Candy Mountain AVA
Candy Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington that encompasses the slopes surrounding Candy Mountain in Benton County located southwest of Richland along the Columbia River. The viticultural area is the state's 16th AVA formally established on September 24, 2020, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Dr. Kevin R. Pogue, professor of geology at Whitman College, on behalf of the following industry members with wine businesses within the Candy Mountain appellation: Ramer Holtan, who is developing a commercial wine grape vineyard on Candy Mountain; Premiere Columbia Partners LLC, owners of Candy Mountain Vineyard; and Paul and Vickie Kitzke, owners of Kitzke Cellars. For wines to bear the “Candy Mountain AVA” label, at least 85% of the grapes used for production must be grown in the designated area, Candy Mountain is a sub-appellation entirely within the Yakima Valley and the expansive Columbia Valley AVAs adjacent to the eastern boundary of Goose Gap AVA and few miles southeast of Red Mountain AVA. Within the 815 acres (330 ha) minute AVA, there are currently two producing commercial vineyards, Candy Mountain Vineyard and Kitzke Cellars, which cultivate approximately 54 acres (22 ha) with future expansions for 200 acres (81 ha)
| Wine region | |
TTB map | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2020 |
| Years of wine industry | 26 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Washington, Columbia Valley AVA, Yakima Valley AVA |
| Other regions in Washington, Columbia Valley AVA, Yakima Valley AVA | Goose Gap AVA, Rattlesnake Hills AVA , Red Mountain AVA, Snipes Mountain AVA |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 5 in (127 mm) |
| Soil conditions | Loess, windblown silt and sand, ice age flood sediment, underlying basalt bedrock |
| Total area | 815 acres (1.3 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 110 acres (45 ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 2 |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese , Syrah |
| No. of wineries | 1 |