Columbia Hills Named Washington's Newest AVA

Washington has a new wine grape-growing region. The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has officially designated Columbia Hills as Washington’s 22nd American Viticultural Area, or AVA.

The 29,000 acre appellation is in south-central Washington, along the north side of the Columbia River, and is entirely within the larger Columbia Valley AVA. The region is known for southern-facing slopes, low elevations, shallow, well-drained soils and the moderating influence of the Columbia River. Those characteristics create distinct growing conditions for wine grapes.

“The north boundary of Columbia Hills marks the highest elevation reached by the Missoula Floods in this region, resulting in soil made up of thin wind-deposited silt and sand that overlies flood-eroded basalt bedrock,” explained Kevin Pogue, Professor of Geology at Whitman College, who wrote the AVA petition for Columbia Hills. “It is a very scenic area that features vineyards perched above the river on flood-eroded terraces.”

About 300 acres are currently planted in vineyards within Columbia Hills.

“Our region is made up of small, intimate, micro-climate terroirs defined by their closeness to the water,” added Robert Lorkowski, owner at Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and Winery, which is located within the appellation. “A great quote I remember is, ‘All the great grapes see the river.’ Whether that’s quantifiable, I honestly couldn’t say, but there is a deep spiritual or intangible feeling of having the vines see the river.”