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climate here is warmer than in Big Valley
District, although not so warm as Red Hills Lake County in the east. Cold air from the mountains drains off the benches into the valley below, extending the growing season by lessening the risk of frost in the early spring and fall. Vines are stressed by the strong winds that buffet the area, and photosynthesis, therefore ripening, is slowed as a result. This gives the grapes ample time to develop rich fruit complexity alongside vital acidity, leading to well-balanced wines. Kelsey Bench has predominantly rich, red, volcanic soils.
315:. Staheli erected a winery on site in 1910 which operated for a couple of years. Part of that vineyard eventually became in 1965 the property of Arden "Burt" Harlan, who married Staheli's niece. In the same area, the Old Stake 1901 Vineyard, planted in 1901 and registered with the Historic Vineyard Society, features vines of
306:
Kelsey Bench shares both the valley and the TTB's AVA ruling with the Big Valley
District AVA to the north. The region's growers submitted the two petitions together, drawing a line between the valley floor and the higher elevations in the south. The higher elevations of Kelsey Bench mean that the
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The first vineyards in the area were planted in the late 19th century. Swiss-born John J. Staheli was among the first winegrowers in the area, where in 1905 he acquired a 25-acre vineyard the previous owner, William
Johnson, had planted primarily with
283:", a geological term used to describe the terraces that rise above the lower elevations of the valley to the north. The AVA boundaries cover a series of tectonically uplifted terraces in the southern half of a valley on the banks of
675:
402:"Notice No.134: Proposed Establishment of the Big Valley District-Lake County and Kelsey Bench-Lake County Viticultural Areas, and Modification of the Red Hills Lake County Viticultural Area"
446:
447:"Proposed Establishment of the Big Valley District-Lake County and Kelsey Bench-Lake County Viticultural Areas, and Modification of the Red Hills Lake County Viticultural Area"
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is on the southeastern border of Kelsey Bench and when the appellation was formalized, the Red Hills boundaries were modified slightly to meet the Kelsey Bench boundaries.
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636:
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232:. The area was home to some 900 acres (360 ha) of vines across 27 vineyards when it was officially established as an AVA by the
366:(Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas)
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Rosa d'Oro and
Smiling Dogs Ranch are the only bonded wineries located within the boundaries of the AVA.
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are the principal white grape varieties within Kelsey Bench and its neighbor the
456:. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. June 4, 2013. pp. 20544–20557
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varieties make up the majority of red grape plantings in the area.
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in the south and west separate the area from the southern end of
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543:"Big Valley District and Kelsey Bench AVAs Approved"
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517:"It Takes One Grape to Reimagine California Wine"
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271:The name “Kelsey Bench” is a combination of
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118:Manzanita-Wappo-Forbesville, Phipps-Bally (
406:Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
234:Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
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85:Big Valley District-Lake County AVA
528:from the original on May 18, 2024.
14:
681:1991 establishments in California
514:Asimov, Eric (6 September 2012).
363:"§9.233 Kelsey Bench-Lake County"
299:volcano lies to the east. The
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1:
547:Lake County Winegrape Growers
427:Lake County Winegrape Growers
388:Lake County Winegrape Growers
122:), Millsholm-Skyhigh-Bressa (
591:, vol. 51, p. 9824
574:, vol. 44, p. 8271
20:Kelsey Bench-Lake County AVA
370:Code of Federal Regulations
142:9,119 acres (3,690 ha)
101:Long Valley-Lake County AVA
697:
384:"Lake County Appellations"
279:settler in the area, and "
222:American Viticultural Area
38:American Viticultural Area
624:Historic Vineyard Society
620:"Old Stake 1901 Vineyard"
301:Red Hills Lake County AVA
147:Size of planted vineyards
105:Red Hills Lake County AVA
24:
218:Kelsey Bench-Lake County
450:(27 CFR 9, 78 FR 20544)
254:Big Valley District AVA
236:(TTB) in October 2013.
150:900 acres (364 ha)
275:'s surname, the first
109:Upper Lake Valley AVA
652:38.9813°N 122.8539°W
498:"About the vineyard"
648: /
481:"Kelsey Bench Wine"
289:Mayacamas mountains
21:
657:38.9813; -122.8539
549:. October 12, 2013
522:The New York Times
423:"Kelsey Bench AVA"
329:Cabernet Sauvignon
178:Cabernet Sauvignon
166:Varietals produced
317:Alicante Bouschet
277:European American
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93:Guenoc Valley AVA
74:Other regions in
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115:Soil conditions
97:High Valley AVA
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603:"Our History"
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551:. Retrieved
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458:. Retrieved
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158:of vineyards
25:
655: /
643:122°51′14″W
607:Brian Arden
226:Lake County
224:located in
76:Lake County
64:Lake County
27:Wine region
670:Categories
640:38°58′53″N
346:References
295:, and the
285:Clear Lake
242:Chardonnay
230:California
182:Chardonnay
139:Total area
337:Roussanne
313:Zinfandel
258:Zinfandel
210:Zinfandel
206:Trousseau
198:Riesling
132:siltstone
124:sandstone
526:Archived
333:Grenache
325:Cinsault
250:Riesling
246:Viognier
194:Nebbiolo
186:Dolcetto
120:alluvium
553:May 10,
460:May 10,
408:. 2013.
170:Barbera
60:Part of
52:Country
287:. The
262:Merlot
220:is an
190:Merlot
130:, and
281:bench
128:shale
555:2020
462:2020
264:and
248:and
47:2013
34:Type
156:No.
672::
622:.
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161:27
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626:.
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372:.
134:)
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