base of Estrella River terraces; the Salinas
foothills; valleys; alluvial elevation River, centered
elevation fans and well- approximately 745- on the Willow
approximately 900- defined river 1,819 feet (most Creek tributary
2,200 feet (most terraces; vineyards at 750- to Paso Robles
vineyards at elevation 580- 1,000 feet). Creek; elevation
1,100-1,800 feet). 1,600 feet (most 960-1,900 (most
vineyards at 640- vineyards at
800 feet). 1,000-1,300
feet).
Soils........................... Shallow, well- Deep alluvial Deep to moderate Mostly shallow
drained, residual soils, with clay, depth alluvial calcareous soils
soils with silty sandy, and terrace soils, of residual
and clay loam gravelly loam with sandy to (bedrock) origin
textures; textures. coarse and clay with shaly clays,
moderately loam textures; clay loams, and
alkaline. slightly acidic, rocky loams, with
but more alkaline some units
at depth. gravelly and with
patches of
alluvial soil
along streams;
alkaline at depth
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
Creston District
The proposed 47,000-acre Creston District viticultural area is
located in the south-central portion of the Paso Robles viticultural
area and contains approximately 1,400 acres of vineyards.
Name Evidence
The ``Creston District'' name is based on its historical and modern
association with the region. The ``District'' modifier indicates that
the proposed Creston District viticultural area is a sub-region of the
larger Paso Robles viticultural area. ``Creston'' and ``Creston
District'' have been used historically to identify the small rural
community, school district, community services district, electoral
precinct, and groundwater planning area of San Luis Obispo County
contained within the proposed Creston District viticultural area.
The town of Creston, originally named ``Huerhuero'' after a land
grant in the area, was founded in 1884. The town name eventually was
changed to ``Creston'' in honor of a founding father of the area, C.J.
Cressey.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Linnea Waltz, ``And just where is Huer Huero?'' San Luis
Obispo County Telegram-Tribune, October 5, 1974, page 8.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to an 1890 San Luis Obispo county map based on government
and county surveys, the ``Creston'' name also identifies the larger
region within the proposed Creston District viticultural area. A 1913
San Luis Obispo County Surveyor map shows Creston voting precinct. In
addition, historical references to the ``Creston District'' are
contained in the ``History of San Luis Obispo County'' by Morrison and
Haydon, which was published in 1917 and reprinted in 2002 as the
``Pioneers of San Luis Obispo County and Environs,'' and which
includes, for example, the biography of John D. Biggs, who ``* * *
engaged in farming in the Creston district.'' The first school district
named ``Creston District'' was formed in 1885, and, in 1923, several
rural school districts merged to form the Creston Elementary School
District, according to the ``History of Creston Elementary School''
(see http://www.atas.k12.ca.us/AUSD/creston/schoolhistory.html).
Today, Creston continues to be a well-known community and region of
San Luis Obispo County. The USGS Creston Quadrangle map identifies the
small town of Creston within the historical Huerhuero Land Grant, and a
2001 map published by the Automobile Club of Southern California
(California Regional Series, San Luis Obispo County map) identifies the
small town of Creston to the southeast of the city of Paso Robles.
Multiple local businesses located in the proposed Creston District
viticultural area use ``Creston'' in their names,
[[Page 58057]]
including Creston Valley Meats, Creston Valley Quilt Ranch, Creston
Farms, and the Creston Volunteer Firefighters (which are no longer
active, but which served an area that closely approximates the
boundaries of the proposed Creston District viticultural area).
Boundary Evidence
According to the proposed boundary description and USGS maps, the
northern portion of the proposed Creston District viticultural area
boundary uses a road and straight lines to connect map points across a
series of foothills and rugged mountain terrain. The proposed boundary
in this area separates the rugged terrain of the proposed Creston
District viticultural area from the rolling hills and lower elevations
in the region to the north, which is within the larger Paso Robles
viticultural area but not within any of the other viticultural areas
proposed in this document.
The eastern portion of the proposed Creston District viticultural
area boundary includes portions of Indian Creek, roads, and a straight
line. TTB notes that the proposed Creston District viticultural area
shares the eastern portion of its boundary with most of the western
portion of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural
area boundary.
The southern portion of the proposed boundary shares part of the
southern portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area boundary, which
is also concurrent with part of the northern Los Padres National Forest
boundary. The land to the south of the proposed Creston District
viticultural area is increasingly steep and rugged, especially in the
Los Padres National Forest, as the terrain ascends into the La Panza
Range.
The western portion of the proposed boundary follows the Huerhuero
Land Grant line, other lines that closely follow the land grant, and
the Middle Branch of the Huerhuero Creek. The terrain is more
mountainous to the southwest of the proposed Creston District
viticultural area; to the northwest, the terrain tends to be more
gentle and flat. The proposed El Pomar District and Paso Robles Geneseo
District viticultural areas share sections of the northwest portion of
the proposed Creston District viticultural area boundary.
Distinguishing Features
The distinguishing features of the proposed Creston District
viticultural area include a modest marine influence, an annual average
of 11.5 inches of precipitation, and a Winkler Region III climate. Old
river terraces and mountain foothills dominate the landscape, and
elevations vary between approximately 1,000 to 2,000 feet, increasing
from north to south.
Climate
The climate of the proposed Creston District viticultural area is
influenced by its location east of the Templeton Gap and Santa Lucia
Coast Range and south of the La Panza Range. Sea breezes that blow
inland off the Pacific Ocean and through the Templeton Gap passes in
the Santa Lucia Range reach the proposed Creston District viticultural
area during the day, and cold air draining off the La Panza Range
travels down Huerhuero Creek and into the proposed viticultural area in
the evenings. In addition, cooling marine air from Morro Bay to the
south occasionally penetrates into the proposed Creston District
viticultural area. The moderating effect of the cold air drainage and
the sea breezes places the temperature of the proposed Creston District
viticultural area into the low-to-moderate Region III category under
the Winkler GDD system.
The proposed Creston District viticultural area also is located in
the rain shadows of the La Panza Range and the Santa Lucia Range. As a
result, precipitation is low within the proposed viticultural area,
averaging 11.5 inches annually. Although the annual precipitation
amounts are low, there is abundant groundwater and near-surface water
along Huerhuero Creek for irrigating vineyards.
Topography
The landscape of the proposed Creston District viticultural area is
an intermediate-to-high elevation area of old river terraces and
mountain foothills at the base of the La Panza Range. Huerhuero Creek
bisects the proposed viticultural area as it travels northwestward from
the proposed viticultural area through other parts of the Paso Robles
viticultural area until it eventually joins the Salinas River. The East
Branch and Middle Branch of the Huerhuero Creek flow through foothills
and terraces, forming narrow valleys with loamy soils and near-surface
water and springs. These creeks also serve as a conduit for cold air
draining at night from the higher slopes of the La Panza Range into the
proposed viticultural area.
Elevations of the proposed Creston District viticultural area range
from approximately 1,000 feet along Huerhuero Creek to approximately
2,000 feet along the southern portion of the proposed boundary. To the
south of the proposed Creston District viticultural area, the rugged
mountain terrain increases to 3,622 feet in elevation at the pinnacle
of Black Mountain, according to USGS maps. Vineyards in the proposed
Creston District viticultural area are mostly planted at elevations of
1,000 feet to 1,300 feet, with a few vineyards located on higher
bedrock hills up to 1,800 feet. Many vineyards are located on west and
southwest facing slopes to take advantage of the summer marine breezes
that travel through the Templeton Gap area and into the proposed
Creston District viticultural area.
Soils
The parent materials of the soils of the proposed Creston District
viticultural area are granitic rocks, non-marine sandstones, marine
Monterey shales and sandstones, and the Paso Robles Formation. Over
time, Huerhuero Creek has transported mixed sediments of granitic
boulders, cobbles, finer gravels and sands, shales, sandstone
fragments, and silts from the La Panza Range into the proposed
viticultural area. The granitics are high in silica, and the Monterey
Formation shales and fine sandstones are high in calcium carbonate in
some places. As the rock fragments weather and are dissolved in water,
the resulting materials cause cementation of the sediments and soils,
decreasing the soil's water-holding capacity and rooting depths for
plants, including grapevines. The true loams to sandy loams in the area
have a higher percentage of granitic coarse sands and gravels, allowing
for deeper rooting depths and better drainage. Most of the soils are
slightly acidic at the surface and more alkaline at depths below the
surface.
Soil textures in the proposed Creston District viticultural area
are predominantly fine sandy loams to sandy loams along the creeks, to
gravelly sandy loams to clay loams on the terraces. The most common
soil order in the area is the moderately developed grassland Mollisols,
followed by younger, poorly developed Inceptisols and Entisols along
the creeks, the occasional older Alfisols on higher hillsides, and
heavy clay Vertisols in some low-lying spots. Area soils are considered
moderately fertile.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed Creston District viticultural area and compares those features
to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas. The regions to
the north and southwest of the proposed Creston District viticultural
area are within the Paso
[[Page 58058]]
Robles viticultural area but are not included in any of the
viticultural areas proposed in this document. The area to the north is
distinguishable from the proposed Creston District viticultural area
due to its highly eroded terrain, shallow soils, and steep slopes,
which contribute to slope instability and a high erosion hazard. The
region to the southwest is more mountainous and rugged; further west is
the city of Atascadero. The area to the south is located outside of the
Paso Robles viticultural area and contains rugged terrain with higher
elevations than those of the proposed Creston District viticultural
area.
Comparison of Proposed Creston District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the east: Paso To the Northwest:
Distinguishing features Creston district Robles Highlands To the northwest: Paso Robles
District El Pomar District Geneseo District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region.................. Low-Moderate Low Region IV..... Moderate Region II Transitional
Region III. Regions III-IV
Maritime Climate *.............. 4................. 8................. 3................. 7
Precipitation................... 11.5 inches/year.. 12 inches/year.... 15 inches/year.... 13-14 inches/year
Topography...................... Old erosional Transitional area High, older Upfaulted hills
plateau at base from valley floor terraces, fans, through old river
of La Panza to mountain and hills; terraces;
Range; alluvial slope; elevation elevation 740- terraces;
terraces and fans 1,160-2,086 feet 1,600 feet (most elevation 740-
of Huerhuero (most vineyards vineyards at 840- 1,300 feet (most
Creek; elevation at 1,200-1,600 960 feet). vineyards at 880-
approximately feet). 1,200 feet).
1,000-2,000 feet
(most vineyards
at 1,030-1,300
feet).
Soils........................... Terrace alluvial Deep alluvial Terrace alluvial Well-developed
and some residual soils, with sandy soils, with moderate depth
soils, with fine to coarse and sandy, clay, and residual and
sandy to gravelly clay loam gravelly loam alluvial soils,
and clay loam textures, mostly textures; with silty clays
textures; alkaline at depth. primarily and silty clay
slightly acidic alkaline. loam textures; pH
at surface, more varied, but
alkaline at depth. mostly acidic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
El Pomar District
The proposed 21,300-acre El Pomar District viticultural area is
located in the central portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area and
includes 2,000 acres of vineyards.
Name Evidence
The ``El Pomar District'' name is based on its historical and
modern connection with the region. The name originally dates back to
the early 1900s, and it continues to be widely used by local residents,
realtors, wineries, grape growers, and others.
The names ``El Pomar'' and ``El Pomar District,'' derived from the
Spanish word for ``orchard,'' refer to an unincorporated agricultural
area within the larger Paso Robles viticultural area. The El Pomar
District is generally defined as ``[a]n area between Templeton and
Creston noted for its fruit and almond growing . . .'' \4\ TTB notes
that the proposed El Pomar District viticultural area is located
between the towns of Templeton and Creston.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Mark P. Hall-Patton, Memories of the Land, Placenames of San
Luis Obispo County (San Luis Obispo: EZ Nature Books, 1994), page
52.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
An undated local history book, The End of the Line, Recollections
and a History of Templeton, compiled by Al Willhoit, dedicates a full
chapter to El Pomar and explains that the area gained its name
recognition as ``El Pomar'' in 1917. The Willhoit book includes family
histories by former and current residents of the area, many of whom
refer to it as the ``El Pomar District'' or the ``El Pomar area.''
According to a 1926 newspaper article, the El Pomar District was first
subdivided into separate lots in 1886, and early settlers planted
orchards in the area shortly thereafter.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ ``El Pomar: Where Contented Ranchers Have Built Happy
Homes--Almonds Lead Grain, Cattle, And Vineyards,'' Paso Robles
Press, May 30, 1926, page 7.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
El Pomar Drive and South El Pomar Road run through the approximate
middle of the proposed El Pomar District viticultural area, and a San
Luis Obispo County Web site contains a map (included with the petition)
that identifies El Pomar Drive and South El Pomar Road in the proposed
El Pomar District viticultural area. The ``El Pomar Area'' is also a
recognized region on the 1986 voting precinct map for San Luis Obispo
County and is located in the same general area as the proposed El Pomar
District viticultural area. The petition also notes that two of the
vineyards within the proposed viticultural area are named El Pomar
Vineyards and Pomar Junction Vineyards.
Boundary Evidence
The proposed boundary of the viticultural area corresponds with the
historical references to the El Pomar area. According to the Willhoit
book, the Santa Ysabel Land Grant and the subdivision of Eureka Rancho,
both of which are generally located within the proposed viticultural
area, have historically been associated with the proposed El Pomar
District viticultural area. As noted in the Willhoit book, ``[t]he area
to become the El Pomar District lies within the Santa Ysabel, part of
the tract known as the Eureka Rancho, being a portion of the
subdivisions of Rancho La Asuncion.'' An undated San Luis Obispo County
map submitted with the petition shows that the Santa Ysabel Land Grant
boundary generally corresponds with the proposed El Pomar District
viticultural area boundary. In addition, in 1999, Milene Radford, a
longtime San Luis Obispo County resident, drew a map of the El Pomar
District that includes the entire proposed El Pomar District
viticultural area for the Pioneer Pages, an annual publication produced
by the El Paso de Robles Area Pioneer Museum.
The eastern portion of the proposed boundary follows a series of
roads and hills and separates the proposed El Pomar District
viticultural area from the higher elevations to the east. A portion of
the eastern boundary is shared with a portion of the western boundary
of the proposed Creston District viticultural area.
[[Page 58059]]
The southern portion of the proposed El Pomar District viticultural
area boundary uses a series of roads in the foothills of the La Panza
Range that follow approximately the exposed granitic rocks and growths
of dense chaparral and forest vegetation in the area. The region to the
south of the proposed viticultural area is within the Paso Robles
viticultural area but not within any of the other viticultural areas
proposed in this document.
The western portion of the proposed El Pomar District viticultural
area boundary follows a series of peaks and roads that approximate the
Rinconada Fault and define the western geological and topographical
boundary of the area. In addition, a line of hills that rise 400 to 500
feet above the fault line visually defines the western portion of the
proposed El Pomar District boundary. A portion of the western boundary
is shared with the eastern boundary of the proposed Templeton Gap
District viticultural area.
At TTB's request, the proposed El Pomar District viticultural
area's northwestern corner was adjusted westward in order to follow a
road and other more easily located features rather than the now hard-
to-locate former city limit line of Paso Robles. The northern portion
of the proposed El Pomar District viticultural area boundary then
extends to the ridgeline of the Huerhuero Hills area, an uplifted area
along the La Panza-Huerhuero Fault. This ridgeline, which is located
along the northeastern portion of the proposed boundary, serves as a
partial barrier to marine air flowing eastward from the Pacific Ocean.
To the north of the proposed boundary is the proposed Paso Robles
Geneseo District viticultural area, and the urbanized area of the city
of Paso Robles is to the northwest.
Distinguishing Features
The distinguishing features of the proposed El Pomar District
viticultural area include a pronounced marine influence, an annual
average of 15 inches of precipitation, and a moderate Winkler Region II
climate. High, older terraces, alluvial fans, and hills dominate the
landscape, and elevations vary between 740 and 1,600 feet.
Climate
The proposed El Pomar District viticultural area is located several
miles to the east and on the lee, or rain shadow, side of the Santa
Lucia Range crest, which blocks much of the moisture and storms that
move in from the Pacific Ocean, and precipitation in the proposed area
averages 15 inches annually. However, the proposed viticultural area
does receive significant marine air incursion, fog, and sea breezes
through the Templeton Gap, which is located in the Santa Lucia Range to
the proposed area's west. The hillsides and hilltop vineyards within
the proposed El Pomar District viticultural area are exposed to the
cooling marine air during the growing season. Due to the cooling sea
breezes and fog, the proposed El Pomar District viticultural area has a
relatively cool Winkler Region II growing season climate, averaging
2,950 GDD units annually.
Topography
The proposed El Pomar District viticultural area sits at the base
of the La Panza Range's foothills, and old river terraces and alluvial
fans on intermediate elevations dominate the landscape. The terraces
and hills are underlain by granitic rocks, sandstones of the Simmler
Formation, and shales of the Monterey Formation, with the Paso Robles
Formation at or near the surface where the overlying sediments have
been eroded. Elevations rise gradually to the south, beginning at
approximately 740 feet on nearly flat land around the Salinas River,
southeast of the city of Paso Robles, and increasing to a peak of 1,600
feet in the southern portion of the proposed viticultural area.
Vineyard elevations in the proposed viticultural area generally vary
from 840 feet to 960 feet, with a few vineyards located at 1,440 feet
on the higher hills. Although cold air drains northward off the higher
slopes of the La Panza Range and into the proposed viticultural area at
night, its general topography of rolling hills and terraces makes frost
and cold air ponding rare.
Soils
The parent materials of soils within the proposed El Pomar District
viticultural area are granitic rock, sandstones of the Simmler
Formation, shales of the Monterey Formation, and the Paso Robles
Formation. Many of these soils have calcareous shale fragments, with
secondary lime deposited within the soil profiles. The most common soil
series within the proposed viticultural area are from the Linne-Calodo
series and are mostly alkaline. Soil textures in the proposed El Pomar
District viticultural area include clay loams and sandy loams, with
many gravelly units. The most common soil order is the moderately
developed grassland Mollisols, followed by younger, poorly developed
Inceptisols and Entisols along the creeks. The soils have shallow to
moderate rooting depths, modest nutrient levels, and low to moderate
water holding capacity, which create low to moderate vigor vineyard
sites.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed El Pomar District viticultural area and compares those
features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas. TTB
notes that there are no proposed viticultural areas located directly to
the south of the proposed El Pomar District. The region to the south
contrasts to the proposed El Pomar District viticultural area due to
the urban area of Atascadero to the southwest and the more rugged,
mountainous terrain to the southeast. In addition, there is no proposed
viticultural area to the northwest of the proposed viticultural area
since this region is within the urbanized area of the city of Paso
Robles.
Comparison of Proposed El Pomar District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the west: To the north: Paso
Distinguishing features El Pomar District Templeton Gap To the east: Robles Geneseo
District Creston District District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region.................. Moderate Region II Region II......... Low-to-Moderate Transitional
Region III. Regions III-IV.
Maritime Climate *.............. 3................. 1................. 4................. 7.
Precipitation................... 15 inches/year.... 20 inches/year.... 11.5 inches/year.. 13-14 inches/year.
[[Page 58060]]
Topography...................... High, older Broad terraces in Old erosional Upfaulted hills
terraces, fans, moderate to low plateau at base through old river
and hills; elevation area of of La Panza terraces;
elevation 740- the Santa Lucia Range; alluvial elevation 740-
1,600 feet (most Range with terraces and fans 1,300 feet (most
vineyards at 840- elevations of Huerhuero vineyards at 880-
960 feet) ranging from 700 Creek; elevation 1,200 feet).
feet to 1,800 approximately
feet (most 1,000-2,000 feet
vineyards at 800- (most vineyards
940 feet) at 1,030-1,300
feet)
Soils........................... Terrace alluvial Moderate depth, Terrace alluvial Well-developed
soils, with partially and some residual moderate depth
sandy, clay, and cemented alluvial soils, with fine residual and
gravelly loam soils on river sandy to gravelly alluvial soils,
textures; terraces and and clay loam with silty clays
primarily sections of older textures; and silty clay
alkaline alluvial fans slightly acidic loam textures; pH
with silt loams, at surface, more varied, but
silty clays, clay alkaline at depth mostly acidic.
loams, and sandy
loams (with some
units gravelly);
some with
slightly acidic
topsoils and
others neutral to
slightly alkaline
at surface (all
alkaline at
depth)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
Paso Robles Estrella District
The proposed 66,900-acre Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural
area is located in the north-central portion of the Paso Robles
viticultural area, northeast of the city of Paso Robles, and it
contains approximately 8,500 acres of vineyards.
