[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 55512-55516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28280]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

27 CFR Part 9

[TD ATF-392]
RIN 1512-AA07


Mendocino Ridge Viticultural Area (95R-017P)

AGENCY: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury.

ACTION: Treasury decision, final rule.

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SUMMARY: This Treasury decision establishes a viticultural area located 
within the boundaries of Mendocino County, California to be known as 
``Mendocino Ridge,'' under 27 CFR part 9. This viticultural area is the 
result of a petition submitted by Mr. Steve Alden on behalf of the 
Mendocino Ridge Quality Alliance. There are about 262,400 acres or 
approximately 410 square miles within the outer boundaries of the 
``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area, but the actual viticultural area 
encompasses only the areas at or above 1200 feet in elevation. Because 
of the 1200 foot elevation, this viticultural area is unique from other 
coastal viticultural areas. Of the total 262,400 acres, less than one 
third, or 87,466 acres, lies above 1200 feet elevation. Of these 87,466 
acres, approximately 1500 to 2000 acres or 2% of the narrow timber 
covered ridge-tops are suitable for grape production. There are 
approximately 75 acres of grapes currently growing within the 
boundaries of the viticultural area. The 75 acres of grapes are divided 
among six wineries.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 26, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David W. Brokaw, Wine, Beer and 
Spirits Regulations Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, 
650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20226, (202) 927-8230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 23, 1978, ATF published Treasury Decision ATF-53 (43 FR 
37672, 54624) revising regulations in 27 CFR part 4. These regulations 
allow the establishment of definitive viticultural areas. The 
regulations allow the name of an approved viticultural area to be used 
as an appellation of origin on wine labels and in wine advertisements. 
On October 2, 1979, ATF published Treasury Decision ATF-60 [44 FR 
56692] which added a new part 9 to 27 CFR, providing for the listing of 
approved American viticultural areas, the names of which may be used as 
appellations of origin.
    Section 4.25a(e)(1), Title 27, CFR, defines an American 
viticultural area as a delimited grape-growing region distinguishable 
by geographic features, the boundaries of which have been delineated in 
subpart C of part 9.
    Section 4.25a(e)(2), Title 27, CFR, outlines the procedure for 
proposing an American viticultural area. Any interested person may 
petition ATF to establish a grape-growing region as a viticultural 
area. The petition should include:
    (a) Evidence that the name of the proposed viticultural area is 
locally and/or nationally known as referring to the area specified in 
the petition;
    (b) Historical or current evidence that the boundaries of the 
viticultural area are as specified in the petition;
    (c) Evidence relating to the geographical characteristics (climate, 
soil, elevation, physical features, etc.) which distinguish the 
viticultural features of the proposed area from surrounding areas;
    (d) A description of the specific boundaries of the viticultural 
area, based on features which can be found on United States Geological 
Survey (U.S.G.S.) maps of the largest applicable scale, and;
    (e) A copy (or copies) of the appropriate U.S.G.S. map(s) with the 
proposed boundaries prominently marked.

Petition

    Mr. Steve Alden of Alden Ranch Vineyards petitioned ATF on behalf 
of the Mendocino Ridge Quality Alliance for the establishment of a new 
viticultural area located within the boundaries of Mendocino County, 
California, to be known as ``Mendocino Ridge.'' There are currently six 
producing vineyards in the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area.
    Given the unusual nature of the area, ATF requested public comment 
in Notice No. 848 on specific questions regarding the supporting 
evidence. ATF pointed out that the viticultural area would include only 
the land above a certain elevation within the boundaries described. 
Thus, ATF wished to solicit public comment on the following questions 
about the geographic

[[Page 55513]]

distinctiveness of the non-contiguous areas in the petition:
    1. Do the non-contiguous sites in the proposed viticultural area 
have such similar climate, soil, and other characteristics that they 
can be considered as a single or common grape growing region?
    2. Is the actual land included within the proposed viticultural 
area at the 1200 foot (and above) elevation line reasonably 
distinguishable from the adjacent land that is not included?
    3. Does the totality of the geographic evidence regarding the 
proposed viticultural area support the application of a reasonable 
proximity rule to exclude widely scattered but otherwise similar 
locations from being included within the proposed grape-growing region?

