Whats an appellation and what does the Fair Play appellation mean?
Appellation is a modified French word that refers to a specific grape growing area. The Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms maintains a rigid list of area names that can be placed on wine labels to identify where the grapes were grown. The official term is really American Viticultural Area (AVA), but appellation is used in ordinary conversation. The Fair Play appellation means that the Fair Play area has been recognized by the BATF as being a distinct viticultural area, with recognizable characteristics of climate, geography, soils, elevation, history and grape quality. It also means that wine made from grapes grown within the appellation can be labeled “Fair Play” instead of “El Dorado” or “Sierra Foothills”. For all the gory details about our appellation, click here.