Name Evidence
In the history of San Luis Obispo County, the word ``Estrella'' has
been used for the names of the La Estrella Mexican land grant, a small
rural community, school district, cemetery district, electoral
district, and county planning area, all of which are in the same region
as the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area.
The name ``Estrella'' is the Spanish word for ``star'' and was used
in the 1800s to describe a location in the proposed viticultural area
along the Estrella River where four valleys come together,
topographically resembling the rays of a star. The first recorded use
of the term ``Estrella'' in connection with the larger Paso Robles
region appears on a drawing of the Dise[ntilde]o of Mission San Miguel
(circa 1846), which shows the Estrella area to the east and northeast
of the current city of Paso Robles, roughly in the same location as the
proposed viticultural area.
Maps of early San Luis Obispo County also use the name ``Estrella''
to identify a school district and voting precinct within the same
region as the proposed viticultural area. For example, an 1874 San Luis
Obispo County map shows the ``Estrella School District,'' and the 1913
San Luis Obispo County map shows the ``Estrella Precinct.'' Letters
from four residents of the Paso Robles area that accompanied the
petition state that the full name ``Paso Robles Estrella District'' was
used to refer to the historical school district that served the old
town of Estrella and the surrounding rural area on either side of the
Estrella River. In addition, the Estrella Army Air Force Base was
located in the region during World War II until it was decommissioned
in late October 1944.
The ``Estrella'' name currently applies to numerous geographic and
cultural features within the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area. The most prominent geographical feature in the
region is the Estrella River (indicated on the Estrella, Paso Robles,
and Shandon USGS quadrangle maps), and Estrella Road generally follows
the path of the river. According to the petition, ``Estrella'' also is
used to refer to the rural area on both sides of the Estrella River. In
addition, the name ``Estrella'' refers to a small unincorporated
township within the Estrella electoral precinct of San Luis Obispo
County, which is shown on the Estrella USGS quadrangle map. There is
also a 1,481-foot peak named ``Estrella,'' shown on the Shandon USGS
quadrangle map, along the eastern portion of the proposed viticultural
area boundary.
In addition, the ``Estrella'' name has been used in conjunction
with viticulture within the proposed viticultural area. Some Paso
Robles wineries with vineyards in the proposed Paso Robles Estrella
District viticultural area have described their vineyards as located on
the ``Estrella bench'' or ``Estrella hills'' in marketing materials,
and two vineyards and a winery located within the proposed viticultural
area include the word ``Estrella'' in their names.
Boundary Evidence
The proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area is
located in the north-central portion of the Paso Robles viticultural
area, northeast of the city of Paso Robles. The proposed boundary is
shaped roughly like a triangle, with its top pointed at the San Luis
Obispo-Monterey County line. The location of the proposed viticultural
area is in the same general region as the 1844 La Estrella Land Grant,
which was made by the Mexican governor to the Native Americans of
Mission San Miguel.
The northern portion of the boundary of the proposed Paso Robles
Estrella District viticultural area follows a segment of the shared San
Luis Obispo County and Monterey County boundary, which is also part of
the northern portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area boundary.
Beyond the northern boundary are steep canyons, which contrast with the
valleys and terraces of the proposed viticultural area.
The northeastern portion of the proposed boundary extends
diagonally southeast from the San Luis Obispo County line at Ranchito
Canyon to Shedd Canyon on the Estrella River,
[[Page 58061]]
following straight lines between peaks in the Temblor Range that
roughly separate the proposed viticultural area from the steeper and
more arid terrain to the east, which is not included in any of the
proposed viticultural areas described in this document. The
southeastern portion of the proposed boundary follows an intermittent
stream in Shedd Canyon to a section line that is used to define part of
the proposed viticultural area's southern boundary. The southeastern
portion of the boundary of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area is shared with the northwestern portion of the
boundary of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area.
The southern portion of the proposed boundary follows a series of
section lines, roads, and straight lines connecting marked map points.
A portion of the southern boundary of the proposed viticultural area is
shared with the northern boundary of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo
District viticultural area. The proposed boundary in this area follows
changes in topography, separating the lower, newer terraces of the
Estrella River to the north from the higher, older terraces to the
south in the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area.
In the areas where the southern portion of the boundary of the proposed
Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area is not shared with the
proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area boundary, the
boundary separates the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area from the more arid, steeper terrain to the southeast
and the urban area of the city of Paso Robles to the southwest.
Most of the southwestern portion of the proposed boundary is shared
with the eastern portion of the boundary of the proposed Adelaida
District viticultural area. The Salinas River divides the generally
flatter and lower landscape of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella
District viticultural area from the northern part of the city of Paso
Robles and a large region of rugged terrain with increasing elevations
in the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area.
The northwestern portion of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella
District viticultural area boundary is shared with the eastern portion
of the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area boundary. This
portion of the proposed boundary includes a straight east-west line
between the Salinas River and the Estrella River, which eventually
joins with the San Jacinto Creek, and then follows San Jacinto Creek
northeasterly through the escalating Lowes Canyon to the San Luis
Obispo County line. San Jacinto Creek separates the rolling plains,
river terraces, benches, and hills of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella
District from the alluvial fans and well-defined terraces of the
landscape of the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area.
Distinguishing Features
The Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area is
distinguished from the surrounding areas based on its mild marine
influence, its average of 12.5 to 15.5 inches of annual precipitation
(depending on elevation), a moderate Winkler Region III climate, and
its rolling terrain with elevations ranging from 745 to 1,819 feet.
Climate
Growing season temperatures in the proposed Paso Robles Estrella
District viticultural area are generally warmer than those of the more
western grape-growing regions within the Paso Robles viticultural area,
but are generally cooler than those of the eastern and southern regions
of the Paso Robles viticultural area. The proposed viticultural area
has a moderate Winkler Region III climate, with approximately 3,300 GDD
units. The petition notes that moderate Region III climates are well
suited for growing a number of Bordeaux varieties of winegrapes,
including cabernet sauvignon, as well as Rhone varieties like syrah.
During the growing season, sea breezes occur when the land surface
is warmer than the waters of the Pacific Ocean, creating a vacuum to
draw the cooling breezes through the gaps in the crest of the Santa
Lucia Range and into the proposed viticultural area. In addition, sea
breezes occasionally travel south from Monterey Bay via the Salinas
River valley to the proposed viticultural area. The proposed
viticultural area's temperatures are also influenced by night-time cold
air drainage from the higher slopes of the surrounding Santa Lucia
Range, Temblor Range, and Huerhuero Hills; this cold air drainage
occasionally results in early morning fog within the proposed
viticultural area during the summer.
The Santa Lucia Range, located between the Pacific Ocean and the
Paso Robles area, creates a rain shadow effect for the proposed
viticultural area, with lesser shadow effects occurring from the La
Panza Range to the south and the Temblor Range to the northeast.
Precipitation in the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area varies between 12.5 and 15.5 inches annually, with
the majority of precipitation occurring during the winter.
Topography
Elevations within the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area vary from 745 to 1,819 feet. A series of northeast-
to-southwest canyons with intermittent streams and long, narrow valley
floors dominate much of the northern and eastern terrain, with
elevations ranging from 1,100 to 1,600 feet. Elevations within the
proposed viticultural area gradually decrease to the west and south as
the terrain transitions to floodplains, terraces, benches, and gently
rolling hills preserved from old river deposits at elevations generally
between 700 and 1,000 feet. Vineyard elevations generally vary from 750
to 1,000 feet, with some higher vineyards located north of the Estrella
River at elevations of up to 1,400 feet in the Temblor Range. The
valley fill of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural
area is deep and supports the Paso Robles groundwater basin, fed by
runoff from the surrounding mountain slopes and the Estrella River. The
deep groundwater basin provides abundant water for irrigation within
the proposed viticultural area.
The geographical location of the Estrella River valley and the
surrounding topography combine to create a distinctive climate within
the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area. Maritime
sea breezes enter the region through the Templeton Gap and other low
spots in the crest of the Santa Lucia Range to the west; occasional sea
breezes flowing from Monterey Bay southward along the Salinas River
valley also provide marine influences. As a result, the Estrella River
watershed incurs year-round winds, predominantly from the west, that
blow through its connecting valleys and canyons. In addition, the
topography within the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area causes cold air to drain from higher elevations
downward to the Estrella River, and this cold air drainage can cause
early morning fog in the summer.
Soils
The soil textures of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area are predominantly sandy loams along the creeks and
gravelly sandy loams and clay loams above on the poorly consolidated
Paso Robles Formation of the river terraces and hillsides. The most
common soil orders of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area are the well developed and older Alfisols on higher
terraces and the moderately developed grassland Mollisols, followed by
younger, poorly
[[Page 58062]]
developed Inceptisols and Entisols along the creeks and on some
hillsides, and heavy clay Vertisols on some old terraces.
The soils of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area have low to modest values of major plant nutrients,
moderate soil rooting depths, moderate water stress, and have low to
moderate fertility. The combination of the region's climate with its
deep alluvial, mostly terrace soils (some of which are partially
cemented by clays, iron, silicates and carbonates) creates moderate
vigor vineyards. Soils are generally well-drained near the surface, but
with varying water-holding capacity as texture and structure changes to
depth in the profile, and from the younger to older geomorphic
surfaces. Most of the soils are slightly acidic at the surface (with pH
values of 6.0 to 7.1) and more alkaline at depth (with pH values of 7.2
to 8.3).
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area and compares
those features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas.
TTB notes that there are no proposed viticultural areas located
immediately to the east and in certain areas to the south of the
proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area. The region to
the east of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural
area contains steep, arid terrain that contrasts with the more moderate
terrain and ample precipitation of the proposed viticultural area. The
region to the southeast of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area that is not included in another proposed viticultural
area contains highly eroded terrain, shallow soils, and steep slopes,
which contribute to slope instability and a high erosion hazard. The
region to the southwest that is not included in another proposed
viticultural area contains the urban area of the city of Paso Robles.
In addition, there are no established or proposed viticultural
areas directly to the north of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella
District viticultural area, which is outside of the existing Paso
Robles viticultural area in Monterey County. That region contains steep
canyons, which contrast to the valleys and terraces of the proposed
viticultural area, and is part of the Cholame Hills and Temblor Range.
Comparison of Proposed Paso Robles Estrella District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the south: Paso
Distinguishing features Paso Robles Estrella To the northwest: San To the southwest: Robles Geneseo To the southeast: San
District Miguel District Adelaida District District Juan Creek
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region..................... Moderate Region III... Warm Region III....... Transitional Regions Transitional Regions Transitional Regions
II-III. III-IV. III to Low IV.
Maritime Climate*.................. 5..................... 7..................... 6.................... 7.................... 8.
Precipitation...................... 12.5-15.5 inches/year. 11.4 inches/year...... 25 inches/year....... 13-14 inches/year.... 10.4 inches/year.
Topography......................... Rolling plains of Santa Lucia Range Santa Lucia Range Upfaulted hills River valleys with
Estrella River valley footslope into high mountain slopes through old river alluvial plains and
and terraces; Salinas and Estrella grading to base of terraces; elevation terraces; elevation
elevation 745-1,819 River valleys; foothills; elevation 740-1,300 feet (most approximately 980-
feet (most vineyards alluvial fans and approximately 900- vineyards at 880- 1,600 (most
at 750-1,000 feet). well-defined river 2,200 feet (most 1,200 feet). vineyards at 1,000-
terraces; elevation vineyards at 1,100- 1,280 feet).
580-1,600 feet (most 1,800 feet).
vineyards at 640-800
feet).
Soils.............................. Deep to moderate depth Deep alluvial soils, Shallow, well- Well-developed Well to moderately
alluvial terrace with clay, sandy, and drained, residual moderate depth drained, deep
soils, with sandy to gravelly loam soils with silty and residual and alluvial soils, with
coarse and clay loam textures. clay loam textures; alluvial soils, with great variety of
textures; slightly moderately alkaline. silty clays and loamy sands to
acidic, but more silty clay loam gravelly and sandy
alkaline at depth. textures; pH varied, clay loam textures;
but mostly acidic. alkaline at depth
(and occasionally at
the surface).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
Paso Robles Geneseo District
The proposed 17,300-acre Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural
area has approximately 3,000 acres of vineyards and is located roughly
in the center of the larger Paso Robles viticultural area.
Name Evidence
The ``Paso Robles Geneseo District'' name is based on the extensive
historical and current use of the ``Geneseo District'' name in San Luis
Obispo County. In the early 1880s, German settlers emigrating from
Geneseo, Illinois, settled to the east of the city of Paso Robles and
first used the ``Geneseo'' name to identify the geographical area
within the proposed viticultural area.\6\ These early settlers founded
the Geneseo School, and the Geneseo School District served the region,
as seen on an 1890 San Luis Obispo County map included with the
petition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Wallace V. Ohles, The Lands of Mission San Miguel (Clovis,
CA: Word Dancer Press, 1977), page 118.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The current precinct map for San Luis Obispo County, dated 1986,
identifies ``Geneseo'' as an electoral precinct with a boundary that
generally corresponds with the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District
viticultural area boundary. The unincorporated community of Geneseo
also appears on modern San Luis Obispo County maps submitted with the
petition. On the 2004 ``Cuesta Title'' map, Geneseo is located to the
southeast of the city of Paso Robles at the intersection of Geneseo and
Creston Roads, and on the ``AG Adventures of
[[Page 58063]]
the Central Coast'' map, Geneseo is located to the east of U.S. Route
101, between the city of Paso Robles and the community of Creston.
Realtors also refer to the ``Geneseo area of Paso Robles'' when
advertising real estate in the region of the proposed Paso Robles
Geneseo District viticultural area, and the petition includes seven
examples of such ``Geneseo'' real estate advertisements.
Boundary Evidence
The northern and northeastern portions of the proposed Paso Robles
Geneseo District viticultural area boundary are shared with the
proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area. These
portions of the proposed boundary include section lines, roads, and
straight lines connecting marked map points. The boundary roughly
follows changes in topography, separating the high, older terraces of
the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area from the
Estrella River region's lower and newer terraces, floodplain deposits,
and small alluvial fans with sandier and better drained soils.
The southeastern portion of the proposed boundary uses roads and
straight lines that connect with marked map points to follow general
changes in topography, dividing the flat, gently terraced terrain of
Huerhuero Creek within the proposed viticultural area from the more
rugged and steeper region to the east. A very small portion of the
southeastern boundary of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District
viticultural area is also shared with the northwestern portion of the
boundary of the proposed Creston District viticultural area, at a
juncture with the Huerhuero Creek.
The southern portion of the proposed boundary is an irregular
southeast-to-northwest diagonal line that is shared with the proposed
El Pomar District viticultural area and generally follows Huerhuero
Creek. The boundary eventually turns westward from Huerhuero Creek and
continues to a point in the eastern outskirts of the city of Paso
Robles. The proposed boundary in this area roughly separates the
proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area from the cooler
climate and more calcareous soils of the proposed El Pomar District
viticultural area to the south. The western portion of the proposed
boundary crosses over rolling hills, separating the proposed Paso
Robles Geneseo District viticultural area from the Salinas River and
the city of Paso Robles to the west.
Distinguishing Features
The distinguishing features of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo
District viticultural area include a modest marine influence, an
average of 13 to 14 inches of annual precipitation, a transitional
Winkler Region III to IV warm growing season climate, a landscape
dominated by high hills and terraces, and elevations between
approximately 740 and 1,300 feet.
Climate
The climate of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District
viticultural area is influenced by marine incursion, thermal mixing of
the air across hill tops, and cold air drainage from hill slopes. In
the summer and fall, cool marine air travels inland and eastward over
the crest of the Santa Lucia Range through the Templeton Gap and into
the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area. Occasional
incursions of marine air can also travel southward along the Salinas
River from Monterey Bay and reach the hills of the proposed Paso Robles
Geneseo District viticultural area. At night, cool air drains off of
the hillsides and vineyards of the proposed viticultural area and into
lower elevations outside of the proposed viticultural area. Because of
this cold air drainage, frost and cold air ponding are rare within the
proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area, except along
small sections of the Huerhuero Creek channel. Precipitation amounts
average 13 to 14 inches annually.
The Winkler climate classification system classifies the proposed
Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area as a warm Region III-IV
transitional climate, with approximately 3,500 GDD units. (Daily
temperature records and GDD data were gathered from 2002 through 2006
at the 980-foot elevation weather station of the Jerry Reaugh Branch
Vineyard.) The petition notes that a warm Region III-IV transitional
climate is well suited for growing Bordeaux varieties of winegrapes,
including merlot and cabernet sauvignon, as well as Rhone varieties
like syrah and zinfandel.
Topography
The landscape of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District
viticultural area contains the older terraces of the Estrella River, a
portion of Huerhuero Creek, Huerhuero Hills terraces, and up-faulted
hills. The merging of the old river terraces and uplifted Huerhuero
Hills, coupled with erosion by Huerhuero Creek and its tributaries, has
created a set of higher elevation rolling hill slopes above the lower
elevation valley floor. As a result, the landscape contains the
appearance of hills that bulge, or bubble, upward from the valley
floor. The terraces trend in a west-southwest to east-northeast
direction as a flight of step-like surfaces with increasing elevations.
The highest and oldest terraces of the Estrella River are located in
this region and have elevations of 900 to 1,050 feet; a small section
of second terraces of 860 to 880 feet in elevation is situated in the
northwestern corner of the proposed viticultural area, east of the city
of Paso Robles.
Elevations within the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District
viticultural area range from approximately 740 feet along Huerhuero
Creek in the north to approximately 1,300 feet in the southeast.
Vineyard elevations in the region generally vary from 880 feet to 1,200
feet, with a few vineyards located on the higher eastern hills.
The topography of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District
viticultural area has a strong influence on the growing conditions in
the area. The hillside and hilltop vineyards of the proposed Paso
Robles Geneseo District viticultural area expose the grapevines to the
cooling influence of the winds and sea breezes that enter the region
through gaps in the crest of the Santa Lucia Range. The hillside and
hilltop vineyards also are protected from frost, because cold air
drains off of the high slopes of the proposed viticultural area at
night and into the lower elevation valleys.
Soils
The soils of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural
area have shallow to moderate rooting depths, moderate water stress,
and modest to low nutrient levels. Area soils tend to be cemented by
carbonates and silicates, which provides reduced rooting depths and
moderate water holding capacity, drainage, and vigor.
The Huerhuero Hills soils within the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo
District viticultural area are generally residual, silty clay, and
silty clay loam soils weathered from the moderately consolidated Paso
Robles Formation, with small stringers of sandy soils located
immediately along the Huerhuero Creek channel. The soil series form a
topographical sequence of types by slope position, from ridge-crest to
shoulder-slope, mid-slope, foot-slope, and toe-slope. The Huerhuero
residual soils are primarily Mollisols with darker and more organically
rich horizons, leached at the surface. Many of the hilltop soils are
high in calcium and have a pH typically 7.9 to 8.4 throughout. The
alluvial terrace soils are
[[Page 58064]]
generally acidic at the surface with pH of 5.6 to 6.5, increasing at
depth to an alkaline 8.4.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area and compares
those features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas.
TTB notes that there are no proposed viticultural areas located
immediately to the east or west of the proposed Paso Robles Geneseo
District viticultural area. The region to the east of the proposed
viticultural area contains highly eroded terrain, shallow soils, and
steep slopes, which contribute to slope instability and a high erosion
hazard, while the region to the west contains the urban area of the
city of Paso Robles.
Comparison of Proposed Paso Robles Geneseo District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the north: Paso
Distinguishing features Paso Robles Geneseo Robles Estrella To the south: El Pomar
District District District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region....................... Transitional Regions Moderate Region III.... Moderate Region II.
III-IV.
Maritime Climate*.................... 7...................... 5...................... 3.
Precipitation........................ 13-14 inches/year...... 12.5-15.5 inches/year.. 15 inches/year.
Topography........................... Upfaulted hills through Rolling plains of High, older terraces,
old river terraces; Estrella River valley fans, and hills;
elevation 740-1,300 and terraces; elevation 740-1,600
feet (most vineyards elevation 745-1,819 feet (most vineyards
at 880-1,200 feet). feet (most vineyards at 840-960 feet).
at 750-1,000 feet).
Soils................................ Well-developed moderate Deep to moderate depth Terrace alluvial soils,
depth residual and alluvial terrace with sandy, clay, and
alluvial soils, with soils, with sandy to gravelly loam
silty clays and silty coarse and clay loam textures; primarily
clay loam textures; pH textures; slightly alkaline.
varied, but mostly acidic, but more
acidic. alkaline at depth.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
Paso Robles Highlands District
The proposed 60,300-acre Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area is a ranching and agricultural area in the
southeastern portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area with
approximately 2,000 acres of vineyards.
