III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 649 

Recognizing the contributions of American Viticultural Areas and winegrowing 

regions. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 

Mr. BLUNT (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the contributions of American Viticultural Areas 

and winegrowing regions. 

Whereas wineries and vintners in the United States contribute to the economic and cultural life of the United 

States; 

Whereas the economic contributions of wineries and vintners 

in the United States are significant and expansive, and 

are attributable to the activities of growers, suppliers, researchers, marketers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, 

and others; 

Whereas the wine industry in the United States is estimated 

to have directly and indirectly generated more than 

$219,000,000,000 for the economy of the United States 

in 2017; 


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Whereas there are more than 10,000 wineries operating in all 

50 States; 

Whereas many of those wineries are small businesses and 

family owned; 

Whereas the wine industry directly employs nearly 1,000,000 

people in the United States and supports nearly 300,000 

jobs in industries that supply goods and services to 

winegrowers and wineries; 

Whereas the wages earned by people directly employed by 

wineries and the wine industry totaled more than 

$33,000,000,000 in 2017; 

Whereas wineries and wine regions drive economic activity 

through the production, distribution, and sale of wine, 

and attract substantial tourism-related interest and 

spending; 

Whereas wine regions in the United States host more than 

43,000,000 tourists and generate nearly $18,000,000,000 

in tourism expenditures each year; 

Whereas wine tourism supported 375,000 jobs that paid more 

than $10,000,000,000 in wages in 2017; 

Whereas an American Viticultural Area (referred to in this 

preamble as an ‘‘AVA’’) is a designated wine-growing region in the United States that has distinguishing features 

that affect viticulture, including climate, geology, soil, 

physical features, and elevation; 

Whereas 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the publication 

of the Decision of the Department of the Treasury to establish the AVA designation system; 

Whereas the first AVA was approved on June 20, 1980, in 

Augusta, Missouri; 


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Whereas the State of Missouri— 

(1) has a history of wine production that dates back 

to the first half of the 19th century; and 

(2) is part of 5 AVAs, including the Hermann, 

Loess Hills District, Ozark Highlands, and Ozark Mountain areas; 

Whereas the first AVA in the State of Oregon was approved 

on December 1, 1983, as the Willamette Valley AVA; 

Whereas the State of Oregon— 

(1) has a history of growing wine grapes that dates 

back to 1847; and 

(2) is part of the following 18 AVAs: the Applegate 

Valley, Chehalem Mountains, Columbia Gorge, Columbia 

Valley, Dundee Hills, Elkton Oregon, Eola-Amity Hills, 

McMinnville, Red Hill Douglas County, Ribbon Ridge, 

the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Rogue Valley, 

Snake River Valley, Southern Oregon, Umpqua Valley, 

Walla Walla Valley, Willamette Valley, and YamhillCarlton District areas; 

Whereas, as of August 15, 2018, there are 242 AVAs in the 

United States, which are located in the following 33 

States: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Maryland, Massachusetts, 

Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, 

Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin; 

Whereas at least 85 percent of a wine must be derived from 

grapes grown within the boundaries of an AVA in order 

to use the AVA name on the label for that wine; 


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Whereas an AVA designation— 

(1) allows vintners to describe more accurately the 

origin of the wine; 

(2) helps vintners build and enhance the reputation 

and value of the wine produced; 

(3) allows consumers to attribute a given quality, 

reputation, or other characteristic to a wine made from 

grapes grown in an AVA; and 

(4) helps consumers identify wines to purchase; 

Whereas an appellation of origin, such as an AVA designation, can assist wine producers in the United States in 

establishing distinctive names of places in the United 

States in global markets and create valuable export opportunities; 

Whereas wine exports generated more than $1,600,000,000 

for producers in the United States in 2017, which is a 

4-fold increase over the past 20 years; 

Whereas the protection of an AVA term, or other appellation 

of origin, in a foreign country helps vintners effectively 

promote products and increases awareness of the region 

of origin; 

Whereas the wine industry of the United States is growing 

and accounts for 10 percent of global wine production; 

Whereas wine-growing regions and wine growers in the 

United States— 

(1) contribute to the economic prosperity of the 

United States; and 

(2) enhance the cultural prestige of the United 

States by developing and sharing wines that are recognized throughout the world; 


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Whereas consumers in the United States have benefitted 

from the rich diversity and extraordinary quality of wines 

and wine-growing regions in the United States; and 

Whereas responsibly enjoying wine often serves to enhance 

the richness of life and brings family and friends closer 

together: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the significant contributions 

3 made by wines and distinctive wine-growing regions 

4 in the United States to the economic and cultural 

5 life of the United States; 

6 (2) recognizes the value created in domestic and 

7 foreign markets by promoting wines from distinctive 

8 wine-growing regions in the United States, including 

9 wines protected by an American Viticultural Area 

10 designation or other appellation of origin; and 

11 (3) supports efforts to promote awareness of 

12 and appreciation for distinctive wine-growing regions 

13 in the United States both in the United States and 

14 abroad. 

Æ 


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