Comments

    No comments were received in response to Notice No. 848.

Evidence That the Name of the Area Is Locally or Nationally Known

    The name Mendocino Ridge has been chosen as the name of the 
viticultural area because the area is widely known by that name. Many 
books and magazines have historically referred to the viticultural area 
as the Mendocino Ridge. For example, in 1988 the winery, Kendall-
Jackson, wrote:

    * * * the vines in the Mariah vineyard are subject to the same 
complicated climatic variables that have caused wine experts to hail 
the Mendocino Coastal Ridge as one of the world's greatest Zinfandel 
regions.''

    More recently, in an article published in the February 1994 issue 
of Gourmet Magazine, wine writer Gerald Asher wrote:

    In Mendocino there's an equally wide divide between the tense 
and concentrated Zinfandels produced from old vines planted by turn-
of-the-century Italian immigrants who settled the exposed, high 
ridges between Anderson Valley and the Pacific and the subtly urbane 
wines from vineyards almost as old but planted in milder and better-
protected sites around Ukiah and in the adjacent McDowell and 
Redwood valleys. (Emphasis added)

    Gerald Asher further stated that:

    The revival of California Zinfandel as a serious varietal wine 
began with the rediscovery of forgotten patches of old vines such as 
those on the Mendocino Ridge, most of them tucked away among 
hillside orchards. Jed Steele started to make wine from old 
Mendocino Ridge Zinfandel vines at the Edmeades Vineyard & Winery in 
Anderson Valley in the early 1970's.

    The six vineyards within the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area 
are known by locals and wine writers as the ``Mendocino Ridge'' 
vineyards. The area encompasses many named coastal ridges; i.e., 
McGuire Ridge, Zeni Ridge, Phelps Ridge, Signal Ridge, Campbell Ridge, 
German Ridge, Hanes Ridge, Adams Ridge, Cliff Ridge, Greenwood Ridge, 
McAllister Ridge, Brandt Ridge, Lambert Ridge, Mariah Ridge, Fleming 
Ridge, Mikes Ridge, Yellow Hound Ridge, Johnny Woodin Ridge, Hog Ranch 
Ridge, Hog Pen Ridge, Steve's Ridge, Ponds Ridge, Brytan Ridge, and 
Pearly Ridge. The area also encompasses various ``mountain peaks;'' 
i.e., Cold Spring Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Bald Hill Dry Bridge 
Mountain, Eureka Hill, Gualala Mountain, Red Rock Mountain, Snook 
Mountain and Rockpile Peak. These ``mountain peaks'' are generally no 
higher than points on the ridge. These ridges and peaks create the 
water shed for the Gualala River, Garcia River, Alder Creek, Elk Creek, 
Greenwood Creek, and the Navarro River. The ``Mendocino Ridge'' 
viticultural area encompasses only ridge-tops which reach an elevation 
of 1200 feet or higher in the Coastal Zone of southwestern Mendocino 
County. The boundary encompasses approximately 410 square miles or 
about 262,400 acres which was necessary to include the numerous ridge-
tops comprising the grape growing areas. ATF is not aware of any grapes 
being grown at the lower elevations in the area below the 1200 foot 
coastal fog line.

Historical or Current Evidence That the Boundaries of the Viticultural 
Area are as Specified in the Petition

    Many articles have been written in wine periodicals and books over 
the years about the unique and distinctive wines produced from grapes 
grown within the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area. For example, 
Making Sense of California Wine by Matt Kramer (1992, William Morrow 
and Co., N.Y.) states:

    There aren't many ridge vineyards but, as Spencer Tracy said in 
Pat and Mike, `What's there is cherce.' Even more unexpected is the 
grape variety: Zinfandel. Such ridge vineyards as Ciapusci Vineyard, 
Mariah Vineyard, Zeni Vineyard, and DuPratt Vineyard create some of 
the greatest Zinfandels in California. All are found between 1,400 
feet and 2,400 feet in elevation. Jed Steele, the former winemaker 
for Kendall-Jackson, sought out these grapes and demanded an 
audience for them. The winery continues to issue named-vineyard 
Zinfandels from several of these vineyards, all of them 
extraordinary. (Id. at 218, emphasis added).