Name Evidence
The ``Paso Robles Highlands District'' name is based on the
historical and current use of the ``Highlands'' or ``Highlands
District'' name by local residents to refer to the geographical region
of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area.
The name ``Highlands'' or ``Highlands District'' has been used to
describe the region located within the proposed Paso Robles Highlands
District viticultural area since at least the late 1800s. The Highlands
School District, located largely within the proposed viticultural area,
appears in local records as early as 1890. Although the school district
did not extend to the eastern boundary of the proposed viticultural
area, the Highlands School drew students from a broader area due to
difficulties in accessing other schools in the region. In addition, a
book documenting the settlement and development of the region refers to
it as ``the Highland district.'' \7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Annie L. Morrison and John H. Hayde, Pioneers of San Luis
Obispo County and Environs (Sanger, CA: Word Dancer Press, 2002),
page 275.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local residents still use the name ``Highlands'' to refer to the
region of canyons and highlands to the east of Creston located within
the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area,
according to the petition. Based on the common use of the term
``Highlands'' throughout the United States, the words ``Paso Robles''
and ``District'' were added as modifiers to the proposed viticultural
area name.
Boundary Evidence
The northern portion of the boundary of the proposed Paso Robles
Highlands District viticultural area uses a straight east-west line
that follows section boundary lines. The northeastern portion of the
boundary follows a 10-mile long leg along the western edge of the San
Juan Valley. These portions of the proposed boundary divide the open
spaces, broad vistas, and old erosional planation surfaces of the
proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area from the
broad alluvial plains of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area
to the north and east.
The southeastern and southern portions of the proposed Paso Robles
Highlands District viticultural area boundary are concurrent with the
boundary of the existing Paso Robles viticultural area. The
southeastern portion of the proposed boundary approximately marks the
transition from the flatter terrain of the proposed Paso Robles
Highlands District viticultural area to the rugged Temblor Range to the
east. The southern portion of the boundary separates the proposed Paso
Robles Highlands District viticultural area from the rugged La Panza
Range and Los Padres National Forest.
The western portion of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area boundary follows a section line, a State Highway, and
Indian Creek. Indian Creek, which forms most of the western portion of
the boundary, separates the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area from the proposed Creston District viticultural area
to the west. The region to the northwest of the proposed Paso Robles
Highlands District viticultural area contains rugged terrain that is
not located within a proposed viticultural area due to the lack of
viticultural development in that region.
Distinguishing Features
The proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area has a
more continental climate as compared to other regions within the Paso
Robles viticultural area, averages 12 inches of precipitation annually,
and is classified as a low Winkler Region IV climate. The landscape in
this region transitions from valley floor to mountain slopes, with
elevations ranging between 1,160 to 2,086 feet.
Climate
The proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area, 33
miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, generally has a warmer and more
continental climate with less precipitation than other regions of the
Paso Robles viticultural area at similar elevations. Due to the
proposed viticultural area's location to the east of the Santa Lucia
Range and northeast of the La Panza
[[Page 58065]]
Range, it lies in a double-rain shadow. However, due to its relatively
higher elevations, the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area still receives an average of 12 inches, or about two
more inches, of rain annually than the regions farther to the east.
According to the Winkler climate classification system, the
proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area has a low
Region IV climate, based on the 3,678 average GDD units measured from
2000 to 2003 at the 1,400-foot elevation French Camp Vineyard. The
abundant sunshine and warm temperatures result in moderate yields from
vineyards within the proposed viticultural area.
The proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area has
greater daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature ranges when
compared to other areas within the Paso Robles viticultural area. The
difference between daily maximum and minimum temperatures in the mid-
and late-summer can be 50 degrees F or more, with highs around
100[emsp14][deg]F and lows around 50[emsp14][deg]F. According to grape
growers in the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural
area, the warm summer days ensure full maturity of the fruit, while the
cool evenings preserve acids in the grapes. The growers also note that
due to its distinctive climate, grape harvest in the proposed
viticultural area occurs two to four weeks earlier than in some other
areas of the Paso Robles viticultural area.
Topography
The proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area is
topographically distinct from the central and western regions of the
Paso Robles viticultural area. The terrain in the proposed Paso Robles
Highlands District viticultural area includes large expanses of open
landscape and grasslands, high ridges with scattered coniferous trees,
and low hills and terraces that are bisected by canyons and channels
incised by intermittent streams. These canyons and streams appear as
long fingers that run predominantly south to north across the
landscape. The open spaces and broad vistas of the proposed Paso Robles
Highlands District viticultural area serve as a geologic transition
zone between the valley floor to the north and the La Panza Range to
the south.
Elevations of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area generally increase from north to south toward the La
Panza Range, rising from 1,160 feet in the area's north to 2,086 feet
in the area's south. Vineyards in the proposed Paso Robles Highlands
District viticultural area are generally planted on old alluvial
terraces, alluvial fans, and hill slopes at elevations of 1,200 to
1,600 feet. These high elevations enable vineyards in the proposed
viticultural area to benefit from more precipitation than surrounding
lower elevations, as well as rapid hillside warming with the morning
sun. At night, cold air drains off the high elevations and into the
lower elevations outside the proposed viticultural area, reducing the
risk of frost in vineyards within the proposed Paso Robles Highlands
District viticultural area.
Soils
The soil textures of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area are predominantly sandy loams along the creeks, loams
on the small alluvial fans, and coarse sandy loams to clay loams on the
hillsides. Most soils have composite soil profiles, with older soils
buried below the surface soil due to repeated alluvial deposition. In
some areas, erosion has exposed some of the older buried soils. Many of
the subsoils are cemented by calcium carbonate.
The soil orders within the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District
viticultural area include more weakly developed Entisols along the
creeks, Inceptisols on the young alluvial fans, and Mollisols on the
upslope, more stable surfaces. Old, leached Alfisols are common on
hillsides in the eastern part of the proposed viticultural area. The
soils of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area
have low to moderate fertility, good near surface drainage, and limited
rooting depth, all of which contribute to low-vigor vineyards.
Most of the younger soils within the proposed Paso Robles Highlands
District viticultural area are calcareous and alkaline at depth (with
pH values of 7.9 to 8.4), and also occasionally alkaline at the surface
(with pH values of 7.4 to 8.1) due to the aridity of the climate and
the presence of the Monterey Formation to the south. The soil profile
of the older Alfisols may be leached throughout to depth, with pH
values of 5.6 to 6.5 in the acidic soils.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area and compares
those features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas.
TTB notes that there are no proposed viticultural areas to the
northwest of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural
area; this region contains highly eroded terrain, shallow soils, and
steep slopes, which contribute to slope instability and a high erosion
hazard. In addition, there are no proposed or established viticultural
areas to the south and southeast of the proposed Paso Robles Highlands
District viticultural area. Those regions, which are outside of the
existing Paso Robles viticultural area, contain the rugged terrain of
the La Panza Range and the Los Padres National Forest, which is
unavailable for commercial viticulture.
Comparison of Proposed Paso Robles Highlands District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paso Robles Highlands To the west: Creston To the north and east:
Distinguishing features District District San Juan Creek
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region....................... Low Region IV.......... Low-Moderate Region III Transitional Regions
III to Low IV.
Maritime Climate *................... 8...................... 4...................... 8.
Precipitation........................ 12 inches/year......... 11.5 inches/year....... 10.4 inches/year.
Topography........................... Transitional area from Old erosional plateau River valleys with
valley floor to at base of La Panza alluvial plains and
mountain slope; Range; alluvial terraces; elevation
elevation 1,160-2,086 terraces and fans of 980-1,600 (most
feet (most vineyards Huerhuero Creek; vineyards at 1,000-
at 1,200-1,600 feet). elevation 1,280 feet).
approximately 1,000-
2,000 feet (most
vineyards at 1,030-
1,300 feet).
[[Page 58066]]
Soils................................ Deep alluvial soils, Terrace alluvial and Well to moderately
with sandy to coarse some residual soils, drained, deep alluvial
and clay loam with fine sandy to soils, with great
textures, mostly gravelly and clay loam variety of loamy sands
alkaline at depth. textures; slightly to gravelly and sandy
acidic at surface, clay loam textures;
more alkaline at depth. alkaline at depth (and
occasionally at the
surface).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
Paso Robles Willow Creek District
The proposed 16,622-acre Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area is located in the westernmost portion of the Paso
Robles viticultural area and contains approximately 1,400 acres of
vineyards.
Name Evidence
The name ``Paso Robles Willow Creek District'' refers to the Willow
Creek watershed and a small rural enclave in the center of the proposed
viticultural area. Local residents refer to the region in which the
proposed viticultural area is located as the ``Willow Creek District.''
Willow Creek, an intermittent stream and tributary of Paso Robles
Creek identified on the USGS York Mountain map, is a dominant
geographical feature of the proposed viticultural area. The USGS York
Mountain map also identifies Willow Creek Road, which runs in a
northwest-to-southeast direction through the proposed Paso Robles
Willow Creek District viticultural area. (The petition notes that the
road identified as ``Willow Creek'' on the USGS York Mountain map is
now known as ``Vineyard Drive''; the roughly parallel mountain road to
the east, unnamed on the York Mountain map, is now known as ``Willow
Creek Road.'' The petition includes a map, from the
``SanLuisObispoCounty.com'' Web site, which identifies each road by its
current name.) The 2001 Automobile Club of Southern California's San
Luis Obispo County map also shows Willow Creek and Willow Creek Road
within the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District viticultural
area.
In addition, news articles in local publications use the ``Willow
Creek'' name for the region within the proposed viticultural area. For
example, a March 17, 2007 article entitled ``Hands-On Hobby'' in The
Tribune (San Luis Obispo) discusses winemaker Charlie Poalillo and his
``Willow Creek grape-growing business,'' and an article entitled ``Paso
Robles Boy Has His Wish Fulfilled Saturday'' in the June 22, 2005 Paso
Robles Press discusses a young Make-A-Wish Foundation recipient who is
described as living on his family's Willow Creek area ranch.
Local organizations also use the name ``Willow Creek'' to refer to
the geographical region of the proposed viticultural area. An undated
flyer for the annual Paso Robles Pioneer Day celebration includes a
regional map that identifies Willow Creek in the area of the proposed
viticultural area, and the Web site for the local Wine and Steins Club
states that the group started in 1979 in the Willow Creek area of rural
Paso Robles. Also, the Willow Creek Mennonite Church has existed within
the proposed viticultural area since 1954.
Further, the ``Willow Creek'' name is used by some local wineries
to more specifically describe the location of their vineyards in the
Paso Robles viticultural area, according to wine marketing materials
provided with the petition. For example, the Villa Creek Cellars 2007
spring release notes provide information on their 2005 Willow Creek
Cuv[eacute]e, and Stephen's Cellar and Vineyard explains that their
2003 Pinot Noir grapes were grown in the Willow Creek area.
Boundary Evidence
The northern portion of the boundary of the proposed Paso Robles
Willow Creek District follows a rugged, mountainous ridgeline and
eventually descends eastward to the Salinas River floodplain. The
proposed northern portion of the boundary follows roads, intermittent
streams, and the city limits of Paso Robles as marked on the provided
USGS Templeton map. This boundary is shared with the southern boundary
of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural area and separates the
cool, mountainous proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area from the warmer, less mountainous proposed Adelaida
District viticultural area.
The eastern portion of the boundary of the proposed Paso Robles
Willow Creek District viticultural area follows roads, streams, and
range lines to separate the proposed viticultural area from the gently
sloping landscape that descends toward lower elevations to the east.
The eastern and southeastern portion of the proposed boundary is based
on the transition from the soft Monterey Formation rock within the
proposed viticultural area, which contributes to the region's distinct
terroir, to bedrock-alluvial contact to the east. The area immediately
to the east of the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area includes the city of Paso Robles and a portion of the
proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area.
The southern and southwestern portions of the proposed Paso Robles
Willow Creek District viticultural area boundary follow various roads,
streams, section and range lines, and straight lines between marked
points on USGS maps to approximately follow the contact of the less
resistant Monterey Formation units in the proposed Paso Robles Willow
Creek District viticultural area, with a more resistant unit of the
Monterey Formation to the south. The proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area is located immediately to the south.
The western portion of the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek
District viticultural area boundary follows the Paso de Robles Land
Grant and mountain roads. The boundary in this area is shared with the
Paso Robles viticultural area boundary and separates both the proposed
viticultural area and the Paso Robles viticultural area from the
higher, more rugged mountain terrain of the York Mountain viticultural
area to the west.
Distinguishing Features
The distinguishing features of the proposed Paso Robles Willow
Creek District viticultural area include a strong marine influence, an
average of 24 to 30 inches of precipitation annually, a cool Winkler
Region II growing season climate, and a mountainous landscape with
elevations of 960 to 1,900 feet.
[[Page 58067]]
Climate
The climate of the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District has
significant maritime influence due to its location near gaps in the
crest of the Santa Lucia Range and its high elevations. As a result,
this proposed viticultural area is wetter and cooler than other regions
of the Paso Robles viticultural area, with 24 to 30 inches of annual
rainfall, frequent fog, and persistent sea breezes. Daily, monthly, and
annual temperature ranges are less pronounced in this proposed
viticultural area, and it is less affected by cold air drainage than
most other regions of the Paso Robles viticultural area. This cooler
climate is seen in the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area's Winkler Region II climate classification of
approximately 2,900 GDDs of growing season heat accumulation.
The cool climate of the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area increases the ripening period for grapes, resulting
in longer hang-time to develop flavors, with harvest dates
approximately two to three weeks later than in other parts of the Paso
Robles viticultural area. In addition, the higher annual precipitation
in the proposed viticultural area results in thicker natural
vegetation, which increases the input of humus to soils and allows
viticulturally beneficial topsoils to develop on many slopes.
Topography
The proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District viticultural area is
a relatively high elevation, mountainous area of the Santa Lucia Range
located in the western part of the Paso Robles viticultural area. The
proposed area's location and topography create its distinctively cool
climate, which, in turn, affects viticulture within the proposed
viticultural area.
The proposed viticultural area's topography is largely defined by
three small tributaries of Paso Robles Creek that run north-to-south
down mountainsides into Paso Robles Creek: Willow Creek, Sheepcamp
Creek, and Jack Creek. These creeks have eroded the hillsides of the
proposed viticultural area, creating a mountain terroir of bedrock
slopes. Jack Creek is located just inside the western portion of the
proposed boundary, with Sheepcamp Creek to its east. Willow Creek is
further to the east near the center of the proposed viticultural area,
dominating its landscape.
Elevations in the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area range from 1,900 feet along the high ridges of the
northern portion of the boundary to 960 feet at the bedrock-alluvium
contact to the east. Most of the vineyards within the proposed Paso
Robles Willow Creek District viticultural area are planted at
elevations between 1,000-1,300 feet, with many on south- to southeast-
facing aspects, in order to benefit from the cool marine air that
enters the proposed viticultural area from the south. The steep slopes
have high erosion potential, which is often controlled though the
planting of cover crops.
Soils
The parent materials of the soils of the proposed Paso Robles
Willow Creek District viticultural area are the soft marine shales,
mudstones, siltstones, and sandstones of the Monterey Formation, as
well as small pockets of the poorly consolidated Paso Robles Formation.
Benches along the small creeks are covered with alluvial sediments.
Soil orders include Mollisols (where surface humus is abundant under
woodlands) and younger, poorly developed Entisols on steep slopes.
Occasionally Vertisols occur on very old geomorphic surfaces where
pedogenic clays dominate the soil profile. Soil textures are
predominantly shaly clays, clay loams, and rocky loams, with some units
gravelly. Soils are alkaline at depth, with pH values commonly between
7.8 and 8.9.
The soils in the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area have modest nutrient values and low to moderate water
holding capacity, and are considered moderately fertile (although, in
this mountainous region, fertility is also a function of slope
stability, which influences soil depth). These soil characteristics
create challenging conditions for winegrapes, and low yields are common
for vineyards within the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District viticultural area and
compares those features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural
areas. TTB notes that there are no proposed viticultural areas adjacent
to the proposed area's northeast in the urban area of the city of Paso
Robles. In addition, part of the western portion of the proposed
boundary for the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District
viticultural area is shared with the eastern portion of the York
Mountain viticultural area boundary. The York Mountain viticultural
area is closer to the Pacific Ocean than the proposed Paso Robles
Willow Creek District viticultural area, contains elevations up to
1,500 feet on slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains, receives an average
of 45 inches of annual rainfall, and is classified as Winkler region I
climate zone.
Comparison of Proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural
Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the south and
Distinguishing features Paso Robles Willow To the north: Adelaida southeast: Templeton
Creek District District Gap District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region....................... Region II.............. Transitional Regions II- Region II.
III.
Maritime Climate *................... 1...................... 6...................... 1.
Precipitation........................ 24-30 inches/year...... 25 inches/year......... Approximately 20 inches/
year.
Topography........................... Mountain slopes of Santa Lucia Range high Broad terraces in
Santa Lucia Range to mountain slopes moderate to low
the west of the grading to base of elevation area of the
Salinas River, foothills; elevation Santa Lucia Range with
centered on the Willow approximately 900- elevations ranging
Creek tributary to 2,200 feet (most from 700 feet to 1,800
Paso Robles Creek; vineyards at 1,100- feet (most vineyards
elevation 960-1,900 1,800 feet). at 800-940 feet).
(most vineyards at
1,000-1,300 feet).
[[Page 58068]]
Soils................................ Mostly shallow Shallow, well-drained, Moderate depth,
calcareous soils of residual soils with partially cemented
residual (bedrock) silty and clay loam alluvial soils on
origin with shaly textures; moderately river terraces and
clays, clay loams, and alkaline. sections of older
rocky loams, with some alluvial fans with
units gravelly and silt loams, silty
with patches of clays, clay loams, and
alluvial soil along sandy loams (with some
streams; alkaline at units gravelly); some
depth. with slightly acidic
topsoils and others
neutral to slightly
alkaline at surface
(all alkaline at
depth).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
San Juan Creek
The proposed 26,600-acre San Juan Creek viticultural area is
located in the eastern part of the Paso Robles viticultural area with
approximately 3,000 acres of vineyards planted.
Name Evidence
The proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area boundary closely
approximates the valley floor of San Juan Creek, which flows northward
to the Estrella River near the town of Shandon. The ``San Juan Creek''
name has been used in connection with the eastern portion of the Paso
Robles region since the early days of San Luis Obispo County. One of
the early land grants in San Luis Obispo County was named ``San Juan
Capistrano del Camate,'' and the name ``San Juan'' was subsequently
applied to the creek. Early maps of San Luis Obispo County from 1874,
1890, and 1913 identify San Juan Creek as the southern branch of the
Estrella River. In addition, the 1890 San Luis Obispo County map shows
the name ``San Juan'' used in connection with school and political
districts in the region of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural
area.
San Juan Creek continues to be identified on modern San Luis Obispo
County maps in the same region as the proposed San Juan Creek
viticultural area, including a 1986 precinct map for San Luis Obispo
County, the 2001 Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) San Luis
Obispo County map, the 2005 AAA San Luis Obispo County Cities map, and
the USGS Holland Canyon and Camatta Canyon quadrangle maps. Each of
these maps is included with the petition.
Boundary Evidence
As previously stated, the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area
boundary closely approximates the San Juan Creek valley floor. The
proposed viticultural area is roughly rectangular, with a narrow 10-
mile long leg extending to the southeast to the eastern boundary of the
existing Paso Robles viticultural area.
The northern portion of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural
area boundary follows section lines, which approximately follow a line
of peaks marking where the proposed viticultural area's terrain ascends
to the Cholame Hills of the Temblor Range. These regions to the north
of the proposed viticultural area contain steep, arid terrain that
contrasts to the more fertile alluvial plains of the proposed
viticultural area.
The eastern portion of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural
area boundary extends south and southeast approximately 17.5 miles, and
includes the eastern side of the narrow, 10-mile long leg encompassing
the San Juan Valley. East of the proposed boundary, the Temblor Range
dominates the landscape with rugged terrain and high elevations that
contrast with the alluvial plains of the proposed viticultural area.
The southern portion of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural
area boundary follows the western side of the long, narrow leg along
the San Juan Valley, before turning west and following section lines to
Shedd Canyon. The proposed boundary in this region divides the alluvial
plains within the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area from the
open spaces, broad vistas, and old erosional planation surfaces of the
proposed Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area to the south.
The western portion of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural
area boundary follows Shedd Canyon northward to the Estrella River, and
then continues northward over mountainous terrain. Shedd Canyon
provides a natural divide between the alluvial plains within the
proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area and the steep mountainous
terrain to the southwest as well as the hills and benches of the
Estrella River Valley to the northwest. The northwestern portion of the
proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area boundary is shared with the
southeastern portion of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District
viticultural area boundary.
