Wine buffs take note.
After six years of study, The US Treasury Department has named Arizona’s Verde Valley an American Viticultural Area (AVA).
It elevates the Valley’s $56 million wine industry into the same status as Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and other well-known wine-producing regions.
According to the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau, an AVA is a grape-growing region with geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from surrounding areas and affect how grapes are grown.
Labelling local wines with the Verde Valley AVA designation signifies a unique taste produced by the soils, grape growers and vintners of the region lies in every bottle.
Tom Schumacher of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium says AVA status is critical because ‘consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs.’
He added that Verde Valley wines will stand out in the marketplace and attract aficionados.
“Definitely a reason to cheer for Verde Valley grape…