    The petitioner also cited from Coastal Ridge Zinfandel, by Jed 
Steele Ridge Review, Volume V, No. 1 (1995, The Ridgetimes Press, 
Mendocino, CA). On page 7 it states:

    That certain grape varieties, grown in specific geographical 
locations, produce distinctive wines that are sought after by 
appreciators of fine wine is a given phenomenon in the world of 
viticulture and enology. Illustrations of such situations are Pinot 
Noir when grown in Burgundy, the White Riesling when grown in the 
Mosel Valley of Germany, and the Cabernet Sauvignon when grown in 
the Rutherford-Oakville region of the Napa Valley. Zinfandel, when 
grown in the Coastal range of Mendocino County, roughly between the 
points where the Navarro River and Gualala River empty into the 
ocean, is in my mind such a classic match of grape variety with a 
particular climate, one that leads to the ultimate in winemaking 
fruit. (Emphasis added.)


    The cultivation of vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge began with the 
first Italian settlers, who came to the area in the late 1800's to peel 
tan bark. These Italian immigrants brought with them their grapes of 
choice: Zinfandel, Alicante-Bouschet, Carignane, Muscat, Palomino, and 
Malvasia. At one time, before Prohibition, it has been estimated that 
Greenwood Ridge had some 250 acres of vineyards and Fish Rock Road had 
another 150 acres of vineyards. Italian immigrant families with names 
like Luccinetti, Pearli, Gianoli, Ciapusci, Soldani, and Zeni 
homesteaded and planted vines along Fish Rock Road as early as the 
1860's. Other Italian immigrants with names like Frati, Tovani, Giusti, 
Pronsolino, and Giovanetti homesteaded along Greenwood Ridge around the 
same time. According to Matt Kramer in Making Sense of California Wine 
(1992):


    The planting of these higher-elevation vineyards is due entirely 
to an influx of Italian immigrants * * * in the 1890's * * * In 
Italy, as elsewhere in Europe, grapes were found to perform better 
on hillsides than on valley floors. Considering their grapes of 
choice--Zinfandel, Alicante-Bouschet, Carignan, Muscat, Palomino, 
and Malvasia--they were right. None of these sun-loving varieties 
could have prospered in the cool, frost-prone Anderson Valley floor. 
But once above the fog, the sunshine is uninterrupted. The ridge 
sites rarely see the spring frosts. (Id. at 218.)


    Prohibition came and many of these vineyards were removed. Of these 
original vineyards planted by the Italian immigrants, three have 
survived and still produce award winning wines to this day. Both the 
Ciapusci and Zeni vineyards are still tended and owned by the original 
families on Fish Rock Road. On Greenwood Ridge Road, the DuPratt 
vineyard planted in 1916 is producing Zinfandel. In addition, the 
Zenis, Ciapuscis, and DuPratts all had wineries

[[Page 55514]]

at their vineyards. Part of the Ciapusci's winery is still standing and 
parts of an old wine press can be found at the DuPratt vineyard site. 
Tunnels used for storing wine can be found burrowed into the mountain 
at the Zeni Vineyard. Three other vineyards, Mariah Vineyards, 
Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, and Alden Ranch Vineyards, have been planted 
in the past 25 years.