Distinguishing Features
The proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area has a less marine-
influenced, more continental climate, and contains alluvial plains and
terraces that dominate the landscape with elevations between
approximately 980 and 1,600 feet.
Climate
Located 30 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the proposed San
Juan Creek viticultural area is climatically affected by the
surrounding Santa Lucia Range and Temblor Range mountains, which
greatly reduce the ocean's marine influence on the area. As a result,
the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area has a more continental
climate that is drier, less breezy, and generally warmer, with great
temperature ranges, than areas further west in the Paso Robles
viticultural area.
Precipitation within the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area
averages 10.4 inches a year, based on data collected from the Shandon
Pump station, located within the proposed viticultural area to the
northeast of Shandon. The Winkler climate system classifies the
proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area as a high Region III climate
(or a low Region IV climate in warmer years). Shandon Hills Vineyard,
located in the center of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area
at 1,120 feet, averaged 3,394 GDD units annually from 1997 through
2006. The warm temperatures and abundant sunshine within the proposed
viticultural area result in moderate vineyard yields and harvest dates
that are earlier than the harvest dates of the cooler central and
[[Page 58069]]
western parts of the Paso Robles viticultural area.
Topography
Broad alluvial plains, constructed by the Estrella River and its
tributary streams, dominate the topography of the proposed San Juan
Creek viticultural area. A series of high to low alluvial terraces lie
along the Estrella River and along the alluvial fan and delta complex
where San Juan Creek and Cholame Creek combine to form the Estrella
River near the town of Shandon. The lowland alluvial plains of the
proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area are surrounded by the steep
Cholame Hills of the Temblor Range slopes to the north and east.
Elevations within the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area
range from approximately 980 feet along the Estrella River to
approximately 1,600 feet along the northern portion of the proposed
boundary in the Cholame Hills of the Temblor Range. Most of the
vineyards within the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area are
planted at elevations of 1,000 to 1,280 feet on river terraces, small
alluvial fans, and across the larger alluvial plain. Although some
vineyards are planted on steep slopes with southerly and northerly
aspects, the proposed viticultural area's vineyards are generally
located on flat land and gentle slopes with less than eight degrees
incline, which exposes them to day-long direct sunlight, cooling
breezes from mountain-valley winds, and occasional sea breezes.
Soils
Soil textures of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area are
predominantly loamy sands to sandy loams along the creeks and alluvial
plains, and gravelly to sandy clay loams, and a few clays, on the older
alluvial fans and terraces. Most soils have composite soil profiles,
with older buried soils below the surface soil due to repeated alluvial
deposition. Area soils are well- to moderately- drained and have good
rooting depth and modest nutrient values. The soils within the proposed
viticultural area create vineyards with moderate vigor growing
characteristics when balanced with careful irrigation.
Soil orders in the San Juan Creek region are diverse and related to
landform age, and include the more weakly developed Entisols and
Inceptisols, along with better developed Mollisols and Alfisols, and
strongly developed Vertisols. The best developed soils in the proposed
San Juan Creek viticultural area are on the oldest alluvial fans,
especially along the north side of the Estrella River, close to the
northern portion of the proposed boundary. The oldest soils are leached
at the surface (pH values of 6.1-7.3), with some profiles leached
throughout. Many of the soils are calcareous and alkaline at depth (pH
values of 7.9-8.4), and occasionally alkaline at the surface (pH values
of 7.4-8.4), based on the aridity of the climate and the presence of
the Monterey Formation to the south. With the native grassland
vegetation of the proposed viticultural area, the more mature soils
(Mollisols and Alfisols) have a well-developed surface horizon high in
organic material, adding nutrients to the soils.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area and compares those features
to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas. TTB notes that
there are no proposed viticultural areas located immediately to the
north or east of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area. The
regions to the north and east of the proposed San Juan Creek
viticultural area contain the steep, arid terrain of the Cholame Hills
and the Temblor Range, which contrasts to the valley terrain and more
fertile soils of the proposed viticultural area. The region to the
southwest of the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area that is not
included in another proposed viticultural area contains highly eroded
terrain, shallow soils, and steep slopes, which contribute to slope
instability and a high erosion hazard.
Comparison of Proposed San Juan Creek Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the northwest: Paso To the south: Paso
Distinguishing features San Juan Creek Robles Estrella Robles Highlands
District District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region....................... Transitional Regions Moderate Region III.... Low Region IV.
III to Low IV.
Maritime Climate *................... 8...................... 5...................... 8.
Precipitation........................ 10.4 inches/year....... 12.5-15.5 inches/year.. 12 inches/year.
Topography........................... River valleys with Rolling plains of Transitional area from
alluvial plains and Estrella River valley valley floor to
terraces; elevation and terraces; mountain slope;
980-1,600 (most elevation 745-1,819 elevation 1,160-2,086
vineyards at 1,000- feet (most vineyards feet (most vineyards
1,280 feet). at 750-1,000 feet). at 1,200-1,600 feet).
Soils................................ Well to moderately Deep to moderate depth Deep alluvial soils
drained, deep alluvial alluvial terrace with sandy to coarse
soils, with great soils, with sandy to and clay loam
variety of loamy sands coarse and clay loam textures, mostly
to gravelly and sandy textures; slightly alkaline at depth.
clay loam textures; acidic, but more
alkaline at depth (and alkaline at depth.
occasionally at the
surface).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
San Miguel District
The proposed 19,014-acre San Miguel District viticultural area
contains approximately 1,500 acres of vineyards. The proposed area is
located in the north-northwestern portion of the Paso Robles
viticultural area, along the northern boundary of the Paso Robles
viticultural area, where the Salinas River leaves San Luis Obispo
County.
Name Evidence
The name ``San Miguel'' has long been associated with the region in
which the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area is located.
The region is the site of the Mission San Miguel Arc[aacute]ngel, a
Franciscan Mission established in 1797. The small town of San Miguel is
located within the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area along
Highway 101 to the north of the city of Paso Robles, as shown on the
USGS San Miguel and Paso Robles maps and the 2001 Automobile Club of
Southern California road map.
The ``San Miguel'' name also has been used in association with
various historical and modern community districts located within the
boundary of the proposed viticultural area, including a school
district, cemetery district, supervisorial district, and a community
services district. The San Miguel School
[[Page 58070]]
District, as shown on the 1874 San Luis Obispo County map, still exists
today as the ``San Miguel Joint Unified School District.'' The San
Miguel Precinct is shown on the 1913 San Luis Obispo County map, and it
continues to be the name of a voting precinct in northern San Luis
Obispo County. Also, the San Miguel District Cemetery, formed in 1939,
serves the community of San Miguel and northern San Luis Obispo County.
In addition, in 2000, the San Miguel Community Services District
consolidated the government services provided by the San Miguel Fire
Protection District, the San Miguel Lighting District, and the San Luis
Obispo Waterworks District 1.
Boundary Evidence
The northern portion of the proposed San Miguel District
viticultural area boundary is concurrent with a portion of the northern
boundary of the Paso Robles viticultural area, and it is also
concurrent with the San Luis Obispo-Monterey County line. This portion
of the proposed viticultural area's boundary connects the Nacimiento
River valley in the west to the Lowes Canyon in the east as it crosses
over the Salinas River, mountainous terrain, and canyons.
The eastern portion of the boundary of the proposed San Miguel
District viticultural area follows San Jacinto Creek south-
southwesterly (downstream) through the mountainous terrain surrounding
Lowes Canyon to the Estrella River. The boundary then continues
southerly (upstream) a short distance along the Estrella River before
turning west along a section line and continuing to the Salinas River.
The boundary continues south (upstream) along the Salinas River to the
southeastern corner of the proposed viticultural area boundary, east of
the town of Wellsona. The eastern portion of the proposed boundary
closely matches the current and historical San Miguel political
boundaries and separates the proposed San Miguel District viticultural
area from the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area
to the east.
The southern portion of the proposed San Miguel District
viticultural area boundary follows several roads that closely parallel
San Marcos Creek and closely aligns with the boundaries of the San
Miguel school, cemetery, and supervisorial districts. In this area, the
proposed San Miguel District viticultural area is adjacent to the
northeastern portion of the proposed Adelaida District viticultural
area.
The western portion of the proposed boundary of the proposed San
Miguel District viticultural area follows the eastern boundary of the
Camp Roberts Military Reservation, which is located to the west of the
proposed viticultural area and is unavailable for commercial
viticulture. TTB notes that the petition's boundary for this proposed
viticultural area originally included a portion of Camp Roberts.
However, the proposed boundary was amended at TTB's request to exclude
land within Camp Roberts Military Reservation from the proposed
viticultural area since it is unavailable for private use.
Distinguishing Features
The proposed San Miguel District viticultural area has a very mild
marine influence, receives an average of 11.4 inches of annual
precipitation, and is considered a warm Winkler Region III climate
zone. Alluvial fans and well-defined terraces dominate the landscape of
the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area, with elevations
ranging from approximately 580 to 1,600 feet.
Climate
The climate of the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area
is generally drier, warmer, and windier than most of the larger Paso
Robles viticultural area, except in the Paso Robles area's more eastern
inland regions. The petition notes that long-term climate data for the
community of San Miguel is limited to precipitation information, and
all other climate parameter values must be inferred based on the
distances from the ocean, orographic influences from the mountains, and
other topographic influences, such as elevation.
The San Miguel weather station averages 11.4 inches of annual
precipitation; this low level is largely a function of the rain shadow
created by the Santa Lucia Range to the west of the proposed
viticultural area. Within the Paso Robles viticultural area, the
proposed San Miguel District viticultural area has the second lowest
precipitation total, exceeding only the 10.4 annual inches received by
the proposed San Juan Creek viticultural area located further inland to
the east. According to the petition, the dry conditions make irrigation
necessary to establish and maintain most vineyards within the proposed
viticultural area.
The proposed San Miguel District viticultural area has a Winkler
Region III climate, with 3,300 to 3,400 annual GDD totals, based on
anecdotal evidence from local growers and intermittent weather data.
The proposed San Miguel District viticultural area has the third
highest Winkler degree day range among the 11 proposed viticultural
areas, trailing only the more inland proposed San Juan Creek and Paso
Robles Highlands District viticultural areas, both classified as low
Region IV growing areas. Warm temperatures lead to earlier ripening of
the grapes than in most other areas of the Paso Robles viticultural
area.
Topography
Both the Salinas and Estrella Rivers bisect the proposed San Miguel
District viticultural area, and they converge near the center of the
region. Both rivers have laid down deep alluvial deposits of silts,
sands, and gravels, which the rivers have cut through to form a series
of well defined, stepped river terraces. The active floodplains and
terraces of the two rivers are prevalent throughout the southeast,
central, and northern portions of the proposed San Miguel District
viticultural area, while canyons divide several mountains in the north-
northeast portion of the proposed viticultural area.
The proposed San Miguel District viticultural area includes the
lowest elevations within the Paso Robles viticultural area at 580 feet,
where the Salinas River exits San Luis Obispo County as it flows north
toward the Pacific Ocean at Monterey Bay. The highest elevation in the
proposed San Miguel District viticultural area is an approximately
1,600-foot peak located near the northern portion of the proposed
boundary, according to the USGS maps. Most vineyards within the
proposed San Miguel District viticultural area are located at 640 to
800 feet, with a few vineyards planted at higher elevations.
Soils
Deep alluvial soils cover the floodplains, terraces, and benches of
the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area. Mollisols dominate
the soil orders of the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area,
but older Alfisols and Vertisols are also present. The deep soils
generally provide adequate rooting depths for plants, including
grapevines, although some of the older alluvial soils have clay pans,
which impede rooting to depth. Small outcrops of granite and Monterey
shale, found at around 1,000 feet in elevation, have different soils as
residual soils forming on bedrock, with shallower rooting depths for
the vines.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The following chart summarizes the distinguishing features of the
proposed San Miguel District viticultural area and compares those
features to those of the adjacent proposed viticultural areas. TTB
notes that there are no proposed
[[Page 58071]]
viticultural areas located to the immediate west of the proposed San
Miguel District viticultural area within the Camp Roberts Military
Reservation, which is unavailable for commercial viticulture. Further
west, the terrain ascends to the Santa Lucia Range. In addition, there
are no established or proposed viticultural areas directly to the north
of the proposed San Miguel District viticultural area in Monterey
County, which is outside of the Paso Robles viticultural area. The
region to the north, which is part of the Temblor Range, contains steep
canyons and mountainous terrain that contrast to the low elevations,
river terraces, and footslopes of the proposed viticultural area.
Comparison of Proposed San Miguel District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the east: Paso
Distinguishing features San Miguel District To the south: Adelaida Robles Estrella
District District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region....................... Warm Region III........ Transitional Regions II- Moderate Region III.
III.
Marine Influence *................... 7...................... 6...................... 5.
Precipitation........................ 11.4 inches/year....... 25 inches/year......... 12.5-15.5 inches/year.
Topography........................... Santa Lucia Range Santa Lucia Range high Rolling plains of
footslope into Salinas mountain slopes Estrella River valley
and Estrella River grading to base of and terraces;
valleys; alluvial fans foothills; elevation elevation
and well-defined river approximately 900- approximately 745-
terraces; elevation 2,200 feet (most 1,819 feet (most
580-1,600 feet (most vineyards at 1,100- vineyards at 750-1,000
vineyards at 640-800 1,800 feet). feet).
feet).
Soils................................ Deep alluvial soils, Shallow, well-drained, Deep to moderate depth
with clay, sandy, and residual soils with alluvial terrace
gravelly loam textures. silty and clay loam soils, with sandy to
textures; moderately coarse and clay loam
alkaline. textures; slightly
acidic, but more
alkaline at depth.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
Santa Margarita Ranch
Located in the southernmost portion of the Paso Robles viticultural
area, the proposed 17,835-acre Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area
contains approximately 800 acres of vineyards. The majority of the
southern, western, and southeastern portions of the proposed boundary
are concurrent with the boundary of the Paso Robles viticultural area.
Unlike the other viticultural areas proposed in this document, the
proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area is not immediately
adjacent to any other proposed viticultural area.
Name Evidence
The name ``Santa Margarita Ranch'' is a well-recognized,
historically significant geographic place name for the region in which
the proposed viticultural area is located. The name is based on that of
the Spanish mission Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia, which was
located within the area and was an outpost of Mission San Luis Obispo
de Tolosa. Historically, the lands of the Santa Margarita mission were
known as ``Santa Margarita Rancho,'' and today, local residents still
refer to the region as Santa Margarita Ranch. TTB notes that the
``Santa Margarita Land Grant'' is marked on the Lopez Mountain, San
Luis Obispo, Santa Margarita, and Atascadero USGS maps, and that the
great majority of the Santa Margarita Land Grant is within the proposed
viticultural area.
The Santa Margarita USGS map also shows the later, and still-
existent, Santa Margarita Ranch located beside Santa Margarita Creek
just north of the small town of Santa Margarita, all of which are
located within the proposed viticultural area. In addition, the region
is served by the Santa Margarita Cemetery District.
The petition requests that only the full name of ``Santa Margarita
Ranch'' be considered viticulturally significant to more specifically
identify the location of the proposed viticultural area and to avoid
affecting any existing label holders. The petition explains that the
term ``Santa Margarita'' presently is used in the brand name of Santa
Margarita Winery in Temecula, California, and in the homonymous Italian
wine brand Santa Margherita.
Boundary Evidence
The proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area extends
southeast-to-northwest approximately 9 miles, and its proposed boundary
roughly follows the historic Santa Margarita Land Grant boundary, with
a few minor variations to exclude areas that are currently unavailable
for viticulture. Approximately half of the boundary of the proposed
Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area on its east, south, and west
sides is concurrent with the boundary of the Paso Robles viticultural
area.
The northern portion of the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch
viticultural area boundary follows a combination of a land grant line,
roads, and section lines that approximately delineate the northernmost
extent of the Santa Margarita Land Grant region that is suitable for
viticultural development, while excluding the urbanized areas of
Atascadero to the north and the rugged terrain to the northeast.
The eastern portion of the proposed boundary follows the Salinas
River to the point where it becomes concurrent with the Paso Robles
viticultural area boundary, which it then follows south across the
Santa Margarita Valley. The terrain to the east of the proposed
boundary is steep and rugged, and the region to the southeast includes
terraces, benches and a generally flat valley floor.
The southern and southwestern portions of the proposed Santa
Margarita District viticultural area boundary are based on the Santa
Margarita grant line, section lines, and the boundary of the Los Padres
National Forest. While the southern and southwestern portions of the
boundary largely coincide with the existing Paso Robles viticultural
area boundary, the southwestern corner of the originally proposed
boundary was modified at TTB's request to remove approximately 800
acres of land located in the Los Padres National Forest, which is
unavailable for commercial viticulture. In this southwestern region,
the boundary of the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area
follows the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest, slightly to the
east and then north of the established Paso Robles viticultural area
boundary.
The remainder of the western portion of the proposed boundary is
located along the eastern foothills of the Santa Lucia Range, and it
follows the
[[Page 58072]]
southwestern portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area boundary.
Distinguishing Features
The proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area has a moderate
marine influence, averages 29 inches of precipitation annually, and has
a relatively cool Winkler Region II climate. The valley floor and
surrounding hillsides dominate the landscape, with elevations ranging
from 900 to 1,400 feet.
Climate
The proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area has a
mountain-valley climate, which is distinctive within the Paso Robles
viticultural area, due to its location within the narrow Santa
Margarita Valley. The climate of the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch
viticultural area is characterized by a Winkler Region II climate
(approximately 2,900 GDDs), as documented by data from the Santa
Margarita Boost weather station located at the top of the Chorro Creek
watershed.
Precipitation in the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural
area averages 29 inches a year, generally higher than the precipitation
amounts received in other regions within the Paso Robles viticultural
area. Some marine air is able to enter the proposed viticultural area
through the Cuesta Pass in the Santa Lucia Range, and significant
annual precipitation results from Pacific storms that release water
across the high mountain ridges of the Santa Lucia Range into the
proposed viticultural area.
As compared to the proposed Templeton Gap District and Paso Robles
Willow Creek District viticultural areas to the north, the growing
season in the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area is less
affected by the marine influence entering the Paso Robles region
through the Templeton Gap. This reduced marine influence results in
higher daytime maximum and lower nighttime minimum temperatures. In
addition, cold air drains from the surrounding higher elevations and
ponds in the Santa Margarita Valley. As a result, frost is an issue on
the valley floor during the early growing season, and frost protection
is a necessity for area vineyards.
Topography
The proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area is located
within the narrow, southeast-to-northwest Santa Margarita Valley,
between the La Panza Range and Salinas River to the east and the Santa
Lucia Range to the west. Elevations within the proposed viticultural
area range from approximately 900 feet at the Salinas River in its
northeast corner to approximately 1,400 feet in its northwest corner
along the Los Padres National Forest boundary. The valley floor, at
approximately 1,100 to 1,200 feet in elevation, includes a nearly flat
landscape with gradual inclines and some hills to the north near the
town of Santa Margarita. Numerous creeks flow through the Santa
Margarita Valley to the Salinas River, including Santa Margarita Creek,
Yerba Buena Creek, Trout Creek, Burrito Creek, and Rinconada Creek.
Vineyards within the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural
area are planted primarily on the valley floor, across gently rolling
terraces and perched above the creek beds. Because the vineyards are
planted on the valley floor, they are at a risk of frost when cold air
drains into the valley from the surrounding mountains at night.
A small groundwater basin within the Santa Margarita Valley is the
primary water resource for the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch
viticultural area, both for irrigation and frost protection. In
contrast, most of the Paso Robles viticultural area relies on a large
groundwater basin east of the city of Paso Robles for water resources.
Soils
The soils of the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area
are a series of young, sandy loam to loam soils in the floodplains of
the creeks, loam and gravelly loam soils on the terraces, clay loams on
the highest terraces and hillsides, and pockets of clay soils in low-
lying basins. The diversity of soil types reflects the ages of the
alluvial terrace fans and the bedrock (or parent) material type,
sometimes mixed from several geological formations. Parent materials
include Monterey shale, Santa Margarita sandstone, Cretaceous granite,
Cretaceous marine sandstones, and conglomerates.
