After ten years, Napa Valley may be getting a new AVA

It’s been over ten years since a new American Viticultural Area (AVA) has been designated in Napa Valley, but all that could change in the near future: a petition for the creation of Crystal Springs of Napa Valley AVA is expected to be approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in the coming months. Bordered by Calistoga, Howell Mountain, and Saint Helena, the 4,000-acre area (of which 250 are under vine, predominately Cabernet Sauvignon) has been left largely undefined, and producers defaulted to the more generic “Napa Valley” for their labelling. If it passes, the creation of the new AVA gives the oft-overlook stretch of land an identity of its own.