Fair Play AVA

Fair Play
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established2001[1]
2015 Expansion[2]
Years of wine industry139[1]
CountryUnited States
Part ofCalifornia, Sierra Foothills AVA, El Dorado AVA
Other regions in California, Sierra Foothills AVA, El Dorado AVACalifornia Shenandoah Valley AVA
Growing season230-250 days[1]
Climate regionRegion III[3]
Heat units3,500 GDD units[3]
Precipitation (annual average)35 to 40 in (890–1,020 mm)[1]
Soil conditionsDeep, moderately to well drained, granitic soils of the Holland, Shaver, and Musick series[1]
Total area21,000 acres (33 sq mi)[1]
Size of planted vineyards350 acres (140 ha)[1]
Grapes producedBarbera, Black Muscat, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Pinot noir, Pinotage, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Souzao, Syrah, Tempranillo, Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, Viognier, Zinfandel[4]
No. of wineries25-30[4]

Fair Play is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in El Dorado County, California. It was established as the nation's 139th, the state's 84th and the county's third appellation[5] on February 26, 2001 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) after reviewing the petition submitted by Brian Fitzpatrick, President of Fair Play Winery Association, proposing a viticultural area in southern El Dorado County known as "Fair Play."[6]

The viticultural area encompasses 21,000 acres (33 sq mi) encircling the town of Fair Play and located entirely within the existing boundaries of the El Dorado and vast Sierra Foothills AVAs. The topography of Fair Play includes rolling hills at elevations between 2,000 and 3,000 feet (610–910 m) above sea level, making it the second highest average elevation after Squaw Valley-Miramonte viticultural area in the state. The soils are decomposed granite as part of the Sierra Nevada Foothills region, and the area is within the Cosumnes River watershed. In its cultivated 350 acres (140 ha), the most popular red wine grape variety is Zinfandel, although varieties popular in Rhône Valley and Italy, such as Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Barbera are the common varietals. White wine is less popular in Fair Play, but significant plantings of Viognier and Grenache Blanc, along with Sauvignon Blanc are most common.[4]

History

Fair Play viticultural area takes its name from an old gold mining camp during the California gold rush. Although Fair Play was at first only a mining camp, the town later became a trading center and post office for drift and hydraulic mines in the area. The Alta Californian newspaper dated December 21, 1853, mentions Fair Play as a prosperous little mining town with several stores and hotels. The first commercial vineyard and winery in the viticultural area was established in 1887 by a Civil War veteran, Horace Bigelow. Bigelow planted 4,000 grape vines and by 1898 was producing between 600 and 1,000 US gallons (2,271 and 3,785 L; 500 and 833 imp gal) of wine each year. Today, the Fair Play viticultural area is gaining recognition as a wine growing area and is featured in the media and on some wine labels.[1]

The modern era started in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Brian Fitzpatrick, Bill Naylor, Les and Lynn Russell, to name a few primary vineyard builders started in earnest. Today these are the vineyards and wineries along Fair Play Road and Perry Creek Road. An early established winery where the original owner is there(in 2026), is Cedarville Vineyard, it established in the 1990s. Many more vineyards ensued in the later 1980s and throughout the 1990s, as the area developed for viticulture. [7] [8]

Terroir

Topography

The arable terrain within the Fair Play viticultural area is generally composed of rolling hillsides and rounding ridge tops. At these elevations, 2,000 to 3,400 ft (610–1,040 m), each vineyard's topographic location in relationship to the immediate surroundings is of utmost importance to minimize the negative effects of late spring frosts. Most of the existing vineyards are situated on the ridge tops or hillsides so there is lower ground for the cold air to drain. To the east and southeast, the boundaries include terrain too rugged for commercial viticulture. This is also true of Coyote Ridge to the south. Although little vineyard activity is anticipated in these steep canyon lands, the use of the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River, Cedar Creek, Scott Creek, and South Fork of the Cosumnes River make easily understood and prominent boundaries.
The lowest elevations in the area, about 2,000 ft (610 m), occur along Perry Creek and the North and South Forks of Spanish Creeks where they flow west out of the Fair Play viticultural area. The lowest existing vineyards sit at about 2,000 ft (610 m) near Mt. Aukum. The elevation rises to the north, east and south to a maximum of about 3,400 ft (1,000 m) above Slug Gulch Road and Walker Ridge. To the north, the steep sides of the canyon of the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River are not suitable for viticulture. The bottom land along the river, ranging from 1,700 to 1,800 ft (520–550 m) elevation, is at least two hundred feet (61 m) lower in elevation than the lowest points included within the boundaries. The rugged terrain east of the boundaries, and the volcanic "caps" to the southeast and south quickly rise above 2,800 ft (850 m). Elevation is significant because of its effect on growing conditions for vines in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. Prevailing westerly winds dominate the AVA, but cool down-slope drainage winds occur diurnally, flowing downhill in the evening and overnight as higher elevations lose heat more quickly. These cooling winds are most pronounced during veraison and ripening, and in some vintages contribute to a slow, dry ripening that helps preserve acidity and extend hang time for the vines. With most vineyards planted between 2,000 ft (610 m) and 3,400 ft (1,000 m) , Fair Play has one of the highest average elevations of any AVA in California. Following the 2015 establishment of the higher Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA in Fresno County, Fair Play is generally cited as the second-highest. [9]