Evidence Relating to the Geographical Features (Climate, Soil, 
Elevation, Physical Features, etc.) Which Distinguish the Viticultural 
Features of the Area From Surrounding Areas

    The ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area is shaped like a bulging 
triangle with its northern apex less than a mile wide at the mouth of 
the Navarro River. The southern base of the triangle is approximately 
15 miles wide as it runs along the Mendocino/Sonoma County line. From 
north to south the area is 36 miles long. A small segment of the 
viticultural area overlaps the Anderson Valley viticultural area along 
its northeastern boundary. This segment has been included in the 
``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area because it is climatically, 
geologically and enologically the same as the ``Mendocino Ridge'' area. 
Again, Matt Kramer in Making Sense of California Wine (1992) states on 
page 218:


    Actually, the Anderson Valley is more complicated yet. 
Everything so far described applies to what might be called Anderson 
Valley bas. There's also an Anderson Valley haut. The AVA really 
contains another, hidden appellation. Although not recognized as an 
AVA, it should be. This ``hidden'' appellation is the vineyards 
above the fog line, locally known as the ``ridge vineyards.'' The 
name is apt: They are found on ridgelines above fourteen hundred 
feet in elevation. Technically, these vineyards are Anderson Valley 
AVA. In reality, they are their own world: more sun, no fog, yet 
subject to the cooling temperatures that come with higher elevation. 
(Emphasis added).

    The grape growing region of the viticultural area encompasses the 
coastal ridge above the 1200 foot elevation entirely within the Coastal 
Zone in the southwest corner of Mendocino County, California. Less than 
one third of the entire area, or 87,466 acres, lies above 1200 feet 
elevation. Of these 87,466 acres, approximately 1500 to 2000 acres or 
2% of the narrow timber covered ridge-tops are suitable for grape 
production. There are approximately 75 acres of grapes currently 
growing within the boundaries of the viticultural area. These 75 acres 
are located in isolated pockets carved out of dense redwood and douglas 
fir forest along the ridge-tops above the coastal fog line. Summer 
mornings are characterized by ``lakes of fog'' with the ridge-tops 
protruding like ``small islands'' soaking up the cool morning sun.

Topography

    The ``Mendocino Ridge'' area is characterized by narrow irregular 
ridges that have a high elevation point of 2736 feet at Cold Spring 
Mountain. The side-slopes are steep and timber covered, with slopes 
often exceeding 70%, making these areas unplantable. Because of the 
steepness and narrowness of the ridge-tops, farmable acreage is at a 
premium. Rarely in the viticultural area, does a ridge-top vineyard 
exceed 30 acres in one continuous block.
    The ``Mendocino Ridge'' terrain can be sharply contrasted with the 
surrounding areas. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. To the northeast 
is the valley lowlands of the Anderson Valley viticultural area. The 
grapes grown in this area are planted in the fertile alluvial soils 
along the Navarro River. To the southeast are the long, sloping 
hillsides of the Yorkville benchland area. Grapes grown in this area 
have been traditionally planted on the bottom lands and on the hillside 
benches to the east of Highway 128. To the south is the Sonoma/
Mendocino County line and the Sonoma Coast viticultural area.