The 1978 soil survey for the Paso Robles area indicates that
vineyards within the proposed viticultural area contain soils that are
primarily Mollisols (deep, rich, grassland soils), with smaller areas
of younger Entisols and Inceptisols, clay-rich Vertisols, and older,
leached Alfisols (where soil leaching to depth has occurred through
time). The soils are slightly acidic at the surface (pH values of 5.6
to 7.0), and either acidic or alkaline at depth (pH varying from 5.1 to
8.4, influenced by both parent material and time). Few of the soils
within the proposed viticultural area are calcareous, unlike the soils
to the north within the proposed Templeton Gap District, Paso Robles
Willow Creek District, and Adelaida District viticultural areas. Most
of the soils within the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural
area are considered fertile, due to the presence of abundant humus. In
order to prevent overly vigorous growth in the fertile soils, vines are
spaced closely together to promote root competition, and water is
carefully managed.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
As noted above, the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural
area is not immediately adjacent to any other of the viticultural areas
proposed in this document. The region directly to the northwest of the
proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area contains the urban
area of the city of Atascadero. To the northeast of the proposed
viticultural area, the terrain is more rugged and mountainous and
difficult to farm and contrasts to the mostly valley terrain of the
proposed Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area. The mountainous
regions to the east, south, and west of the proposed viticultural area
are outside of the Paso Robles viticultural area, with those areas to
the south and west in the Los Padres National Forest unavailable for
viticulture.
Although the Santa Margarita Valley continues to the southeast of
the proposed viticultural area, that region is considered to be
viticulturally distinct from the region within the proposed
viticultural area based on cooler temperatures and lack of sufficient
water for frost protection and irrigation.
Templeton Gap District
The 19,017-acre proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area
is located in the western portion of the Paso Robles viticultural area
and contains approximately 1,600 acres of vineyards.
Name Evidence
The ``Templeton Gap District'' name is based on historical and
modern name evidence associating the name with the region within which
the proposed viticultural area is located. The name ``Templeton Gap
District'' combines the name of the town of Templeton with the term
``gap,'' which collectively identifies several passes located along the
crest of the Santa Lucia Range to the west of the proposed viticultural
area.
The small town of Templeton, located between U.S. Route 101 and the
Salinas River north of Atascadero and south of Paso Robles, is within
the proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area.
[[Page 58073]]
The town is shown on the USGS Templeton map and the 2001 San Luis
Obispo County map published by the Automobile Club of Southern
California.
The name ``Templeton Gap'' originated from Ken Volk, a Paso Robles
wine industry member. In the early 1980s, the name ``Templeton Gap''
first appeared in marketing and public relations material for Volk's
Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards located within the proposed Templeton
Gap District viticultural area on the east side of the Salinas River.
Volk used the ``Templeton Gap'' name to collectively identify several
passes in the Santa Lucia Range that allow marine air and fog from the
Pacific Ocean to flow east over the mountains and into the Templeton
region via several canyons containing eastward flowing streams,
particularly Paso Robles Creek.
Since then, the ``Templeton Gap'' name has appeared in a number of
wine-related books and publications. For example, a book about the
wines of California and the Pacific Northwest notes that the ``. . .
cooling ocean air streaming through Templeton Gap'' is a major
influence on the Paso Robles region's climate.\8\ A magazine article
describes the Paso Robles area growing season climate as having ``very
hot days that can be suddenly cooled by ocean breezes through the
Templeton Gap,'' \9\ and a book about California wines refers to the
``Templeton Gap'' as a place where maritime cooling travels inland and
benefits the vines.\10\ In addition, an article in Decanter magazine
about the Paso Robles region also refers to the ``Templeton Gap'' and
notes the cooling effect on area vineyards of ocean air that passes
through the gap.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Bob Thompson, The Wine Atlas of California and the Pacific
Northwest (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993), page 130.
\9\ Lora J. Finnegan, ``California's Heritage Wine,'' Sunset
Magazine, October 1995, page 82.
\10\ Stephen Brook, The Wines of California (New York: Faber &
Faber, 1999), pages 131-132.
\11\ Janice Fuhrman, ``Paso Robles, A World Apart,'' Decanter,
August 2005, page 45.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The petition notes that, outside of the wine industry, the name
``Templeton Gap'' also has evolved into a name for the region within
the proposed viticultural area. In 1994, the Western Weather Group of
Chico, California, established five weather stations in the Paso Robles
viticultural area, including the ``Templeton Gap'' station. Real estate
advertisements also use the name ``Templeton Gap'' to identify property
locations within the proposed viticultural area. In addition, the
petition included letters from several business owners located within
the proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area that state the
``Templeton Gap'' geographical name is commonly used in association
with the region.
Boundary Evidence
The northern portion of the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area boundary follows several roads, streams, and a range
line. This portion of the proposed boundary is primarily based on
geology, separating the more resistant Monterey formation bedrock of
the proposed viticultural area from the higher elevation mountain
slopes of the softer, less resistant, shaly, calcareous bedrock of the
proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek District viticultural area to the
north.
The eastern portion of the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area boundary, which is mostly shared with the proposed El
Pomar District viticultural area, runs southward along the Salinas
River and a tributary before shifting to the southeast along a series
of roads and straight lines between elevation points and road
intersections. This boundary approximately follows a line of hills that
rise above the Rinconada Fault line. These hills temper the full
cooling effects of the winds that flow from the southwest into the
proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area. In addition,
depending on the depth of the marine layer, fog often settles in these
hills, providing a visible indication of the boundary of the proposed
viticultural area.
The southern portion of the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area boundary follows a combination of straight lines, a
road, a portion of the Salinas River and a portion of the historic Paso
de Robles Land Grant's southern boundary. This portion of the boundary
also approximates a geological boundary between the upper and lower
members of the Monterey Formation. The southern portion of the proposed
viticultural area's boundary also marks the southern limit of the
Templeton Gap's identity as a region, as the region immediately to the
south is within the urbanized area of the city of Atascadero.
The western portion of the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area boundary, which is concurrent with part of the
western boundary of the Paso Robles viticultural area, primarily
follows the Paso de Robles Land Grant boundary. A segment of this
portion of the boundary is also shared with the York Mountain
viticultural area to the immediate west. The York Mountain viticultural
area is closer to the Pacific Ocean, receives more precipitation, and
has higher elevations and more rugged mountain terrain than both the
Paso Robles viticultural area and the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area.
Distinguishing Features
The distinguishing features of the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area include a very strong marine influence, a cooler
growing season climate, and an average of 20 inches of annual
precipitation. The proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area
has elevations ranging from approximately 700 to 1,800 feet, with broad
terraces and a landform gap dominating the landscape.
Climate
The proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area has the most
maritime climate within the Paso Robles viticultural area, with more
fog and higher relative humidity, more moderated daily, monthly, and
annual temperature ranges, and more persistent sea breezes. With a
Winkler Region II climate of approximately 2,900 GDDs, the proposed
Templeton Gap District viticultural area, along with the proposed Paso
Robles Willow Creek viticultural area, has the coolest growing season
climate within the larger Paso Robles viticultural area. Annual
precipitation in the proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area
averages 20 inches.
The passes in the crest of the Santa Lucia Range, collectively
known as the Templeton Gap, bring the Pacific Ocean's maritime
influence into the proposed viticultural area. As the marine layer
builds to greater heights on the Pacific Ocean side of the coastal
mountain slopes, the cooler and denser marine air spills through the
passes and flows eastward to the lower elevations of the proposed
viticultural area. In addition, a strong pressure gradient is created
when there is a marked contrast between the cooler marine air along the
coast and the warmer air inland, resulting in strong sea breezes
extending east and inland across the proposed viticultural area. Due to
the accelerated air flow through the passes, the proposed Templeton Gap
District viticultural area is windier than the other lowland areas of
the Paso Robles viticultural area, with moderate sea breezes and
regular, light mountain-valley breezes.
The cool climate of the proposed Templeton Gap District
viticultural area increases the ripening period for grapes, resulting
in harvest dates of approximately 10 to 14 days later than other areas
in the Paso Robles viticultural area, which allows flavors to fully
develop in the grapes. Also, given
[[Page 58074]]
the sea breeze influence in the region, slope angle and aspect are
important factors in determining the suitability of vineyard sites for
different grape varieties.
Topography
The proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area is located
east of an area of the Santa Lucia Range where the crest of the
mountain range is lower in altitude and the range contains an erosional
landform known as a ``water gap'' west of the town of Templeton. This
gap consists of several passes through the Santa Lucia Range formed by
streams carving into the soft rocks of the Monterey Formation near the
heads of their watersheds. The proposed viticultural area's location
near this gap contributes greatly to the cool, marine climate and the
later harvest time of the proposed viticultural area.
The proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area also is
characterized by the broad terraces created by Paso Robles Creek and
the Salinas River, which deposited a deep veneer of alluvium over the
area's bedrock. Although elevations within the proposed Templeton Gap
District viticultural area range from approximately 1,800 feet in the
ridgelines to the west and southwest to 700 feet along the Salinas
River, terraces with elevations of approximately 760-960 feet dominate
the terrain. Most of the proposed viticultural area's vineyards are
planted at elevations of 800-940 feet on south-facing hillsides in
order to benefit from the cooling maritime air as it enters the
proposed viticultural area through the gap in the Santa Lucia Range.
Soils
The soils of the proposed Templeton Gap District area viticultural
area have shallow to moderate rooting depths, moderate water stress,
and modest nutrient levels. Partially cemented shaly, alluvial soils
derived from the Paso Robles Formation are located on the stream
terraces and on sections of older alluvial fans. The soil textures are
predominantly silt loams, silty clays, clay loams, and sandy loams
(with some units gravelly). Although some of the soils have slightly
acidic topsoils (A horizons with pH values of 6.1 to 6.8), and others
are neutral to slightly alkaline even at the surface (with shallow A
horizon pH values of 7.0 to 7.8), almost all soils are alkaline at
depth, with common pH values of 7.9-8.4. The most common soil order is
moderately developed Mollisols (where surface humus is abundant),
followed by older Vertisols (where pedogenic clay dominates the
texture), and younger, poorly developed Entisols closer to streams.
According to the petition, the soil characteristics make low vineyard
yields common within the proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural
area.
Comparison to Adjacent Regions
The chart below summarizes the distinguishing features evidence for
the proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area described above
and compares those features to those of the adjacent proposed
viticultural areas within the Paso Robles viticultural area.
In addition, part of the western boundary of the proposed Templeton
Gap District viticultural area is concurrent with both the western
boundary of the Paso Robles viticultural area and the eastern boundary
of the York Mountain viticultural area. The York Mountain viticultural
area is closer to the Pacific Ocean than the adjacent portion of the
proposed Templeton Gap District viticultural area, contains elevations
up to 1,500 feet on slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains, is classified
as Winkler region I climate zone, and receives an average of 45 inches
of annual rainfall.
The region outside the western portion of the proposed boundary
that is not located within the York Mountain viticultural area contains
the more mountainous terrain of the Santa Lucia Range, which contrasts
to the predominately lower elevation terraces of the proposed Templeton
Gap District viticultural area.
Comparison of Proposed Templeton Gap District Viticultural Area to Adjacent Proposed Viticultural Areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the north: Paso
Distinguishing features Templeton Gap District Robles Willow Creek To the east: El Pomar
District District
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkler Region....................... Region II.............. Region II.............. Moderate Region II.
Maritime Climate *................... 1...................... 1...................... 3.
Precipitation........................ 20 inches/year......... 24-30 inches/year...... 15 inches/year.
Topography........................... Broad terraces in Mountain slopes of High, older terraces,
moderate to low Santa Lucia Range to fans, and hills;
elevation area of the the west of the elevation 740-1,600
Santa Lucia Range with Salinas River, feet (most vineyards
elevations ranging centered on the Willow at 840-960 feet).
from 700 feet to 1,800 Creek tributary to
feet (most vineyards Paso Robles Creek;
at 800-940 feet). elevation 960-1,900
(most vineyards at
1,000-1,300 feet).
Soils................................ Moderate depth, Mostly shallow Terrace alluvial soils,
partially cemented calcareous soils of with sandy, clay, and
alluvial soils on residual (bedrock) gravelly loam
river terraces and origin with shaly textures; primarily
sections of older clays, clay loams, and alkaline.
alluvial fans with rocky loams, with some
silt loams, silty units gravelly and
clays, clay loams, and with patches of
sandy loams (with some alluvial soil along
units gravelly); some streams; alkaline at
with slightly acidic depth.
topsoils and others
neutral to slightly
alkaline at surface
(all alkaline at
depth).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Maritime climate indicated on scale from 1 (most maritime) to 8 (more continental).
[[Page 58075]]
Comparison of Proposed Viticultural Areas to the Existing Paso Robles
and Central Coast Viticultural Areas
Paso Robles Viticultural Area
The Paso Robles viticultural area is broadly characterized by: (1)
A Winkler Region III climate with some marine influence that contrasts
to the warmer regions to the east and cooler regions to the west; (2)
annual rainfall averaging between 10 and 25 inches; (3) a diurnal
temperature change of 40 to 50 degrees; (4) rolling hills and valleys
with average elevations between 600 to 1,000 feet; and (5) soils that
generally formed in alluvial and terrace deposits, and that are fertile
and well-drained. Although not all of these characteristics are shared
by each of the 11 viticultural areas, as indicated in the table below,
each proposed viticultural area shares some of the distinctive
characteristics of the larger Paso Robles viticultural area.
Comparison of the Paso Robles Viticultural Area to the Eleven Proposed Viticultural Areas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diurnal growing
Viticultural area Climate Average annual season temp. change Topography Soil
rainfall \2\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paso Robles \1\.................... Maritime climate 8-30 inches........... 20-50 degrees........ Salinas River and Soils both
becoming more tributary valleys, depositional and
continental to the alluvial terraces, residual derived
east, with growing and surrounding from sedimentary
degree-day Regions mountain slopes; 600- rock; moderate
II, III and IV. 2,400+ feet. depth.
Proposed Adelaida District......... Region II-III 25 inches............. 30 degrees........... Santa Lucia Range Shallow, bedrock
transitional area. high mountain slopes residual soils and
grading to patchy colluvial
foothills; 900-2200 hillside soils from
feet. middle member of
Monterey Formation
and older rocks;
largely calcareous
soils.
Proposed Creston District.......... Region III............ 11.5 inches........... 25 degrees........... Old erosional plateau Old, well developed
at the base of the terrace and hillside
La Panza Range; soils; mix of
alluvial terraces granitic and
and fans of sedimentary rocks.
Huerhuero Creek;
1,000-2,000 feet.
Proposed El Pomar District......... Region II............. 15 inches............. 20-25 degrees........ High, older terraces, Quaternary alluvial
fans, and hills; 740- soils, well
1,600 feet. developed loams to
clay loams, some
calcareous, with
Monterey Formation
sandstone and
siltstone at depth
in some areas.
Proposed Paso Robles Estrella Region III............ 12.5-15.5 inches...... 35-40 degrees........ Rolling plains of Quaternary alluvial
District. Estrella River soils of diverse
valley and terraces; ages across younger
745-1819 feet. to older terraces,
deep to moderate
depth, with remnant
patches of older
valley fill at
highest elevations.
Proposed Paso Robles Geneseo Region III-IV......... 13-14 inches.......... 20-25 degrees........ Upfaulted hills Old alluvial terrace
District. through old river and residual
terraces along hillside soils of
Huerhuero-La Panza moderate depth with
fault; 740-1,300 cementation of the
feet. gravelly Paso Robles
Formation and older
granites.
Proposed Paso Robles Highlands Region IV............. 12 inches............. 50+ degrees.......... Old Pliocene- Deep, sometimes
District. Pleistocene cemented alluvial
erosional surface soils; old leached
across the Simmler, alkaline soils
Monterey and Paso common, with younger
Robles formations sandy soils along
below the La Panza active steams.
Range; 1,160-2,086
feet.
Proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek Region II............. 24-30 inches.......... 20 degrees........... High elevation Mostly bedrock
District. mountainous bedrock (residual) soils
slopes across a more from the middle and
erodible member of lower members of the
the Monterey Monterey Formation,
Formation; 960-1,900 patches of alluvial
feet. soil along streams,
largely calcareous,
loams to clay loams.
[[Page 58076]]
Proposed San Juan Creek............ Region III-IV 10.4 inches........... 35-40 degrees........ San Juan Creek Well to moderately
transition. younger river drained, deep
valleys with alluvial soils,
alluvial terraces sandy loams to loams
and fans as a to clay loams on the
tributary to the highest, oldest
upper Estrella terraces.
River; 980-1,600
feet.
Proposed San Miguel District....... Region III............ 11.4 inches........... 30-35 degrees........ Footslope of Santa Deep, alluvial sandy
Lucia Range, with loams to loams to a
alluvial terraces of few clay loams (some
the Salinas and with clay pans) from
Estrella rivers and the river bottoms up
small recent onto the higher
alluvial fans; 580- terraces.
1,600 feet.
Proposed Santa Margarita Ranch..... Region II............. 29 inches............. 25 degrees........... High, steep mountain Deep alluvial soils
slopes of ancient derived from many
Salinas River and lithologies and
upper reaches of varying in texture,
incised contemporary with patchy residual
Salinas River along soils on mountain
the Rinconada Fault; slopes.
900-1,400 feet.
Proposed Templeton Gap District.... Region II............. 20 inches............. 20 degrees........... Santa Lucia Range Broad alluvial
mountain slopes and terraces and fans of
broad alluvial Paso Robles Creek
terraces; elevations and the Salinas
700-1,800 feet. River over bedrock;
alluvial soils of
shallow to moderate
depth and sandy to
silty to clay loams;
calcareous in
places.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The PRAVAC petitioners supplied scientific data and other information that was not available to the original Paso Robles viticultural area
petitioners in 1983, and that updated information is included in this table.
\2\ The growing season referenced herein is from April 1 to October 31 in a calendar year.
As shown in the above table, all of the 11 proposed viticultural
areas have distinguishing features--particularly with regard to
climatic features--that generally fall within the broader ranges of the
larger Paso Robles viticultural area. Each of the 11 proposed
viticultural areas, however, also has distinctive features and a more
specific microclimate that distinguish it viticulturally from the
larger Paso Robles viticultural area.
Central Coast Viticultural Area
Because the Paso Robles viticultural area is entirely within the
larger, multicounty Central Coast viticultural area, each of the 11
proposed viticultural areas would also be located within the Central
Coast viticultural area. The Central Coast viticultural area stretches
from Santa Barbara County in the south to the San Francisco Bay area in
the north and includes the region between the Pacific Coast and the
eastern ranges of California's coastal mountains, where the marine
influence of the Pacific Ocean impacts local climates more
significantly than regions further to the east, such as the San Joaquin
Valley. This marine influence is seen in precipitation, heat
accumulation, maximum high temperature, minimum low temperature,
growing season length, wind, marine fog incursion, and relative
humidity data that are significantly different from the more arid
regions found to the east of the Coastal Ranges.
In addition, T.D. ATF-216, which established the Central Coast
viticultural area, also recognized the existence of microclimates
within this relatively large viticultural area. As described above,
each of the 11 proposed viticultural areas is affected by the marine
influence of the Pacific Ocean, consistent with the distinguishing
features of the Central Coast viticultural area. The extent of the
marine influence on the climate of each of the proposed viticultural
areas varies among the 11 proposed viticultural areas, however,
creating distinct microclimates in those regions.
TTB Determination
TTB believes that the evidence presented by the petitioner
regarding the various distinguishing features of the 11 proposed
viticultural areas, as well as the distinctiveness of those areas as
compared to the larger Paso Robles and Central Coast viticultural
areas, justify recognition of the Adelaida District, Creston District,
El Pomar District, Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo
District, Paso Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow Creek
District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel District, Santa Margarita Ranch,
and Templeton Gap District areas as viticultural areas within the
existing Paso Robles and Central Coast viticultural areas.
Accordingly, TTB concludes that the petitions to establish the
Adelaida District, Creston District, El Pomar District, Paso Robles
Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands
District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Juan Creek, San Miguel
District, Santa Margarita Ranch, and Templeton Gap District
viticultural areas merit consideration and public comment, as invited
in this document.
