Intellectual Property Law

Wineries Say Soil Distinguishes Their Wines from the Competition

By Michael Atkins

The Seattle Times today reports on Washington wineries’ efforts to become recognized as an official wine appellation.

A neat wrinkle is the wineries not only hail from the same Naches Heights region northwest of Yakima, but they also all pledge to be organic.

One winery owner lobbying for recognition describes the 13,000 acres making up the proposed region with the passion of a lifelong farmer, which he is.

“This area is special because it’s all one type of dirt. It’s all volcanic — andesite lava rather than basalt — and that makes it fairly unique.”

From a branding perspective these wineries have the right idea. They focus on what sets them apart from their competition. In this area, it’s apparently the soil. If the Naches Heights region produces great wines, member wineries can emphasize their appellation in marketing. Over time, consumers will seek out wines from that region even if they don’t know any of the producers. In this way, the American Viticultural Area designation the wineries seek functions as a trademark, and a potentially strong trademark at that.

Full post as published by Seattle Trademark Lawyer on November 13, 2008 (boomark / email).