Verde Valley AVA
Verde Valley is an American Viticultural Area encircling the basin of the Verde River located in Yavapai County of central Arizona approximately north of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It was established as the state's third and the 260th AVA on November 9, 2021, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Verde Valley Wine Consortium on behalf of local grape growers and winemakers proposing the viticultural area named "Verde Valley."
The Verde River flows through the center of the Verde Valley from the northwest to the southeast. Steep foothills surround the valley. The Verde Valley viticultural area encompasses approximately and is not located within, or adjacent to, any other AVA. There are 24 commercially-producing vineyards cultivating approximately within the AVA, as well as 11 wineries. The petition states that an additional of vineyards are planned for planting in the next few years. According to the petition, the distinguishing features of the Verde Valley AVA are its climate, soils, and topography.
History
The Verde Valley AVA is located within the larger valley of the Verde River in central Arizona. According to the petition, the region has been referred to as "Verde Valley" since 1583, when the Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo recorded his travels in the area while scouting with Zuni and Hopi guides for silver mines. History and reference to the Verde Valley are recorded with visits of European fur trappers and other explorers in the early 1800s. In 1862 the Homestead Act of the U.S. Congress included giving tracts of public land in the Verde Valley to citizens who would "settle on the land and use it productively." Soon after, pioneers began pushing into the Verde Valley where they generally became farmers and cattle ranchers. In 1865, Fort Verde was founded in Camp Verde when the settlers appealed for military protection from indigenous tribes who had called this area home for centuries.Grape growing and winemaking in the Verde Valley and Arizona in general is a relatively new industry, less than 40 years old. As with many areas in the United States, vineyards and wineries were prevalent in Arizona and the Verde Valley prior to Prohibition. Arizona actually enacted Prohibition in 1914, five years before the Federal Government passed the Volstead Act. It was illegal to make wine in Arizona from 1914 until new legislation was passed in 1982 legalizing it again. Since the legislation enactment, the number of wineries and vineyards has grown steadily. As of 2000, there was only nine bonded wineries in the entire State of Arizona. More legislation regarding winery, vineyard and tasting room licenses and maintaining statutory compliance in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 ruling in Granholm v. Heald, was enacted in 2006. The legislation jump started the wine industry and today there over 130 licensed and bonded commercial wineries in Arizona, with eleven located within the boundaries of Verde Valley AVA.
Terroir
Topography
Verde Valley AVA is located within the basin of the Verde River. The petition describes the shape of this basin as a "bowl with a crack in it to the south where the river flows out of the valley." The edges of the "bowl" gently slope down towards the valley floor at angles of 2 to 15 percent. Elevations within the AVA range from approximately, although most of the AVA is below. The AVA is surrounded on all sides by higher elevations and steeper slopes including the Mingus and Woodchute Mountains with elevations up to. To the north and northeast of the AVA, elevations rise up along the edge of the Mogollon Rim. The northern boundary also separates the AVA from the Coconino National Forest, primarily following the elevation contour because the terrain becomes too steep for cultivation above that elevation. To the west and southwest of the AVA are the Black Mountains, which have steep slopes and elevations up to approximately. Interestingly, the Verde Valley and the surrounding area beyond the AVA itself, is often referred to as "Arizona's other Grand Canyon." According to the petition, the Verde Valley AVA's topography affects viticulture. Its gentle slopes allow for easier vineyard management than steep slopes. Furthermore, because the AVA is lower than the surrounding regions, cold air drains from the higher elevations into the AVA during the spring and fall. As a result, the risk of frost damage increases in the AVA, particularly in vineyards adjacent to the river. The petition states that vineyard owners attempt to mitigate the risk of frost by using inversion fans and protective sprays and by planting late-budding varietals of grapes.Climate
Temperatures within the Verde Valley AVA are warmer than in each of the surrounding regions and provide suitable heat and sunlight for photosynthesis. The warm daytime temperatures lead to high annual growing degree-day accumulations. According to the petition, the temperatures and GDDaccumulations within the AVA are best suited for growing warm-climate grapes such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Malvasia Bianca, and Viognier.
Finally, the petition included a discussion of the difference between the daytime high temperatures and nighttime low temperatures within the AVA and the surrounding
regions. The petition referred to these temperature differences as "diurnal temperature swings." Although temperatures in the AVA are high during the daytime, cool nighttime air drains into the AVA from the surrounding higher elevations and lowers the nighttime temperatures. As a result, the difference between daytime high temperatures and nighttime low temperatures within the AVA can exceed, which is a greater difference than found in any of the surrounding regions. According to the petition, such a significant drop in nighttime temperatures delays grape ripening, lessens the respiration of acids, and increases phenolic development in the grapes. Average annual rainfall amounts within the Verde Valley AVA are significantly lower than in the surrounding regions. Due to the low rainfall amounts, vineyard owners within the AVA must use irrigation to ensure adequate hydration for their vines. The petition states that there are sufficient sources of groundwater within the AVA for irrigation, and vineyard owners also employ water conservation methods such as drip irrigation and the use of agriculturally approved reclaimed water.