Impact on Current Wine Labels
Part 4 of the TTB regulations prohibits any label reference on a
wine that indicates or implies an origin other than the wine's true
place of origin. If TTB
[[Page 58077]]
establishes the proposed ``Adelaida District,'' ``Creston District,''
``El Pomar District,'' ``Paso Robles Willow Creek District,'' ``San
Juan Creek,'' ``San Miguel District,'' ``Santa Margarita Ranch,'' or
``Templeton Gap District'' viticultural areas, the full name of each
viticultural area will be recognized as a name of viticultural
significance. TTB does not believe that any part of these eight
proposed viticultural area names standing alone, such as ``Adelaida,''
``Creston,'' ``El Pomar,'' ``San Juan,'' ``San Miguel,'' ``Santa
Margarita,'' or ``Templeton,'' would have viticultural significance if
the respective viticultural area is established because of the
potential for consumer and industry confusion based on the multiple
locations in the United States and/or other countries that are referred
to or known by the above names. Additionally, TTB does not believe that
``Paso Robles Willow Creek,'' standing alone, would have viticultural
significance with regards to the proposed Paso Robles Willow Creek
District viticultural area, because the terms ``Paso Robles'' and
``Willow Creek,'' standing alone, both have viticultural significance
pursuant to, respectively, 27 CFR 9.84 and 9.85 as names of established
viticultural areas. Furthermore, in order to avoid affecting the use of
the term ``Templeton Gap,'' standing alone, in brand names or on wine
labels, TTB is not proposing to designate the term ``Templeton Gap,''
standing alone, as a term of viticultural significance.
If TTB establishes the proposed ``Paso Robles Estrella District,''
``Paso Robles Geneseo District,'' or ``Paso Robles Highlands District''
viticultural areas, the full name of each viticultural area will be
recognized as a name of viticultural significance. In addition, based
on the evidence submitted, as well as a review of the information
contained in the Geographic Names Information System maintained by the
USGS and a general search of relevant Web sites, TTB believes that
``Paso Robles Estrella,'' ``Paso Robles Geneseo,'' and ``Paso Robles
Highlands'' are locally and/or nationally known as referring to the
region in San Luis Obispo County, California, encompassed by each
respective proposed viticultural area, so consumers and vintners could
reasonably attribute the quality, reputation, or other characteristic
of wine made from grapes grown in the proposed ``Paso Robles Estrella
District,'' ``Paso Robles Geneseo District,'' or ``Paso Robles
Highlands District'' viticultural areas to these terms. Accordingly,
with the establishment of the above three viticultural areas, the terms
``Paso Robles Estrella,'' ``Paso Robles Geneseo,'' and ``Paso Robles
Highlands,'' standing alone, will also be considered terms of
viticultural significance for each respective viticultural area. TTB
notes that the geographical name of ``Paso Robles'' identifies the
existing Paso Robles viticultural area, which is already a term of
viticultural significance pursuant to 27 CFR 9.84. TTB does not believe
that the terms ``Estrella,'' ``Geneseo,'' or ``Highlands,'' each
standing alone, would have viticultural significance if the respective
viticultural areas are established because of the potential for
consumer and industry confusion based on the multiple locations in the
United States and/or other countries that are referred to or known by
the above names. Furthermore, in order to avoid affecting the use of
the terms ``Estrella'' or ``Geneseo,'' each standing alone, in brand
names or on wine labels, TTB is not proposing to designate ``Estrella''
or ``Geneseo'' as terms of viticultural significance.
Therefore, the eleven proposed 27 CFR part 9 section texts set
forth in this document specify, respectively, that ``Adelaida
District,'' ``Creston District,'' ``El Pomar District,'' ``Paso Robles
Estrella District'' and ``Paso Robles Estrella'' standing alone, ``Paso
Robles Geneseo District'' and ``Paso Robles Geneseo'' standing alone,
``Paso Robles Highlands District'' and ``Paso Robles Highlands''
standing alone, ``Paso Robles Willow Creek District,'' ``San Juan
Creek,'' ``San Miguel District,'' ``Santa Margarita Ranch,'' and
``Templeton Gap District'' are terms of viticultural significance for
purposes of part 4 of the TTB regulations. Consequently, if these 11
proposed viticultural areas are established, wine bottlers using any of
the above terms in a brand name, including a trademark, or in another
label reference as to the origin of the wine, will have to ensure that
the product is eligible to use the name of the viticultural area in
question as an appellation of origin. TTB notes that the establishment
of any or all of these 11 proposed viticultural areas will not affect
the established Paso Robles viticultural area or approved labels using
the ``Paso Robles'' name.
For a wine to be labeled with a viticultural area name or with a
brand name that includes a viticultural area name or other term
identified as being viticulturally significant in part 9 of the TTB
regulations, at least 85 percent of the wine must be derived from
grapes grown within the area represented by that name or other term,
and the wine must meet the other conditions listed in 27 CFR
4.25(e)(3). If the wine is not eligible for labeling with the
viticultural area name or other viticulturally significant term and
that name or term appears in the brand name, then the label is not in
compliance, and the bottler must change the brand name and obtain
approval of a new label. Similarly, if the viticultural area name or
other viticulturally significant term appears in another reference on
the label in a misleading manner, the bottler would have to obtain
approval of a new label.
Different rules apply if a wine has a brand name containing a
viticultural area name or other term of viticultural significance that
was used as a brand name on a label approved before July 7, 1986. See
27 CFR 4.39(i)(2) for details.
Public Participation
Comments Invited
TTB invites comments from interested members of the public on
whether TTB should establish any or all of the 11 proposed viticultural
areas within the existing Paso Robles viticultural area. TTB is also
interested in receiving comments on the sufficiency and accuracy of the
names and the climatic, boundary, and other required information
submitted in support of the petitions. In addition, given the location
of the 11 proposed viticultural areas within the existing Paso Robles
and Central Coast viticultural areas, TTB is interested in comments on
whether the evidence submitted in the petitions regarding the
distinguishing features of the proposed viticultural areas sufficiently
differentiates them from the existing Paso Robles and Central Coast
viticultural areas. TTB is also interested in comments on whether the
geographic features of any of the 11 proposed viticultural areas are so
distinguishable from the surrounding Paso Robles and Central Coast
viticultural areas that they should no longer be part of those
viticultural areas. Finally, TTB is interested in comments regarding
whether the portions of the Paso Robles viticultural area that are not
contained within any of the 11 proposed viticultural areas have been
appropriately excluded from the proposed viticultural areas or whether
these excluded areas should be incorporated into any of the proposed
viticultural areas. Please provide any available specific information
in support of your comments. Also, please identify the specific
proposed viticultural area or areas that your comments concern.
[[Page 58078]]
Because of the potential impact of the establishment of the eleven
proposed viticultural areas on brand labels that include the words
``Adelaida District,'' ``Creston District,'' ``El Pomar District,''
``Paso Robles Estrella District'' (or ``Paso Robles Estrella'' standing
alone), ``Paso Robles Geneseo District'' (or ``Paso Robles Geneseo''
standing alone), ``Paso Robles Highlands District'' (or ``Paso Robles
Highlands'' standing alone), ``Paso Robles Willow Creek District,''
``San Juan Creek,'' ``San Miguel District,'' ``Santa Margarita Ranch,''
and ``Templeton Gap District,'' as discussed above under Impact on
Current Wine Labels, TTB is particularly interested in comments
regarding whether there will be a conflict between the proposed
viticultural area names and/or viticulturally significant terms and
currently used brand names. If a commenter believes that a conflict
will arise, the comment should describe the nature of that conflict,
including any negative economic impact that approval of the proposed
viticultural area will have on an existing viticultural enterprise. TTB
is also interested in receiving suggestions for ways to avoid any
conflicts, for example, by adopting a modified or different name for
the viticultural area.
Submitting Comments
You may submit comments on this proposal by using one of the
following three methods:
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: You may send comments via the
online comment form posted with this document within Docket No. TTB-
2013-0009 on ``Regulations.gov,'' the Federal e-rulemaking portal, at
http://www.regulations.gov. A direct link to that docket is available
under Notice No. 140 on the TTB Web site at http://www.ttb.gov/wine/wine-rulemaking.shtml. Supplemental files may be attached to comments
submitted via Regulations.gov. For complete instructions on how to use
Regulations.gov, visit the site and click on the site's ``Help'' tab.
U.S. Mail: You may send comments via postal mail to the
Director, Regulations and Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW., Box 12, Washington, DC 20005.
Hand Delivery/Courier: You may hand-carry your comments or
have them hand-carried to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,
1310 G Street NW., Suite 200E, Washington, DC 20005.
Please submit your comments by the closing date shown above in this
document. Your comments must reference Notice No. 140 and include your
name and mailing address. Your comments also must be made in English,
be legible, and be written in language acceptable for public
disclosure. TTB does not acknowledge receipt of comments, and considers
all comments as originals.
In your comment, please indicate if you are speaking on your own
behalf or on behalf of an association, business, or other entity. If
you are speaking on behalf of an entity, your comment must include the
entity's name as well as your name and position title. If you comment
via http://www.regulations.gov, please also enter the entity's name in
the ``Organization'' blank of the online comment form. If you comment
via postal mail or hand delivery/courier, please submit your entity's
comment on letterhead.
You may also write to the Administrator before the comment closing
date to ask for a public hearing. The Administrator reserves the right
to determine whether to hold a public hearing.
Confidentiality
All submitted comments and attachments are part of the public
record and subject to disclosure. Do not include, attach, or enclose
any material in or with your comments that you consider to be
confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure.
Public Disclosure
On the Federal e-rulemaking portal, Regulations.gov, TTB will post,
and you may view, copies of this document, selected supporting
materials, and any online or mailed comments TTB receives about this. A
direct link to the Regulations.gov docket containing this document and
the posted comments received on it is available on the TTB Web site at
http://www.ttb.gov/wine/wine-rulemaking.shtml under Notice No. 140. You
may also reach the docket containing this document and the posted
comments received on it through the Regulations.gov search page at
http://www.regulations.gov. For instructions on how to use
Regulations.gov, visit the site and click on the site's ``Help'' tab.
All posted comments will display the commenter's name, organization
(if any), city, and State, and, in the case of mailed comments, all
address information, including email addresses. TTB may omit voluminous
attachments or material that TTB considers unsuitable for posting.
You may view copies of this document, all related petitions, maps
and other supporting materials, and any electronic or mailed comments
TTB receives about this proposal by appointment at the TTB Information
Resource Center, 1310 G Street NW., Washington, DC 20005. You may also
obtain copies at 20 cents per 8.5- x 11-inch page. Contact the
information specialist at the above address or by telephone at 202-453-
2270 to schedule an appointment or to request copies of comments or
other materials.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
TTB certifies that this proposed regulation, if adopted, would not
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. The proposed regulation imposes no new reporting,
recordkeeping, or other administrative requirement. Any benefit derived
from the use of a viticultural area name would be the result of a
proprietor's efforts and consumer acceptance of wines from that area.
Therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required.
Executive Order 12866
This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action as
defined by Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993. Therefore, it
requires no regulatory assessment.
Drafting Information
The Regulations and Rulings Division staff drafted this document.
List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9
Wine.
Proposed Regulatory Amendment
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, TTB proposes to amend
title 27, chapter I, part 9, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:
PART 9--AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS
0
1. The authority citation for part 9 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205.
0
2. Subpart C is amended by adding Sec. Sec. 9.---- through 9.---- to
read as follows:
Subpart C--Approved American Viticultural Areas
Sec. 9.---- Adelaida District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Adelaida District''. For purposes of part 4 of this
chapter, ``Adelaida District'' is a term of viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The six United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1:24 000 scale topographic maps used to
[[Page 58079]]
determine the boundary of the Adelaida District viticultural area are
titled:
(1) Paso Robles, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(2) Templeton, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(3) York Mountain, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(4) Cypress Mountain, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(5) Lime Mountain, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979; and
(6) Adelaida, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1978.
(c) Boundary. The Adelaida District viticultural area is located in
San Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Adelaida
District viticultural area is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the Paso Robles map at the point
where an unnamed light-duty road locally known as Wellsona Road crosses
the main channel of the Salinas River, section 4, T26S/R12E. From the
beginning point, proceed southerly (upstream) along the main channel of
the Salinas River approximately 3.4 miles to the river's first
intersection with the city of Paso Robles Corporate Boundary line,
T26S/R12E; then
(2) Proceed westerly and then southerly along the meandering city
of Paso Robles Corporate Boundary line, crossing onto the Templeton
map, to the boundary line's intersection with Peachy Canyon Road, T26S/
R12E; then
(3) Proceed westerly on Peachy Canyon Road approximately 2.6 miles,
crossing to and from the Paso Robles map, to the road's intersection
with an unnamed intermittent stream at the 1,100-foot elevation line
near the center of section 36, T26S/R11; then
(4) Proceed south-southeasterly (downstream) along the unnamed
intermittent stream approximately 1.2 miles to the stream's
intersection with the R11E/R12E common boundary line, section 1, T27S/
R11E; then
(5) Proceed south along the R11E/R12E common boundary line
approximately 0.15 mile to the line's intersection with an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Kiler Canyon Road, section 1, T27S/
R11E; then
(6) Proceed westerly on the light-duty and then unimproved Kiler
Canyon Road approximately 4 miles, crossing onto the York Mountain map,
to the road's intersection with Summit Canyon Road (locally known as
Peachy Canyon Road), section 33, T26S/R11E; then
(7) Proceed southwesterly on Summit Canyon Road (locally known as
Peachy Canyon Road) approximately 3.5 miles to the road's intersection
with Willow Creek Road (locally known as Vineyard Drive), T27S/R11E;
then
(8) Proceed southerly on Willow Creek Road (locally known as
Vineyard Drive) approximately 0.4 mile to the road's intersection with
Dover Canyon Road, T27S/R11E; then
(9) Proceed westerly on Dover Canyon Road approximately 2.8 miles
to the road's intersection with an intermittent stream and an unnamed
jeep trail in Dover Canyon, section 14, T27S/R10E; then
(10) Proceed west-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
5.7 miles, crossing onto the Cypress Mountain map, to the R9E/R10E
common boundary line at the northwest corner of section 6, T27S/R10E;
then
(11) Proceed north along the R9E/R10E common boundary line
approximately 6.5 miles, crossing onto the Lime Mountain map, to the
line's intersection with the second unnamed intermittent stream that
crosses the western boundary line of section 31, T25S/R10E; then
(12) Proceed easterly in a straight line approximately 0.45 mile to
a marked 1,165-foot peak in section 31, T25S/R10E, and then continue
easterly in a straight line approximately 0.8 mile to the marked 1,135-
foot peak in section 32, T25S/R10E; then
(13) Proceed due east-northeasterly in a straight line
approximately 0.3 mile to the line's intersection with Dip Creek,
section 32, T25S/R10E; then
(14) Proceed southeasterly and then easterly along Dip Creek
approximately 6 miles, crossing onto the Adelaida map, to the creek's
intersection with San Miguel Road (locally known as Chimney Rock Road),
section 13, T26S/R10E; then
(15) Proceed easterly on San Miguel Road (locally known as Chimney
Rock Road, then Nacimiento Lake Drive, then Godfrey Road, and then San
Marcos Road) approximately 8.6 miles, crossing onto the Paso Robles
map, to the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally
known as Wellsona Road, section 6, T26S/R12E; then
(16) Proceed southeasterly and then easterly on Wellsona Road
approximately 2.0 miles, returning to the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- Creston District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Creston District''. For purposes of part 4 of this
chapter, ``Creston District'' is a term of viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The five United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
Creston District viticultural area are titled:
(1) Creston, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1980;
(2) Shedd Canyon, Calif., 1961;
(3) Wilson Corner, CA, 1995;
(4) Camatta Ranch, CA, 1995; and
(5) Santa Margarita, Calif., 1965, revised 1993.
(c) Boundary. The Creston District viticultural area is located in
San Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Creston
District viticultural area is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is located on the Creston map along the
common boundary line of the Huerhuero Land Grant and section 34, T27S/
R13E, at the eastern-most intersection of State Route 41 and an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Cripple Creek Road. From the beginning
point, proceed northerly on Cripple Creek Road approximately 1 mile to
the road's intersection with an unnamed light duty road locally known
as El Pomar Drive (at BM 1052), section 27, T27S/R13E; then
(2) Proceed northeasterly in a straight line approximately 0.75
mile to the unnamed 1,142-foot elevation point, T27S/R13E; then
(3) Proceed north in a straight line approximately 1.2 miles to the
line's intersection with an unnamed light duty road locally known as
Creston Road at the southwest corner of section 14, T27S/R13E; then
(4) Proceed east on Creston Road approximately 0.35 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road known locally as
Geneseo Road (at BM 1014), T27S/R13E; then
(5) Proceed north-northwesterly on Geneseo Road approximately 0.7
mile to the road's intersection with a jeep trail (locally known as
Rancho Verano Place) and the western boundary line of section 14, T27S/
R13E; then
(6) Proceed due east in a straight line approximately 0.2 mile to
the line's intersection with the Huerhuero Land Grant boundary line,
section 14, T27S/R13E;
(7) Proceed north-northeasterly along the Huerhuero Land Grant
boundary line approximately 0.7 mile to the land grant's northern-most
point, and then continue east-southeasterly along the land grant's
boundary line approximately 0.4 mile to the line's intersection with
the northern boundary line of section 14, T27S/R13E; then
(8) Proceed east approximately 1.3 miles along the northern
boundary lines of sections 14 and 13, T27S/R13E, and continue east
approximately 0.25 mile along the northern boundary line of section 18,
T27S/R14E, to the T-intersection of two unnamed unimproved roads; then
[[Page 58080]]
(9) Proceed east-southeasterly on the generally east-west unnamed
unimproved road approximately 0.85 mile, crossing onto the Shedd Canyon
map, to the road's intersection with the eastern boundary line of
section 18, T27S/R14E; then
(10) Proceed southeasterly in a straight line approximately 1.2
miles to the 1,641-foot elevation point located at the southeast corner
of section 17, T27S/R14E; then
(11) Proceed southeasterly approximately 0.55 mile in a straight
line to BM 1533 (located beside Creston Shandon Road (State Route 41))
and continue southeasterly in a straight line approximately 1.25 miles
to the 1,607 elevation point near the western boundary line of section
27, T27S/R14E; then
(12) Proceed east-southeasterly in a straight line approximately
1.1 miles to the 1.579-foot elevation point at the southeast corner of
section 27, T27S/R14E; then
(13) Proceed east approximately 1.9 miles along the northern
boundary lines of sections 35 and 36, T27S/R14E, to the section 36
boundary line's intersection with Indian Creek; then
(14) Proceed southerly (upstream) along Indian Creek approximately
5.3 miles in straight-line distance, crossing onto the Wilson Corner
map, to the creek's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road
locally known as La Panza Road, section 20, T28S/R15E; then
(15) Proceed southeasterly on La Panza Road approximately 0.15 mile
to the road's intersection with State Route 58 at Wilson Corner,
section 29, T28S/R15E; then
(16) Proceed easterly on State Route 58 approximately 1.4 miles,
crossing onto the Camatta Ranch map, to the road's intersection with
the eastern boundary line of section 28, T28S/R15E; then
(17) Proceed south approximately 1.5 miles along the eastern
boundary lines of sections 28 and 33, T28S/R15E, to the T28S/T29S
common boundary line at the southeast corner of section 33, T28S/15E;
then
(18) Proceed west along the T28S/T29S common boundary line
approximately 8.5 miles, crossing over the Wilson Corner map and onto
the Santa Margarita map, to the boundary line's intersection with the
Middle Branch of Huerhuero Creek, section 31, T28S/R14E; then
(19) Proceed north-northwesterly (downstream) along the Middle
Branch of Huerhuero Creek approximately 2.3 miles in straight-line
distance to the creek's intersection with the southern boundary line of
section 24, T28S/R13E; then
(20) Proceed west along the southern boundary line of section 24,
T28S/R13E, approximately 0.45 mile to that section's southwestern
corner; then
(21) Proceed north along the western boundary line of section 24,
T28S/R13E, approximately 1.0 mile to the boundary line's intersection
with an unnamed unimproved road at the section's northwestern corner;
then
(22) Proceed northwesterly on the unnamed unimproved road
approximately 0.7 mile to the road's intersection with State Route 229
near BM 1138, section 14, T28S/R13E; then
(23) Proceed northeasterly on State Route 229 approximately 0.2
mile to the road's intersection with the Huerhuero Land Grant boundary
line, section 14, T28S/R13E; and
(24) Proceed north-northwesterly along the boundary of the
Huerhuero Land Grant approximately 3 miles, crossing onto the Creston
map and returning to the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- El Pomar District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``El Pomar District''. For purposes of part 4 of this
chapter, ``El Pomar District'' is a term of viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The two United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
El Pomar District viticultural area are titled:
(1) Templeton, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979; and
(2) Creston, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1980.
