That's very kind. Thank you and I'm glad the cast is helpful. Cheers!

He was a very real and no nonsense kind of guy, and I think his son Jason is doing an amazing job (last time I checked in)

You gonna be in Sarasota? See you there if that's the case!

Worden hill road itself is a Mecca!!!!

So excited, I was training someone today and I told her about you as a resource , and she said she thinks she actually knows you!!! Her husband works in Tech also!!!

I think the issue with making The Rocks cross-border is twofold: First, I don't know to what degree the proposed boundaries for an AVA can be modified once the proposal is consideration, particularly by individuals who didn't propose the AVA. Remember that AVAs aren't proposed by a government entity (just approved by one) and it's private citizens who propose them. Second, the justification for the AVA was to a large degree soil-driven with a particular focus on the galets or cobblestones that litter a lot of the vineyards (though not all of them); so, an attempt to extend the proposed boundaries might have been fought on those grounds. The strategy that WA winemakers did attempt was to get an easement from the TTB to the effect that as long as the wine was made in the Walla Walla Valley AVA it should be allowed access to the Rocks designation since it's made within the parent appellation even if on the other side of the state line. Alas, the TTB said, no dice. Hope that helps and thanks for the question. Cheers!

@@TheUnknownWinecaster I definitely considered the geophysical aspects of defining the AVA, and the growing desire among American winemakers to use the AVA system in a more terroir-centric manner. However, the solution (as I see it) was relatively simple - namely a tiny sliver of cross-border land in WA being included. Too small to be useful for farming, but incredibly useful versus the TTB's draconian implementation.

@@ecmo11 I see. Sort of a vinous gerrymandering. I imagine the TTB wouldn't want to open that can of worms, but it might have been worth a shot. Cheers!

The Oregon Requirements are taken very seriously, we have several wines we source from Washington that wine bars and restaurants refuse to carry, because they are NOT exclusively from oregon. However, we source our Barbera from the Rocks, so we can call our Italian blend an "Oregon" wine, so our local establishments will sell it... it is a huge selling point in the land dominated by Pinot, to have estate and Oregon grown italian varietals.

You in the 305? I'm up in Broward and host a tasting group Monday evenings for people working towards certifications if you're interested.

Thanks I'll definitely keep that in mind

Hello! Thanks for the question. I haven't done 4, so I have a limited perspective. Ultimately, the answer depends on what you want to do in the wine industry. Are you looking to be in service, wine making, marketing and sales or something else?

The Unknown Winecaster yes, that is part of the difficulty. I am a public servant by day, but very interested in wine. That said my access to industry jobs is limited. I can retire in 10 years. I fear if i do the course now, it will be irrelevant in 10 years. Hotel work may be a good thing to position me for Bed and Breakfast, or similar in the future. Or i could be the wall-mart greeter equivalent at a winery. Are you training in wset or cms, or independently?