2007-2008

President: Chantel Kilmer:
Chantel@avwinegrowers.org

Vice-President:Kathy Calandri

2006-2007 Past Vice President:
David Reynolds

Treasurer: Cyndee Donato:

Secretary: F ran Paolinelli:
Fran@avwinegrowers.org

New Association’s Goal Is For AntelopeValley To Receive

Global Recognition As A Winemaking Region

By FRAN PAOLINELLI

                Few people realize that AntelopeValley has become an important winemaking region. Most visitors to the Valley are surprised that the delicate grape needed to make fine wines could even grow in the hot, arid desert.

                However, the newly formed Antelope Valley Winegrowers Association plans to change that and let the world know that not only are wine grapes grown and wine produced in Antelope Valley, but that the wine is extraordinary.

                Wines produced with AV grapes have garnered many awards in competition throughout the country. In fact, one vineyard has sold some of their grapes to Napa area wineries to be used in wines produced in Northern California.

                At their November meeting, the members of the association chose to name the association after the area - AntelopeValley.

                Members also elected an executive board.

New Task, New Name

                Starting in January, the group will begin the task of selecting a name and applying for an appellation. That name must be approved by the TTB,  (Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau). After the approval, which will be a lengthy process, AntelopeValley will become its own viticulture area.

                The group has already received an offer of help from Eric Quanstrom, director of marketing for Appellation America – an organization dedicated in building appellation consciousness in North America. Quanstrom has offered to travel to AntelopeValley and speak to the association about their efforts to from an appellation.

                And another source of assistance has come from Ralph Carter, who authored the petitions for appellation for two of the most recently approved viticultural appellations - Covelo and Dos Rios in MendocinoCounty.

                Carter’s petition for the covelo appellation was chosen by Nancy Sutton, a specialists at the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, as an example of the “perfect” petition to use in applying for an appellation.

                “He is super keen to get involved and help out in any way he can. He is very familiar with the process and what exactly need to be done at every stage of the application,” said Adam Dial, managing editor of Appellation America.

         “We are so happy that Ralph has stepped in to assist us in this, his knowledge and enthusiasm is just what we need in this historical and exciting time for us,” said Chantel Kilmer, the first president of Antelope Valley Winegrowers Association and director of marketing & events of Cameo Vineyards.

                Once the app-ellation has been ap-proved, all bottles of wine produced by local wineries will state on the label that only grapes grown in and around the AntelopeValley were used in making the wines.

                As AntelopeValley wine is shipped throughout the state, country and world, the Valley will receive global recognition as a winemaking region.

                This also will increase the value of the wines.

The Association  

                The Antelope Valley Winegrowers Association is made up of a broad cross-section of the local wine industry, including vineyard and winery owners, winemakers, directors of winery marketing, vineyard and winery personnel as well as those working in related industries.

                Officers recently chosen by the winegrowers association were President - Chantel Kilmer, Cameo Vineyards & Winery; Vice President - David Reynolds, Leona Valley Vineyards & Winery; Treasurer - Cyndee Donato, Donato Family Vineyards & Antelope Valley Winery; Secretary - Fran Paolinelli, Antelope Valley Wine Country Magazine; Public Relations - Shelly Sorsabal, Sorsabal Vineyards; Membership - Efren Chavez, Chavez Vineyards and  Vineyard Manager and Consultant for the Antelope Valley Winery; and Information and Events Coordinator - Allen Quinton, Sales & Marketing, Antelope Valley Winery.

                Other members in attendance included: Kathy Calandri - Calandri Vineyards; Bob Kopanski-Raven-crest Vineyards; Jason Matney and Birch Pender - formerly Carina Vine-yards, Christopher Woods and Emmett Murrell - Emm Stel Sacred Vineyards.

                Kilmer is the director of marketing and events for Cameo Vineyards and was instrumental in bringing the group together to form the association.

                Reynolds, and his wife Corey, are the owners of the Leona Valley Vineyards, one of the newest vineyards in the AntelopeValley area.

                Donato, and her husband Frank, own the vineyards and winery located at 20th Street West and Avenue M.

                Paolinelli, a former newspaper reporter and assistant editor, is the managing editor of Antelope Valley Wine Country Magazine - one of three publications owned by her son, Richard Paolinelli, of Half Moon Bay, CA.

                Shelly Sorsabal, former Palmdale City Council Woman, is a local real estate agent and the owner of the vineyard just west of 60th Street West on Avenue N.

                Efren Chavez, owner of two vineyards - one on LakeLos Angeles and another on the west side of the Valley, is also the vineyard manager for AntelopeValley and Agua Dulce Vine-yards. Before relocating to AntelopeValley, Chavez spent 20 years in the Napa and Sonoma areas.     

                Allen Quinton is the assistant winemaker at AV Winery. He also has played a huge part in bringing the wineries and vineyards together, stating that, “We need to work in unity, not in separate corners of the AntelopeValley.”

                There are between 16-20 known wine grape growing vineyards in the Valley, according to Chavez, who has helped developed many of them.

                Membership in the  Association is open to  any  vineyard and winery owner and their employees, industry associates, as well as individual memberships.

                The association meets each month at Antelope Valley Winery in Lancaster.

                For more information about the association, membership or vineyards and wineries in AntelopeValley, call Allen Quinton at (661) 547-8344.