Soils

    The soils are unique to this triangle of rugged, timber-covered 
ridge-top area and have been shown to be distinct from the surrounding 
area's soils. Climatically, this area sits entirely within the Coastal 
Zone and receives the cooling influences of the Pacific Ocean which 
surround these ridges and peaks with fog, making these ridges into what 
the petitioner calls ``cool, sun-soaked islands in the sky.'' The 
``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area also receives a significantly 
greater amount of annual rainfall than the surrounding areas.
    The soils within the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area have 
been identified by the Soil Conservation Service in a National 
Cooperative Soil Survey, a joint effort of the United States Department 
of Agriculture and other Federal agencies, State agencies including the 
Agricultural Experiment Stations and local agencies.
    The area is dominated by timber type soils and is clearly separated 
from surrounding soils at the ``Mendocino Ridge'' boundary. To the west 
is the Pacific Ocean. To the northeast are the fertile alluvial valley 
soils of the Anderson Valley and to the southeast are the upland grass 
range soils of the Yorkville area. To the south is the county line and 
the Sonoma Coast Appellation.
    Moreover, the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area is dominated by 
soils that fall into the general soil category of Ustic-isomesic type 
soils. These soils lie mainly between 500 feet and 2000 feet elevation 
within the zone of coastal influence. The soil does receive some 
moisture added by the tree canopy which causes water to precipitate 
from the fog. However, the fog influence is less pronounced at the 
upper elevations. It is less dense and does not blanket this zone as 
frequently as at the lower elevations. The soils are dry for part of 
the summer and there is little variation between summer and winter soil 
temperatures at 20 inches of depth. Redwood is the most reliable 
indicator of this zone. Redwood can often comprise 15 to 50 percent of 
the tree canopy with douglas fir, tanoak, and Pacific madrone being the 
other dominant species. The understory vegetation is often a dense 
thicket of California huckleberry and tanoak.
    The specific soil types that dominate the ``Mendocino Ridge'' 
viticultural area are identified as follows:
1. Zeni
    This soil is moderately deep and well-drained fine-loamy type soil. 
Typically, the loam surface layer is underlain by a loam subsoil. Soft 
sandstone is at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Slopes range from 9 to 75 
percent. The vegetation is mainly Douglas fir and redwood. Average pH 
is 5.7.
2. Yellowhound
    This soil is deep and well-drained. Typically, the gravelly loam 
surface is underlain by an extremely gravelly loam subsoil. Hard 
sandstone is at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Slopes range from 9 to 100 
percent. The vegetation is mainly Douglas fir and redwood. Average pH 
is 5.6.
3. Ornbaun
    This subsoil is deep and well-drained, with little or no seasonal 
fluctuation in soil temperature. Typically, the loam surface layer is 
underlain by a loam and clay loam subsoil. Soft sandstone is found 
underneath at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. This soil occurs on hilly and 
mountainous uplands with slopes of 9 to 75 percent. The vegetation is 
mainly Douglas fir and redwood. Average pH is not available.
4. Gube
    This soil is moderately deep, well-drained soil formed in material 
weathered from sandstone. Gube soils

[[Page 55515]]

are on mountains and have slopes of 30 to 75 percent. The vegetation is 
mainly Douglas fir and redwood. Average pH is 5.4.
5. Fish Rock
    This soil is a shallow, well-drained soil formed in material 
weathered from sandstone or mudstone. Fish Rock soils are on ridgetops 
and upper sideslopes of coastal hills and mountains and have slopes of 
2 to 30 percent. The vegetation is mainly Douglas fir and redwood. 
Average pH is 4.8.
6. Snook Series
    This soil is a very shallow, somewhat excessively drained soil 
formed in material weathered from sandstone and shale. Snook soils are 
on mountains and have slopes of 30 to 75 percent. The vegetation is 
mainly Douglas fir and redwood. Average pH is 5.6.
7. Kibesillah
    This soil is moderately deep and well-drained and was formed in 
material weathered from sandstone. Kibesillah soils are on hills and 
mountains and have slopes of 9 to 100 percent. The vegetation is mainly 
Douglas fir and redwood. Average pH is 5.5
    The above soils contrast with the soils to the northeast and 
southeast of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area. Along the 
northeast border of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area are the 
deep alluvial soils of the Anderson Valley and Mendocino viticultural 
area bottom land. These fertile soils were identified by the USDA soil 
conservation service of the Mendocino County bottom lands completed in 
1973. These soils are: CeB, Cole Clay Loam Wet; JaF, Jesephine Loam; 
TaC, Talmadge; Gravelly Sandy Loam; SeB, San Ysidro Loam; EdA, Esparto 
Silt Loam, Wet; PbC, Pinole Gravelly Loam; MdB, Maywood Sandy Loam, 
occasionally flooded, and; FcA, Fluvents, frequently flooded. Along the 
southeast border of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area are the 
Xeric-mesic soils of the Yorkville corridor east of Highway 128 along 
the sweeping, grassy, oak studded slopes. These soils are grass, oak, 
and brush covered. The Yorkville soils are subject to little or no 
coastal influence, unlike the soils in the ``Mendocino Ridge'' 
viticultural area which are dominated by the coastal influence. Soils 
are usually dry from early June to October. The soil temperature at 20 
inches in depth varies by more than 9 degrees between summer and winter 
unlike the Ustic-isomestic soils of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' 
viticultural area which do not vary. The vegetation types commonly 
found on Xeric-mesic soils are interior live oak, California black oak, 
Oregon white oak, Eastwood manzanita, toyon rose, bedstraw and annual 
bromes. The specific Xeric-mesic type soils of the Yorkville upland 
area contrast with the soils in the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural 
area.
    In summary, the soils of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area 
are dominated by ``timber'' type soils with redwood, Douglas fir, 
tanoak, and Pacific madrone being the dominant vegetation. These soils 
are well drained and have little or no summer to winter soil 
temperature variations. In contrast, the soils of the surrounding areas 
are the deep alluvial Anderson Valley soils to the northeast and the 
upland rangeland soils of the Yorkville area to the southwest.