(c) Boundary. The El Pomar District viticultural area is located in
San Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the El Pomar
District viticultural area is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the southeastern portion of the
Templeton map at the intersection of State Route 41 and an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Homestead Road, east-northeast of
Atascadero within the Asuncion Land Grant. From the beginning point,
proceed north-northwesterly on Homestead Road approximately 1.1 miles
to the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally
known as South El Pomar Road, Asuncion Land Grant; then
(2) Proceed north-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
0.8 mile to the 1,452-foot elevation point, and continue north-
northwesterly in a straight line approximately 0.3 mile to an unnamed
peak above the 1,440-foot elevation line (marked on the map by a
triangle), Asuncion Land Grant; then
(3) Proceed northeasterly in a straight line approximately 0.3 mile
to the 1,344-foot elevation point, Asuncion Land Grant; then
(4) Proceed northerly in a series of straight lines, totaling
approximately 1.4 miles, through the 1,338-foot and 1,329-foot
elevation points to the intersection of two unnamed light-duty roads
locally known as El Pomar Drive and Hollyhock Lane in the Santa Ysabel
Land Grant, T27S/R12E; then
(5) Proceed north-northwesterly on Hollyhock Lane approximately 1
mile to the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally
known as Neal Springs Road, Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(6) Proceed west on Neal Springs Road approximately 0.4 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as
South River Road, Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(7) Proceed northwesterly and then northerly on South River Road
approximately 2.8 miles to the road's intersection with an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Charolais Road (0.1 mile north of a
marked windmill), Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(8) Proceed east-southeasterly on Charolais Road approximately 1.4
miles to the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road
locally known as Creston Road, Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(9) Proceed north on Creston Road approximately 1.6 miles to the
road's intersection with an unnamed unimproved road to the east locally
known as Grand Canyon Drive, and then continue due north in a straight
line approximately 0.15 mile to a marked east-west telephone line,
Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(10) Proceed easterly in a straight line approximately 2 miles,
crossing onto the Creston map, to the line's intersection with the
point where the R12E/R13E common boundary line crosses Huerhuero Creek,
western boundary line of section 31, T26S/R13E; then
(11) Proceed southeasterly (upstream) along Huerhuero Creek
approximately 2.4 miles to the creek's first confluence with an unnamed
intermittent stream in the northwest quadrant of section 8, T27S/R13E;
then
(12) Proceed southeasterly in a straight line approximately 1.4
miles to the 1,255-foot elevation point in the northwest quadrant of
section 16, T27S/R13E; then
(13) Proceed easterly in a straight line approximately 0.75 mile to
an unnamed peak above the 1,380-foot elevation line (marked on the map
with a triangle), section 16, T27S/R13E; then
[[Page 58081]]
(14) Proceed east-southeasterly in a straight line approximately
0.6 mile to the 1,342-foot elevation point in section 15, T27S/R13E,
and then continue east-southeasterly in a straight line approximately
0.6 mile to the northern end of an unnamed light-duty road locally
known as Branbrit Road, section 15, T27S/R13E; then
(15) Proceed south on Branbrit Road approximately 0.3 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as
Creston Road, section 15, T27S/R13E; then
(16) Proceed east on Creston Road approximately 0.2 mile to the
road's intersection with northeast corner of section 22, T27S/R13E;
then
(17) Proceed southerly in a straight line approximately 1.2 miles
to the 1,142 elevation point in the Huerhuero Land Grant (0.1 mile
south of a pipe line), T27S/R13E; then
(18) Proceed southwesterly in a straight line approximately 0.75
mile to BM 1052 located at the intersection of two unnamed light-duty
roads locally known locally as El Pomar Drive and Cripple Creek Road,
section 27 T27S/R13E; then
(19) Proceed south on Cripple Creek Road approximately 1.0 mile to
the road's eastern-most intersection with State Route 41, section 34,
T27S/R13E; then
(20) Proceed southwesterly on State Route 41 approximately 6.1
miles, crossing onto the Templeton map and returning to the beginning
point.
Sec. 9.---- Paso Robles Estrella District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Paso Robles Estrella District''. For purposes of part 4 of
this chapter, ``Paso Robles Estrella District'' and ``Paso Robles
Estrella'' are terms of viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The five United States Geological Survey
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
Paso Robles Estrella District viticultural area are titled:
(1) Paso Robles, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(2) San Miguel, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(3) Ranchito Canyon, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1976;
(4) Estrella, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979; and
(5) Shandon, Calif., 1961.
(c) Boundary. The Paso Robles Estrella District is located in San
Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Paso Robles
Estrella District is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the Paso Robles map at the confluence
of San Jacinto Creek and the Estrella River, section 26, T25S/R12E.
From the beginning point, proceed north-northeasterly (upstream) along
San Jacinto Creek approximately 6.5 miles, crossing onto the San Miguel
map, to the creek's intersection with the San Luis Obispo County-
Monterey County boundary line, northern boundary of section 1, T25S/
R12E; then
(2) Proceed east along the San Luis Obispo County-Monterey County
boundary line approximately 2.4 miles, crossing onto the Ranchito
Canyon map, to the county line's intersection with an unnamed light-
duty road locally known as Ranchita Canyon Road, northern boundary of
section 4, T25S/R13E; then
(3) Proceed east-southeasterly in a straight line approximately 4.5
miles to the 1,819-foot elevation point in the northwestern quadrant of
section 18, T25S/R14E; then
(4) Proceed southeasterly in a straight line approximately 1.6
miles, crossing over the northeastern corner of the Estrella map and
then onto the Shandon map, to the 1,614-foot elevation point in the
northwestern quadrant of section 20, T25S/R14E; then
(5) Proceed southeasterly in a straight line approximately 1.05
miles to the 1,601-foot elevation point in the northeastern quadrant of
section 29, T25S/R14E; then
(6) Proceed east-southeasterly in a straight line approximately 2.2
miles to the 1,562-foot elevation point, section 34, T25S/R14E; then
(7) Proceed south-southeasterly in a straight line approximately 3
miles to the 1,481-foot ``Estrella'' elevation point, section 14, T26S/
R14E; then
(8) Proceed southwesterly in a straight line approximately 0.95
mile to the intersection of the eastern boundary line of section 15,
T26S/R14E, and U.S. 446/State Route 41 (now known as State Route 46);
then
(9) Proceed south along the eastern boundary lines of sections 15
and 22, approximately 0.55 mile, to the intersection of the section 22
boundary line and the unnamed intermittent stream that flows from Shedd
Canyon, section 22, T26S/R14E; then
(10) Proceed southeasterly and then southerly (upstream) along the
unnamed intermittent stream located within Shedd Canyon approximately
1.9 miles to the stream's intersection with the southern boundary line
of section 26, T26S/R14E; then
(11) Proceed west along the southern boundary lines of sections 26,
27 and 28, T26S/R14E, approximately 1.9 miles to the section 28
boundary line's intersection with an unnamed unimproved road located
between the 1,220- and 1,240-foot contour lines, section 28, T26S/R14E;
(12) Proceed southwesterly along the unnamed unimproved road
approximately 0.4 miles to a fork and then continue on the westerly
fork of the unnamed unimproved road approximately 0.3 miles to the
1,385-foot elevation point, section 32, T26S/R14E; then
(13) Proceed west-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
1.6 miles, crossing onto the Estrella map, to the line's intersection
with an unnamed unimproved road and the southern boundary of section
30, T26R/R14E; then
(14) Proceed northerly along the unnamed unimproved road
approximately 2.0 miles to the road's intersection with an unnamed
light-duty road known locally as River Grove Drive in Whitley Gardens,
T26S/R14E; then
(15) Proceed westerly in a straight line less than 0.1 mile to the
intersection of the western boundary line of section 19, T26S/R14E and
State Route 46, and then continue west on State Route 46 approximately
2.1 miles to the southwest corner of section 14, T26S/R13E; then
(16) Proceed west along the southern boundary lines of sections 14,
15, 16, 17, and 18 (largely concurrent with State Route 46)
approximately 4 miles to the southwest corner of section 18, T26S/R13E;
then
(17) Proceed southwest in a straight line approximately 1.45 miles,
crossing onto the Paso Robles map, to the line's intersection with
State Route 46 at the southwestern corner of section 24, T26S/R12E;
then
(18) Proceed west on State Route 46 approximately 2.4 miles to the
road's intersection with the Salinas River at the city of Paso Robles,
T26S/R12E; then
(19) Proceed northerly (downstream) along the main channel of the
Salinas River approximately 5.2 miles in straight-line distance to the
river's intersection with the northern boundary line of section 33,
T25S/R12E; then
(20) Proceed east along the northern boundary lines of sections 33,
34, and 35, T25S/R12E, approximately 1.8 miles to the intersection of
the section 35 boundary line with the Estrella River; then
(21) Proceed northerly (downstream) along the main channel of the
Estrella River approximately 0.7 mile, returning to the beginning
point.
Sec. 9.---- Paso Robles Geneseo District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Paso Robles Geneseo District''. For purposes of part 4 of
this chapter, ``Paso Robles
[[Page 58082]]
Geneseo District'' and ``Paso Robles Geneseo'' are terms of
viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The four United States Geological Survey
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
Paso Robles Geneseo District viticultural area are titled:
(1) Paso Robles, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(2) Estrella Calif., 1948; photorevised 1979;
(3) Creston, Calif., 1948; photorevised 1980; and
(4) Templeton, Calif., 1948; photorevised 1979.
(c) Boundary. The Paso Robles Geneseo District is located in San
Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Paso Robles Geneseo
District is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the Paso Robles map at the
intersection of State Route 46 and Golden Hill Road at the northwest
corner of section 26, T26S/R12E. From the beginning point, proceed east
on State Route 46 for 1 mile to the southwest corner of section 24,
T26S/R12E; then
(2) Proceed northeast in a straight line approximately 1.45 miles,
crossing onto the Estrella map, to the northwest corner of section 19,
T26S/R13E; then
(3) Proceed east along the northern boundary lines of sections 19
and 20, T26S/R13E, to the section 20 boundary line's intersection with
State Route 46 and then continue east on State Route 46 to the road's
intersection with the eastern boundary line of section 24, T26S/R13E;
then
(4) Proceed easterly in a straight line less than 0.1 mile to the
intersection of an unnamed light duty road locally known as River Grove
Drive and an unnamed unimproved road in Whitley Gardens, section 19,
T26S/R14E; then
(5) Proceed south on the unnamed unimproved road approximately 2
miles to the road's intersection with the southern boundary line of
section 30, T26S/R14E; then
(6) Proceed west-southwesterly in a straight line approximately 1.9
miles, crossing onto the Creston map, to the intersection of an unnamed
light duty road locally known as Geneseo Road and an unnamed unimproved
road locally known as Dry Canyon Road (just east of a windmill within
Dry Canyon), section 35, T26S/R13E; then
(7) Proceed south on Geneseo Road approximately 1 mile to the
road's intersection with the eastern boundary line of section 3, T27S/
R13E (near BM 1200); then
(8) Proceed south along the eastern boundary lines of sections 3,
10, and 15, T27S/R13E, approximately 1.9 miles to the first
intersection of the section 15 eastern boundary line with the unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Geneseo Road, section 15, T27S/R13E;
then
(9) Proceed south-southeasterly on Geneseo Road approximately 0.85
mile to the road's intersection with an unnamed light duty road locally
known as Creston Road, Huerhuero Land Grant, T27S/R13E; then
(10) Proceed west on Creston Road 0.5 mile to the road's
intersection with an unnamed light duty road locally known as Branbrit
Road, southern boundary of section 15, T27S/R13E; then
(11) Proceed north on Branbrit Road approximately 0.3 mile to the
road's end, section 15, T27S/R13E; then
(12) Proceed west-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
0.6 mile to the 1,342 foot elevation point in section 15, T27S/R13E,
and then continue west-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
0.6 mile to an unnamed peak above the 1,380-foot elevation line (marked
on the map with a triangle), section 16, T27S/R13E; then
(13) Proceed westerly in a straight line approximately 0.75 mile to
the 1,255-foot elevation point in the northwest quadrant of section 16,
T27S/R13E; then
(14) Proceed northwesterly in a straight line approximately 1.4
miles to the confluence of Huerhuero Creek and an unnamed intermittent
stream in the northwest quadrant of section 8, T27S/R13E; then
(15) Proceed northwesterly (downstream) along Huerhuero Creek
approximately 2.4 miles to the creek's intersection with the R12E/R13E
common boundary line, section 31, T26S/R13E; then
(16) Proceed westerly in a straight line approximately 2.3 miles,
crossing onto the Templeton map, to the line's intersection with the
junction of a marked telephone line and an unnamed light duty road
locally known as Creston Road (approximately 1.3 miles due east of U.S.
Route 101 in the Santa Ysabel Land Grant, T26S/R12E; then
(17) Proceed west on Creston Road approximately 0.05 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as
Rolling Hills Road, Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(18) Proceed north on Rolling Hills Road, crossing onto the Paso
Robles map (where a portion of Rolling Hills Road is labeled Golden
Hill Road), and continue north on Rolling Hills Road and then Golden
Hill Road (a total distance of approximately 1.5 miles), returning to
the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- Paso Robles Highlands District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Paso Robles Highlands District''. For purposes of part 4
of this chapter, ``Paso Robles Highlands District'' and ``Paso Robles
Highlands'' are terms of viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The six United States Geological Survey 1:24,000
scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the Paso
Robles Highlands District viticultural area are titled:
(1) Camatta Ranch, CA, 1995;
(2) Wilson Corner, CA, 1995;
(3) Shedd Canyon, Calif., 1961, revised 1993;
(4) Camatta Canyon, Calif., 1961, revised 1993;
(5) Holland Canyon, Calif., 1961, revised 1993; and
(6) La Panza Ranch, CA, 1995.
(c) Boundary. The Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area
is located in San Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the
Paso Robles Highlands District viticultural area is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the Camatta Ranch map along the T28S/
T29S common boundary line (also concurrent with the northern boundary
line of the Los Padres National Forest) at the southwest corner of
section 34, T28S/R15E. From the beginning point, proceed north along
the western boundary lines of sections 34 and 27, T28S/R15E,
approximately 1.5 miles to the section 27 boundary line's intersection
with State Route 58; then
(2) Proceed west on State Route 58 approximately 1.5 miles,
crossing onto the Wilson Corner map, to the road's intersection with an
unnamed light-duty road known locally as La Panza Road at Wilson
Corner, section 29, T28S/R15E; then
(3) Proceed northwest on the unnamed light-duty road known locally
as La Panza Road approximately 0.15 mile to the road's intersection
with Indian Creek, section 20, T28S/R15E;
(4) Proceed north-northwesterly (downstream) along the meandering
Indian Creek approximately 8.5 miles in straight-line distance,
crossing onto the Shedd Canyon map, to the creek's intersection with
the northern boundary line of section 13, T27S/R14E, within Shedd
Canyon; then
(5) Proceed east approximately 6.2 miles along the northern
boundary line of section 13, T27S/R14E, and the northern boundary lines
of sections 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, and 13, T27S/R15E, crossing onto the
Camatta Canyon map, to the intersection of the northern boundary line
of section 13, T27S/R15E, with the 1,200-foot elevation line on the
[[Page 58083]]
western edge of the San Juan Valley; then
(6) Proceed southerly then easterly along the 1,200-foot elevation
line to the elevation line's first intersection with the eastern
boundary line of section 13, T27S/R15E; then
(7) Proceed south along the eastern boundary line of section 13,
T27S/R15E, approximately 0.2 mile to the section 13 boundary line's
second intersection with an unnamed unimproved road; then
(8) Proceed southeasterly on the unnamed unimproved road
approximately 3 miles as it follows the southwestern edge of the San
Juan Valley to the road's intersection with the eastern boundary line
of section 29, T27S/R16E; then
(9) Proceed south along the eastern boundary line of section 29,
T27S/R16E, approximately 0.15 mile to the section line's intersection
with the 1,300-foot elevation line; then
(10) Proceed southeasterly along the 1,300-foot elevation line
approximately 3.7 miles as it follows the southwestern edge of the San
Juan Valley, crossing onto the Holland Canyon map, to the elevation
line's first intersection with the eastern boundary line of section 3,
T28S/R16E; then
(11) Proceed south along the eastern boundary line of section 3,
T28S/R16E, approximately 0.55 mile to the section boundary line's fifth
intersection with the 1,300-foot elevation line (northwest of Pear Tree
Spring); then
(12) Proceed southeasterly along the 1,300-foot elevation line
approximately 1.3 miles to the elevation line's intersection with an
unnamed tributary of San Juan Creek (approximately 0.35 mile east of
the 1,686-foot San Juan peak), section 11, T28S/R16E; then
(13) Proceed southerly in a straight line approximately 0.6 mile,
crossing onto the La Panza Ranch map, to the northwestern corner of
section 13, T28S/R16E; then
(14) Proceed east along the northern boundary line of section 13,
T28S/R16E, approximately 0.7 mile to the section boundary line's
intersection with an unnamed unimproved road; then
(15) Proceed south-southeasterly on the unnamed unimproved road
approximately 0.85 mile to the road's intersection with the eastern
boundary line of section 13, T28S/R16E, which is concurrent with the
R16E/R17E common boundary line; then
(16) Proceed south along the R16E/R17E common boundary line
approximately 3.35 miles to the southeast corner of section 36, T28S/
R16E, which is concurrent with the eastern-most intersection of the
R16E/R17E and T28S/T29S common boundary lines; then
(17) Proceed west along the T28S/R29S common boundary line
approximately 9.1 miles, crossing onto the Camatta Ranch map, returning
to the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- Paso Robles Willow Creek District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Paso Robles Willow Creek District''. For purposes of part
4 of this chapter, ``Paso Robles Willow Creek District'' is a term of
viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The three United States Geological Survey
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
Paso Robles Willow Creek District viticultural area are titled:
(1) York Mountain, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(2) Templeton, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979; and
(3) Paso Robles, Calif. 1948, photorevised 1979.
(c) Boundary. The Paso Robles Willow Creek District is located in
San Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Paso Robles
Willow Creek District is as follows:
(1) The beginning point is on the York Mountain map at the
intersection of Summit Canyon Road (locally known as Peachy Canyon
Road), and an unnamed unimproved road locally known as Kiler Canyon
Road, section 33, T26S/R11E. From the beginning point, proceed
southerly and then southwesterly on Summit Canyon Road (locally known
as Peachy Canyon Road) approximately 3.3 miles to the road's
intersection with Willow Canyon Road (locally known as Vineyard Drive),
Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(2) Proceed southerly on Willow Creek Road (locally known as
Vineyard Drive) approximately 0.35 mile to its intersection with Dover
Canyon Road; then
(3) Proceed westerly then southerly on Dover Canyon Road
approximately 1 mile to the road's intersection with the common
boundary line of section 18, T27S/R11E, and the Paso de Robles Land
Grant; then
(4) Proceed east, south, and southeast along the Paso de Robles
Land Grant Boundary line approximately 1.9 miles to the fourth crossing
of an unnamed intermittent tributary of Jack Creek by the common
boundary line of section 20, T27S/R11E, and the Paso de Robles Land
Grant; then
(5) Proceed northerly (downstream) along the unnamed intermittent
tributary of Jack Creek approximately 0.15 mile to the tributary's
confluence with Jack Creek, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(6) Proceed southeasterly (downstream) along Jack Creek
approximately 1.8 miles to the creek's intersection with an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Jack Creek Road (near BM 920), Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(7) Proceed northeasterly and then east-southeasterly along Jack
Creek Road approximately 1 mile to the road's intersection with State
Route 46; then
(8) Proceed east on State Route 46 approximately 0.15 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as
Hidden Valley Road, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(9) Proceed southeasterly and then easterly on Hidden Valley Road
approximately 2.2 miles, crossing onto the Templeton map, to the road's
intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as Vineyard
Drive, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(10) Proceed east on Vineyard Drive approximately 0.85 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as S.
Bethel Road, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(11) Proceed north-northeasterly on S. Bethel Road and then N.
