Lake Chelan AVA
Lake Chelan is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington state. The appellation lies about 112 miles (180 km) northeast of Seattle located in north-central Washington's Lake Chelan Valley and is a sub-appellation of the vast Columbia Valley AVA. It lies east of the Puget Sound viticultural area and north or west of the other Washington State viticultural areas. It borders the Columbia Valley viticultural area on is eastern side and does not include any portion of other Washington viticultural areas except the Columbia Valley AVA.
| Wine region | |
Lake Chelan | |
| Year established | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Years of wine industry | 133 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Washington, Columbia Valley AVA |
| Soil conditions | Layers of glacial debris, stream erosion, airborne volcanic & non-volcanic sediment, sand, fine gravel-sized pumice & loam |
| Total area | 24,040 acres (38 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 260 acres (105 ha) |
| Grapes produced | Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Chardonnay |
| No. of wineries | 16 |
Lake Chelan encompasses 24,040 acres (38 sq mi) in the southern and eastern portions of the valley and the surrounding Cascade foothills suitable for viticulture. As of 2009, only 260 acres (105 ha) were cultivated producing wine for fifteen wineries. While viticulture has existed in the region since 1891, the area was established as a federally designated wine region by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury on May 29, 2009 as the state's 11th AVA. The petition to TTB was submitted by Alan J. Busacca, PhD, a geologist licensed in Washington State and a nationally certified professional soil scientist with Vinitas Vineyard Consultants, on behalf of the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association to establish a registered viticultural area named "Lake Chelan."