Establishment of the Columbia Hills Viticultural Area
TTB establishes the 29,387-acre Columbia Hills AVA in Klickitat County, Washington, entirely within the existing Columbia Valley AVA. This designation allows wineries to use 'Columbia Hills' as an AVA on labels if 85% of grapes are from the area.
Aforeworn detected this change in the Alcohol Producers (TTB — Wine, Beer, Spirits) space on August 15, 2026 and published this briefing so affected operators are forewarned rather than caught off guard. It is rated Low urgency. Wineries producing wine from grapes grown in the newly established Columbia Hills AVA, and grape growers in that area. should confirm how it applies to their specific situation before acting. There is a time constraint attached: No deadline specified.. Acting after that point can mean penalties, a lapsed licence, or lost eligibility — exactly the kind of surprise Aforeworn exists to prevent. Aforeworn monitors Alcohol Producers (TTB — Wine, Beer, Spirits) continuously and turns every detected change into a plain-English briefing like this one, so you always know first. Forewarned is forearmed.
What changed
A new American Viticultural Area (AVA) named 'Columbia Hills' has been established, providing a new appellation of origin for wine labels.
Who it affects
Wineries producing wine from grapes grown in the newly established Columbia Hills AVA, and grape growers in that area.
What you must do
No immediate action required. Wineries may voluntarily update labels to use the new AVA if they meet the 85% grape origin requirement and obtain a new Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) from TTB.
Deadline
No deadline specified.
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