Bethel Road approximately 1.7 miles to the road's fifth intersection
with an unnamed intermittent stream, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(12) Proceed westerly (upstream) along the unnamed intermittent
stream and then the stream's middle branch approximately 1.1 miles to
the marked end of the stream, and then continue due west in a straight
line approximately 0.05 mile to State Route 46 (Cayucos Road), Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(13) Proceed northeasterly on State Route 46 (Cayucos Road)
approximately 0.8 mile to BM 924, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(14) Proceed due north in a straight line to the southeast corner
of section 12, T27S/R11E, and continue north along the eastern boundary
line of section 12, a total of approximately 1.1 miles, to the section
boundary line's intersection with a light-duty road locally known as
Live Oak Road; then
(15) Proceed easterly on Live Oak Road approximately 0.2 mile to
the road's intersection with an unnamed intermittent stream, Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(16) Proceed northwesterly (upstream) along the unnamed
intermittent stream approximately 0.35 mile to the eastern boundary
line of section 12, T27S/R11E; then
(17) Proceed north along the eastern boundary line of section 12,
T27S/R11E,
[[Page 58084]]
to the section's northeast corner, and then proceed east along the
southern boundary line of section 6, T27S/R11E, a total of
approximately 1.3 miles, to the intersection of the section 6 boundary
line with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as Arbor Road; then
(18) Proceed south-southeasterly on Arbor Road approximately 0.35
mile to the road's first intersection with an unnamed intermittent
stream, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(19) Proceed southeasterly and then easterly (downstream) along the
unnamed intermittent stream approximately 1.4 miles to the stream's
intersection with an unnamed light-duty road known locally as S. Vine
Street, just west of the U.S. 101/State Route 46 interchange, Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(20) Proceed northerly along S. Vine Street (which generally
parallels U.S. 101) approximately 1.8 miles to the street's
intersection with the marked city of Paso Robles Corporate Boundary
line (concurrent with the locally-known intersection of S. Vine and 1st
Streets), Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(21) Proceed west, north, west, and north again along the marked
city of Paso Robles Corporate Boundary line approximately 1 mile to the
boundary line's junction with the intersection of an unnamed light-duty
road locally known as Merry Hill Road and Peachy Canyon Road, Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(22) Proceed westerly on Peachy Canyon Road approximately 2.6
miles, crossing to and from the Paso Robles map, to the road's
intersection with an unnamed intermittent stream near the center of
section 36, T26S/R11E; then
(23) Proceed south-southeasterly (downstream) along the unnamed
intermittent stream approximately 1.2 miles to the stream's
intersection with the eastern boundary line of section 1, T27S/R11E;
then
(24) Proceed south along the eastern boundary line of section 1,
T27S/R11E, approximately 0.15 mile to the line's intersection with an
unnamed light-duty road locally known as Kiler Canyon Road, section 1,
T27S/R11E; then
(25) Proceed westerly on Kiler Canyon Road approximately 3.7 miles,
crossing onto the York Mountain map, returning to the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- San Juan Creek.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``San Juan Creek''. For purposes of part 4 of this chapter,
``San Juan Creek'' is a term of viticultural significance.
(b) Approved maps. The six United States Geological Survey 1:24,000
scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the San Juan
Creek viticultural area are titled:
(1) Cholame, Calif., 1961, revised 1993;
(2) Camatta Canyon, Calif., 1961, revised 1993;
(3) Holland Canyon, Calif. 1961, revised 1993;
(4) La Panza Ranch, CA, 1995;
(5) Shedd Canyon, Calif., 1961, revised 1993; and
(6) Shandon, Calif., 1961, revised 1993.
(c) Boundary. The San Juan Creek viticultural area is located in
San Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the San Juan Creek
viticultural area is as described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the Cholame map in the Shandon Valley
at the intersection of State Route 41 and San Juan Road, northern
boundary of section 21, T26S/R15E. From the beginning point on the
Cholame map, and crossing onto the Camatta Canyon map and then the
Holland Canyon map, proceed south and then southeasterly approximately
16 miles along the eastern edge of the Shandon Valley and then the San
Juan Valley by following San Juan Road (also locally known in places as
Shandon San Juan Road, Camatti-Shandon Road, Bitterwater Canyon Road,
and then San Juan Road again), passing the San Juan Ranch (where to
road is marked as unimproved), to the road's intersection with the San
Luis Obispo-Kern County boundary line at the eastern boundary line of
section 12, T28S/R16E, which is also concurrent with the R16E/R17E
common boundary line; then
(2) Proceed south along the R16E/R17E common boundary line
approximately 1.3 miles, crossing onto the La Panza Ranch map, to the
boundary line's intersection with an unnamed unimproved road locally
known as Navajo Creek Road, immediately south of the 1,340-foot
elevation line, section 13, T28S/R16E; then
(3) Proceed north-northwesterly on Navajo Creek Road to the road's
intersection with the southern boundary line of section 12, T28S/R16E;
then
(4) Proceed west along the southern boundary line of section 12,
T28S/R16E, approximately 0.7 mile to the section's southwestern corner;
then
(5) Proceed northerly in a straight line approximately 0.6 mile,
crossing onto the Holland Canyon map, to the intersection of the 1,300-
foot elevation line and an unnamed tributary of San Juan Creek
(approximately 0.35 mile east of the 1,686-foot San Juan peak), in
section 11, T28S/R16E; then
(6) Proceed northwesterly along the 1,300-foot elevation line
approximately 1.3 miles to the line's first intersection with the
western boundary line of section 2, T28S/R16E, northwest of Pear Tree
Spring; then
(7) Proceed north along the western boundary line of section 2
approximately 0.55 to the section boundary line's last intersection
with the 1,300-foot elevation line, near the northwestern corner of
section 2, T28S/R16E; then
(8) Proceed northwesterly along the meandering 1,300-foot elevation
line approximately 3.7 miles, crossing onto the Camatta Canyon map, to
the elevation line's intersection with the western boundary line of
section 28, T27S/R16E; then
(9) Proceed north along the western boundary line of section 28
approximately 0.15 mile to the section boundary line's intersection
with an unnamed unimproved road, section 28, T27S/R16E; then
(10) Proceed northeasterly on the unnamed unimproved road
approximately 3 miles as it follows the southwestern edge of the San
Juan Valley to the road's intersection with western boundary line of
section 18, T27S/R16E; then
(11) Proceed north along the western boundary line of section 18,
T27S/R16E, approximately 0.2 mile to the section boundary line's
intersection with 1,200-foot elevation line, section 18, T27S/R16E;
then
(12) Proceed westerly then northerly along the 1,200-foot elevation
line to the elevation line's intersection with the southern boundary of
section 12, T27S/R15E; then
(13) Proceed west approximately 6.4 miles along the southern
boundary lines of sections 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, and 7, T27S/R15E, crossing
onto the Shedd Canyon map, and continue west along the southern
boundary lines of sections 12 and 11, T27S/R14E, to the intersection of
the southern boundary line of section 11 with an unnamed unimproved
road locally known as Shedd Canyon Road (within Shedd Canyon 0.1 mile
west of State Route 41); then
(14) Proceed northerly on Shedd Canyon Road approximately 3.2
miles, crossing onto the Shandon map, to the road's intersection with
the southern boundary line of section 26, T26S/R14E; then
(15) Proceed west along the southern boundary line of section 26,
T26S/R14E, to the boundary line's intersection with the unnamed
intermittent stream located within Shedd Canyon; then
(16) Proceed northerly along the unnamed intermittent stream
located
[[Page 58085]]
within Shedd Canyon approximately 1.8 miles to the stream's
intersection with the western boundary line of section 23, T26S/R14E;
then
(17) Proceed north along the western boundary lines of sections 23
and 14, T26S/R14E, approximately 0.6 mile to the section 14 boundary
line's intersection with State Route 46; then
(18) Proceed northeasterly in a straight line approximately 0.95
mile to the 1,481-foot ``Estrella'' elevation point, section 14, T26S/
R14E; then
(19) Proceed north-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
1.25 miles to the line's intersection with 1,300-foot elevation line
and the northern boundary line of section 11, T26S/R14E; then
(20) Proceed east along northern section boundary lines of sections
11 and 12, T26S/R14E, and the northern boundary lines of sections 7, 8,
9, and 10, T26S/R15E, approximately 5.9 miles in total distance and
crossing onto the Cholame map, to the northeast corner of section 10,
T26S/R15E (adjacent to State Routes 41/46); then
(21) Proceed south along the eastern boundary line of section 10,
T26S/R15E, approximately 1 mile to the section's southeast corner; then
(22) Proceed west-southwesterly in a straight line approximately
1.8 miles, returning to the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- San Miguel District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``San Miguel District''. For purposes of part 4 of this
chapter, ``San Miguel District'' is a term of viticultural
significance.
(b) Approved maps. The three United States Geological Survey
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
San Miguel District viticultural area are titled:
(1) San Miguel, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979;
(2) Paso Robles, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979; and
(3) Adelaida, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1978.
(c) Boundary. The San Miguel District is located in San Luis Obispo
County, California. The boundary of the San Miguel District is as
described below:
(1) The beginning point is on the San Miguel map at the
intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and the San Luis Obispo-Monterey
County boundary line, section 1, T25S/R11E. From the beginning point,
proceed east along the San Luis Obispo-Monterey County line
approximately 5.9 miles to the county line's intersection with San
Jacinto Creek, section 1, T25S/R12E; then
(2) Proceed south-southwesterly (downstream) along San Jacinto
Creek for approximately 6.5 miles, crossing on to the Paso Robles map,
to the creek's confluence with the Estrella River, section 26, T25S/
R12E; then
(3) Proceed southerly (upstream) 0.7 mile along the main channel of
the Estrella River to the river's intersection with the southern
boundary line of section 26, T25S/R12E;
(4) Proceed west along the southern boundary lines of sections 26,
27, and 28, T25S/R12E, approximately 1.85 miles to the section 28
boundary line's intersection with the Salinas River; then
(5) Proceed southerly (upstream) along the main channel of the
Salinas River approximately 1.6 miles to the river's intersection with
an unnamed light-duty road locally known as Wellsona Road, section 4,
T26S/R12E; then
(6) Proceed west then northwesterly on Wellsona Road approximately
2 miles to the road's intersection with San Miguel Road (locally known
as San Marcos Road), section 6, T26S/R12E; then
(7) Proceed west-southwesterly on San Miguel Road (locally known as
San Marcos Road) approximately 2.6 miles, crossing onto the Adelaida
map, to the road's intersection with the eastern boundary line of the
Camp Roberts Military Reservation (approximately 400 feet east of the
road's intersection with Generals Road), section 2, T26S/R11E; then
(8) Proceed northerly along the meandering eastern boundary line of
the Camp Roberts Military Reservation (approximately 6.3 miles in
straight line distance), crossing onto the San Miguel map, to the
intersection of the military reservation's boundary line with U.S.
Highway 101 near the northeast corner of section 7, T25S/R12E; then
(9) Proceed northwesterly on U.S. Highway 101 approximately 1.55
miles, returning to the beginning point.
Sec. 9.---- Santa Margarita Ranch.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Santa Margarita Ranch''. For purposes of part 4 of this
chapter, ``Santa Margarita Ranch'' is a term of viticultural
significance.
(b) Approved maps. The four United States Geological Survey
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the
Santa Margarita Ranch viticultural area are titled:
(1) Santa Margarita, Calif., 1965, revised 1993;
(2) Lopez Mountain, CA, 1995;
(3) San Luis Obispo, CA, 1995; and
(4) Atascadero, CA, 1995.
(c) Boundary. The Santa Margarita Ranch is located in San Luis
Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Santa Margarita Ranch is
as follows:
(1) The beginning point is on the Santa Margarita map at the
intersection of the northern boundary line of section 10, T29S/R13E,
and the Salinas River. From the beginning point, proceed southerly
(upstream) along the meandering Salinas River approximately 7.9 miles,
crossing onto the Lopez Mountain map, to the river's intersection with
the R13E/R14E boundary line, which coincides with the eastern boundary
line of section 36, T29S/R13E; then
(2) Proceed south along the R13E/R14E boundary line approximately
3.2 miles to the boundary line's first intersection with the Los Padres
National Forest boundary line, section 13, T30S/R13E; then
(3) Proceed northwesterly along the Los Padres National Forest
boundary line approximately 4 miles to the Forest boundary line's
intersection with the T29S/T30S boundary line, near the northwest
corner of section 3, T30S/R13E; then
(4) Proceed west along the Los Padres National Forest boundary line
and then the T29S/T30S boundary line approximately 2 miles to the
southwest corner of section 32, T29S/R13E; then
(5) Proceed north along the western boundary line of section 32,
T29S/R13E, and then the Los Padres National Forest boundary line to
northwest corner of section 32 where the Forest boundary line makes a
90 degree turn to the west; then
(6) Proceed west along the Los Padres National Forest boundary line
approximately 1.5 miles, crossing onto the San Luis Obispo map, to the
point where the Los Padres National Forest boundary line first dips to
the south and is no longer concurrent with the northern boundary line
of section 36, T29S/R12E; then
(7) Proceed north-northwesterly in a straight line approximately
2.25 miles, crossing onto the Atascadero map, to the western-most
intersection of the 1,400-foot elevation line with the northern
boundary line of section 23, T29S/R12E; then
(8) Proceed west along the northern boundary line of section 23,
T29S/R12E, approximately 0.6 mile to the section's northeast corner;
then
(9) Proceed east along the western boundary line of section 13,
T29S/R12E, to the section's northwest corner, and then continue east
along the northern boundary line of section 13, T29S/R12E, to the
section boundary line's intersection with the R12E/R13E common boundary
line at section 13's northeast corner; then
[[Page 58086]]
(10) Proceed due north along the R12E/R13E common boundary line
approximately 0.75 mile to the boundary line's intersection with the T-
intersection of two unnamed unimproved roads, locally known as
Powerline Road and Santa Margarita Road; then
(11) Proceed easterly and then east-northeasterly on Santa
Margarita Road approximately 1.5 miles, crossing onto the Santa
Margarita map, to the road's intersection with El Camino Real, Santa
Margarita Land Grant, T29S/R13E; then
(12) Proceed southeasterly on El Camino Real approximately 300 feet
to the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally
known as Asuncion Road at BM 931 (just south of Santa Margarita Creek),
Santa Margarita Land Grant; then
(13) Proceed northeasterly on Asuncion Road approximately 0.3 mile
(crossing a railroad line) to the road's intersection with Chispa Road;
then
(14) Proceed due east in a straight line approximately 0.1 mile to
the line's intersection with the boundary line of the Santa Margarita
Land Grant, which, at this point, is concurrent with the southwestern
boundary line of section 5, T29S/R13E; then
(15) Proceed southeasterly along the Santa Margarita Land Grant
boundary line approximately 0.7 mile to the boundary line's
intersection with the northwest corner of section 9, T29S/R13E, and
then continue east along the northern boundary lines of sections 9 and
10, T29S/R13E, approximately 1.15 miles, returning to the beginning
point.
Sec. 9.---- Templeton Gap District.
(a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this
section is ``Templeton Gap District''. For purposes of part 4 of this
chapter, ``Templeton Gap District'' is a term of viticultural
significance.
(b) Approved maps. The two United States Geological Survey 1:24,000
scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the Templeton
Gap District viticultural area are titled:
(1) Templeton, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979; and
(2) York Mountain, Calif., 1948, photorevised 1979.
(c) Boundary. The Templeton Gap viticultural area is located in San
Luis Obispo County, California. The boundary of the Templeton Gap
District viticultural area is as follows:
(1) The beginning point is on the northern portion of the Templeton
map at the point where the marked southern city of Paso Robles
Corporate Boundary line intersects the Salinas River (now very
approximate to the point where Niblick Road crosses the Salinas River).
From the beginning point, proceed southerly (upstream) along the
Salinas River approximately 1.1 miles to the river's confluence with
the first marked unnamed intermittent stream flowing from the east,
Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(2) Proceed southeasterly (upstream) along the unnamed intermittent
stream approximately 0.4 mile to the stream's intersection with an
unnamed light-duty road locally known as S. River Road, Santa Ysabel
Land Grant; then
(3) Proceed southeasterly then southerly on S. River Road
approximately 2.2 miles to the road's intersection with an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Neal Springs Road, Santa Ysabel Land
Grant; then
(4) Proceed east on Neal Springs Roads approximately 0.4 mile to
the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known
as Hollyhock Lane, Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(5) Proceed south-southeasterly on Hollyhock Lane approximately
0.95 mile to the road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road
locally known as El Pomar Drive, Santa Ysabel Land Grant; then
(6) Proceed southerly in a series of straight lines, totaling
approximately 1.4 miles, through the 1,329-foot and 1,338-foot
elevation points (crossing from the Santa Ysabel to the Asuncion Land
Grants) to the 1,344-foot elevation point; then
(7) Proceed southwesterly in a straight line approximately 0.3 mile
to the elevation control point (marked by a triangle) above the 1,440-
foot contour line, Asuncion Land Grant; then
(8) Proceed south-southeasterly in a straight line approximately
0.8 mile to the 1,452-foot elevation point, and continue south-
southwesterly in a straight line approximately 0.3 mile to the
intersection of two light-duty roads locally known as S. El Pomar Road
and Homestead Road, Asuncion Land Grant; then
(9) Proceed west-southwesterly in a straight line approximately 1.1
miles to the point where an unnamed light-duty road locally known as
Templeton Road intersects with an unnamed intermittent stream (where
Templeton Road makes a 90 degree turn at its junction with two unnamed
unimproved roads), Asuncion Land Grant; then
(10) Proceed westerly (downstream) along the unnamed intermittent
stream approximately 0.5 mile to the stream's confluence with the
Salinas River, Asuncion Land Grant; then
(11) Proceed westerly (downstream) along the Salinas River
approximately 2.3 miles to the river's intersection with the boundary
line of the Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(12) Proceed southwesterly along the boundary line of the Paso de
Robles Land Grant approximately 2.3 miles to the point where the
boundary line turns sharply to the northwest; then
(13) Proceed northwesterly approximately 4.65 miles along the
boundary line of the Paso de Robles Land Grant, crossing onto the York
Mountain map, to the point where the boundary line turns due north
(coincides with the southeast corner of section 32, T27S/R11E); then
(14) Proceed north and then north-northeasterly along the boundary
line of the Paso de Robles Land Grant approximately 1.5 miles to the
point where the boundary line turns sharply to the northwest (coincides
with the eastern-most point of section 20, T27S/R11E); then
(15) Proceed northwesterly along the boundary line of the Paso de
Robles Land Grant approximately 0.3 mile to the eastern-most fork of an
unnamed three-fork tributary of the Jack Creek; then
(16) Proceed northerly (downstream) along the unnamed intermittent
tributary of Jack Creek approximately 0.15 mile to the tributary's
confluence with Jack Creek, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(17) Proceed southeasterly (downstream) along Jack Creek
approximately 1.8 miles to the creek's intersection with an unnamed
light-duty road locally known as Jack Creek Road (near BM 920), Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(18) Proceed northeasterly and then east-southeasterly along Jack
Creek Road approximately 1 mile to the road's intersection with State
Route 46; then
(19) Proceed east on State Route 46 approximately 0.15 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as
Hidden Valley Road, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(20) Proceed southeasterly and then easterly on Hidden Valley Road
approximately 2.2 miles, crossing onto the Templeton map, to the road's
intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as Vineyard
Drive, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(21) Proceed east on Vineyard Drive approximately 0.85 mile to the
road's intersection with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as S.
Bethel Road, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(22) Proceed north-northeasterly on S. Bethel Road and then N.
Bethel Road approximately 1.7 miles to the road's fifth intersection
with an unnamed
[[Page 58087]]
intermittent stream, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(23) Proceed westerly (upstream) along the unnamed intermittent
stream and then the stream's middle branch approximately 1.1 miles to
the marked end of the stream, and then continue due west in a straight
line approximately 0.05 mile to State Route 46 (Cayucos Road), Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(24) Proceed northeasterly on State Route 46 (Cayucos Road)
approximately 0.8 mile to BM 924, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(25) Proceed due north in a straight line to the southeast corner
of section 12, T27S/R11E, and continue north along the eastern boundary
line of section 12, a total of approximately 1.1 miles, to the section
boundary line's intersection with a light-duty road locally known as
Live Oak Road; then
(26) Proceed easterly on Live Oak Road approximately 0.2 mile to
the road's intersection with an unnamed intermittent stream, Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(27) Proceed northwesterly (upstream) along the unnamed
intermittent stream approximately 0.35 mile to the eastern boundary
line of section 12, T27S/R11E; then
(28) Proceed north along the eastern boundary line of section 12,
T27S/R11E, to the section's northeast corner, and then proceed east
along the southern boundary line of section 6, T27S/R11E, a total of
approximately 1.3 miles, to the intersection of the section 6 boundary
line with an unnamed light-duty road locally known as Arbor Road; then
(29) Proceed south-southeasterly on Arbor Road approximately 0.35
mile to the road's first intersection with an unnamed intermittent
stream, Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(30) Proceed southeasterly and then easterly (downstream) along the
unnamed intermittent stream approximately 1.4 miles to the stream's
intersection with an unnamed light-duty road known locally as S. Vine
Street, just west of the U.S. 101/State Route 46 interchange, Paso de
Robles Land Grant; then
(31) Proceed northerly along S. Vine Street (which generally
parallels U.S. 101) approximately 1.8 miles to the street's
intersection with the marked city of Paso Robles Corporate Boundary
line (concurrent with the locally-known intersection of S. Vine and 1st
Streets), Paso de Robles Land Grant; then
(32) Proceed east along the marked city of Paso Robles Corporate
Boundary line (now very approximate to the alignment of 1st Street and
then Niblick Road) approximately 0.5 mile, returning to the beginning
point.
Signed: September 6, 2013.
John J. Manfreda,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-22528 Filed 9-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P