Climate

    The ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area lies entirely within the 
Coastal Climate Zone as defined by The Climate Of Mendocino County, a 
booklet published by the Mendocino County Farm and Home Advisors 
Office. The Coastal Climate Zone is cooled by the ocean influence of 
the Pacific. This Zone is continuous from north to south along the 
``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area boundary and is commonly referred 
to as the redwood belt. The area is dominated by the influence of the 
Pacific Ocean at its western border throughout the year, unlike the 
area to the east of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area which is 
within the Transitional Climate Zone. ``Transitional'' means the area's 
climate is subject to both the ocean's cooling influences and the 
warmth of the interior areas at different times of the year.
    The ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area is unique from other 
coastal viticultural areas because of its elevation of 1200 feet or 
higher. The elevation line being at approximately the fog line means 
that while the valleys may be full of coastal fog, the vineyards are 
fully exposed to the sun while receiving the cooling influences of the 
fog.
    The ``Mendocino Ridge'' area has both a rainy and dry season of 
moderate temperature. The rainy season occurs from November through 
May. The average annual temperature for the area is about 53 degrees 
Fahrenheit, and the average annual precipitation is 75+ inches a year. 
Because of the area's coastal influence the average length of the 
growing season is from 275 to 300 days.
    The climate in the adjacent growing regions is strikingly 
different. In the Yorkville Area, east of Highway 128, long, sweeping 
slopes lie within the Transitional Climatic Zone, receiving much more 
sun and inland weather influences. These inland weather influences mean 
the Yorkville area's average temperatures are cooler in the winter and 
hotter in the summer and the growing season is shorter, averaging 
between 250 and 275 days in length. The average annual precipitation is 
only 49.46 inches a year. Source: The Climate of Mendocino County, 
Mendocino County Farm and Home Advisors Office, page 10. With regard to 
Anderson Valley, it lies under the fog layer, receiving fewer sunlight 
hours than the ``Mendocino Ridge,'' grape growing areas which are 
entirely above the fogline. The average annual precipitation is only 
40.68 inches a year. Source: The Climate of Mendocino County, Mendocino 
County Farm and Home Advisors Office, page 10.

Boundaries

    The boundary lines of the ``Mendocino Ridge'' viticultural area 
closely follow the line of Coastal Zone influence, above 1200 feet 
elevation in the southwest corner of Mendocino County, California. The 
boundaries of the area may be found on the following U.S. Department of 
Interior Geological Survey 15 minute series Quadrangle maps:
    (1) Ornbaun Valley Quadrangle, California, 1960
    (2) Navarro Quadrangle, California, 1961.
    (3) Point Arena Quadrangle, California, 1960.
    (4) Boonville Quadrangle, California, 1959.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR Part 1320, do not 
apply to this notice because no requirement to collect information is 
proposed.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    It is hereby certified that this regulation will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The establishment of a viticultural area is neither an endorsement nor 
approval by ATF of the quality of wine produced in the area, but rather 
an identification of an area that is distinct from surrounding areas. 
ATF believes that the establishment of viticultural areas merely allows 
wineries to more accurately describe the origin of their wines to 
consumers, and helps

[[Page 55516]]

consumers identify the wines they purchase. Thus, any benefit derived 
from the use of a viticultural area name is the result of the 
proprietor's own efforts and consumer acceptance of wines from that 
region. No new requirements are proposed. Accordingly, a regulatory 
flexibility analysis is not required.

Executive Order 12866

    It has been determined that this regulation is not a significant 
regulatory action as defined by Executive Order 12866. Accordingly, 
this final rule is not subject to the analysis required by this 
Executive Order.

