FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: February 2004
Yorkville Highlands Breaks Through - Growing list of 19 wines available but only in tiny quantities!

(YORKVILLE, Mendocino County, Calif.) - Yorkville Highlands is a young appellation on the verge of prominence. An abundance of recent accolades have this growing region poised to be the next new wine discovery. As Yorkville Highlands celebrates its sixth anniversary, this Mendocino appellation nestled in the hills between the Alexander Valley and the Anderson Valley on Highway 128, is perfect for growing premium grapes. And it's no secret that it takes premium grapes to make premium wines. Currently, only 19 wines made from Yorkville Highlands grapes are commercially available, and each of those was made in quantities of less than 1,000 cases. But while those limited production wines have received a proportionately large amount of attention in the last year, the appellation itself is only now garnering more attention.

Recent accolades for Yorkville Highlands wines include:
Copain Wines, a new winery in Santa Rosa owned by Wells Guthrie, was awarded 96 points by Robert Parker in his Wine Advocate (December 2003) for a 2002 Syrah from the Hawks Butte Vineyard in Yorkville Highlands. Parker called the wine "...a breakthrough effort for this appellation."

Williams-Selyem was awarded 91 points by the New York-based International Wine Cellar for its 2000 Pinot Noir from Yorkville Highlands - Weir Vineyard. This same wine tied as "The Year's Best Pinot Noir" (out of 491 tasted) in Wine & Spirits Magazine, January 2004 issue.

Yorkville Cellars swept the competition at the June 2003 Eco Wine Fest (conducted by the Los Angeles County Fair), by earning an award for every wine it entered, topping 49 wineries from eight countries in attendance. The competition was open to all wineries making wine from certified organically-grown grapes.

Add to this praise the recent coverage of other small wineries in the appellation (such as Maple Creek and LeVin), and it's clear that Yorkville Highlands is coming into its own.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) recognized Yorkville Highlands as an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1998. The area consists of approximately 40,000 acres within Mendocino County running along Highway 128 and straddling both Dry Creek and the Navarro River. The majority of the appellation lies between 800 and 1,900 feet, in a continuous series of high benches and troughs, bordered by higher ridges.

Approximately 350 acres of grapes are planted in the appellation, and while the majority of vineyard acreage in Mendocino County is devoted to Chardonnay, Yorkville Highlands is 85% red varietals, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Yorkville Cellars owner Edward Wallo, who is also president of the Yorkville Highlands Growers & Vintners Association, says the Yorkville Highlands is still undiscovered because "...most of our vineyards are relatively small and wineries that buy our grapes make low production, handcrafted wines." There are just three winery tasting rooms in the appellation (see www.yorkvillehighlands.org).

Despite the limited number of wines, the region is growing quickly, in vineyards and recognition. Mendocino County's Agricultural Extension specialist Glenn McGourty says that "Yorkville Highlands has the pedigree to be an exceptional growing area, mainly because it's a small region, the wines are handcrafted, and the growers are full of enthusiasm and passion."

Because it is a young region, most of Yorkville Highlands' vineyards were planted using good, sound advice: the right varietal and clonal selections, well-sited with appropriate vineyard infrastructure and cultivation techniques. In the rare cases where a particular vineyard block does not seem to be producing top quality, the grape growers have the desire and wherewithal to correct problems quickly.

More and more people are paying attention. LeVin Vineyards recently scored over 90-points for both its 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon and its Merlot in the Wine Enthusiast. Maple Creek Winery's 2002 Symphony earned a Best of Class at the West Coast Wine Competition. Weir Vineyards has sent its Pinot Noir to Sonoma's Williams-Selyem winery for some time, and Yorkville Cellars won gold medals in 2003 for its Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Richard the Lion Heart and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

For wine road travelers interested in getting better acquainted with the Yorkville Highlands, June is a great time to visit. That's when wineries and vineyards in the Yorkville Highlands hold their annual Wine Festival, complete with highland games, local roasted wild boar and lamb, and wine tasting. Nine wineries offer samples at the event, including the Yorkville Highlands wineries as well as wineries which purchase grapes from Yorkville Highlands vineyards. The second annual Yorkville Highlands Wine Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, 2004 at Meyer Family Cellars on Highway 128 near Boonville. For more information on the Yorkville Highlands appellation, its grapes or wineries, contact Edward Wallo at the Yorkville Highlands Association, (707) 894-9177.