Climate

The U.S.D.A. Soil Survey shows that in this part of Sierra Foothills, rainfall generally increases along with the elevation. The isobars generally run from the northwest to southeast, similar to the general run of the elevation contour lines. The Fair Play viticultural area receives between 35 and 40 in (890–1,020 mm) of rain in an average year, while the lower areas to the west and southwest of Fair Play receive 35 in (890 mm) or less. The U.S.D.A. chart for the length of growing season follows the reverse pattern; as elevation increases, the growing season decreases. Fair Play enjoys an average growing season of between about 230 and 250 days; the areas to the west and southwest show over 250 days. Thus, the Fair Play viticultural area enjoys more rainfall, but with a shorter growing season, than the areas to the west and southwest. Based on the standard University of California at Davis (UCD) temperature summation definition of climatic regions or zones, the Fair Play viticultural area would appear to fall into high Region 3 (less than 3,500 degree days). The areas to the west and southwest fall into low Region 4 (over 3,500 degree days).[3] The USDA plant hardiness zone is 9a.[10]

Soil

The Fair Play viticultural area is characterized by deep, moderately to well drained, granitic soils of the Holland, Shaver, and Musick series. These soils consist of sandy loams and coarse sandy loams, with an effective average rooting depth between 40 and 60 inches (1,000–1,500 mm). The soil maps taken from the USDA Soil Survey show the specific areas where each of these soils predominate; the boundaries were specifically designed to include these three soil series, and to exclude other soils which are either not granitic, or shallow, or poorly drained. The areas to the north and east of the boundaries are predominately shallow granitic soils of the Chawanakee and Chaix series. The northern and eastern boundaries are drawn primarily based on terrain and ease of description, but with the intent to generally exclude these soils. The southeastern and southern boundaries of the Fair Play viticultural area, the waterways of Cedar Creek into Scott Creek into the South Fork of the Cosumnes River, lay out a clear geological demarcation where the granitic soils predominate and the volcanic soils begin. Thus, the Fair Play viticultural area has a soil association that sets it apart from the rest of the Sierra Foothills and El Dorado viticultural areas.[3]

Fair Play vineyard

Wineries

The Fair Play Winery Association shows 21 active member wineries with a more extensive list below.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Fair Play Viticultural Area (2000R–170P)" (27 CFR Part 9 T.D. ATF–440 Re: Notice No. 900] RIN: 1512–AA07 Final Rule). Federal Register. 66 (38). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 11537–11540. February 26, 2001.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ↑ "Expansion of the Fair Play Viticultural Area" (27 CFR Part 9 [Docket No. TTB–2014–0005; T.D. TTB–126; Ref: Notice No. 143] RIN 1513–AC07 Final Rule). Federal Register. 80 (3). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury: 400–402. January 6, 2015.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Fair Play Viticultural Area (2000R–170P)" (27 CFR Part 9 [Notice No. 900] RIN 1512–AA07 Proposed Rules). Federal Register. 65 (143). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 45739–45742. July 25, 2000.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. 1 2 3 "Fair Play (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. January 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ "List of AVAs by Establishment Date". TTB.gov. 2024. Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Brian (March 31, 1999). "Proposed "FAIR PLAY" Viticultural Area, El Dorado County, California". TTB.gov. Fair Play Winery Association.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ↑ "History and Transition - Fair Play Wineries". SFGate media.
  8. ↑ "Confessions of a winemaker".
  9. ↑ https://www.winewithseth.com/winewiki/fair-play-ava/
  10. ↑ "Fair Play - American Viticultural Area (AVA)". Plantmaps.com. United States Department of Agriculture. 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Welcome to El Dorado County's Fair Play Wine Region". Fair Play Winery Association. 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2026.

38°35′48″N 120°39′26″W / 38.59665660°N 120.65731108°W / 38.59665660; -120.65731108

This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.