Drafting Information

    The principal author of this document is David W. Brokaw, Wine, 
Beer, and Spirits Regulations Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and 
Firearms.

List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9

    Administrative practices and procedures, Consumer protection, 
Viticultural areas, Wine.

Authority and Issuance

    Title 27, Code of Federal Regulations, part 9, American 
Viticultural Areas, is amended as follows:

PART 9--AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS

    1. The authority citation for part 9 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205.

Subpart C--Approved American Viticultural Areas

    Par. 2. Subpart C is amended by adding Sec. 9.158 to read as 
follows:
* * * * *


Sec. 9.152  Mendocino Ridge.

    (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this 
section is ``Mendocino Ridge.''
    (b) Approved maps. The appropriate maps for determining the 
boundary of the Mendocino Ridge viticultural area are four 1:62,500 
scale U.S.G.S. topographical maps. They are titled:
    (1) Ornbaun Valley Quadrangle, California, 15 minute series 
topographic map, 1960.
    (2) Navarro Quadrangle, California, 15 minute series topographic 
map, 1961.
    (3) Point Arena Quadrangle, California, 15 minute series 
topographic map, 1960.
    (4) Boonville Quadrangle, California, 15 minute series topographic 
map, 1959.
    (c) Boundary. The Mendocino Ridge viticultural area is located 
within Mendocino County, California. Within the boundary description 
that follows, the viticultural area starts at the 1200 foot elevation 
(contour line) and encompasses all areas at or above the 1200 foot 
elevation line. The boundaries of the Mendocino Ridge viticultural 
area, using landmarks and points of reference found on appropriate 
U.S.G.S. maps, follow.
    (1) Beginning at the Mendocino/Sonoma County line at the mouth of 
the Gualala River, where the Gualala River empties into the Pacific 
Ocean, in section 27 of Township 11 North (T11N), Range 5 West (R5W), 
located in the southeastern portion of U.S.G.S. 15 minute series map, 
``Point Arena, California;''
    (2) Then following the Mendocino/Sonoma County line eastward to the 
southeast corner of section 8 in T11N/R13W, on the U.S.G.S. 15 minute 
map, ``Ornbaun Valley, California;''
    (3) Then from the southeast corner of section 8 in T11N/R13W 
directly north approximately 3+ miles to the southwest corner of 
section 9 in T12N/R13W;
    (4) Then proceeding in a straight line in a northwesterly direction 
to the southwestern corner of section 14 in T13N/R14W;
    (5) Then directly north along the western line of section 14 in 
T13N/R14W to a point on the western line of section 14 approximately 
\1/4\ from the top where the Anderson Valley viticultural area boundary 
intersects the western line of section 14 in T13N/R14W;
    (6) Then in a straight line, in a northwesterly direction, to the 
intersection of an unnamed creek and the south section line of section 
14, T14N/R15W, on the U.S.G.S. 15 minute series map, ``Boonville, 
California;''
    (7) Then in a westerly direction along the south section lines of 
sections 14 and 15 in T14N/R15W to the southwest corner of section 15, 
T14N/R15W, on the U.S.G.S. 15 minute series map, ``Navarro, 
California;''
    (8) Then in a northerly direction along the western section lines 
of sections 15, 10, and 3 in T14N/R15W in a straight line to the 
intersection of the Navarro River on the western section line of 
section 3 in T14N/R15W;
    (9) Then in a northwesterly direction along the Navarro River to 
the mouth of the river where it meets the Pacific Ocean in section 5 of 
T15N/R17W;
    (10) Then in a southern direction along the Mendocino County 
coastline to the Mendocino/Sonoma County line to the beginning point at 
the mouth of the Gualala River in section 27 of T11N/R15W, on the 
U.S.G.S. 15 minute series map, ``Point Arena, California.''

    Signed: September 3, 1997.
John W. Magaw,
Director.

    Approved: September 24, 1997.
John P. Simpson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Regulatory, Tariff and Trade Enforcement).
[FR Doc. 97-28280 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P