Jahant AVA

Jahant is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located primarily in San Joaquin County, California with a minor portion in Sacramento County. It lies in the center of the existing Lodi viticultural area about 29 miles (47 km) south of the city of Sacramento and seven miles (11 km) north of the city of Lodi. It was established on July 17, 2006, as the nation's 162nd, the state's 102nd and San Joaquin County's fifth appellation by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Lodi American Viticultural Areas (LAVA) Steering Committee proposing a viticultural area in San Joaquin County known as "Jahant."

The Lodi American Viticultural Areas (LAVA) Steering Committee actually petitioned TTB in 2003 for seven new viticultural areas within the boundary of the existing Lodi viticultural in southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin Counties. The seven LAVA Steering Committee petitions proposed the creation of the Alta Mesa, Borden Ranch, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Sloughhouse viticultural areas. The sixteen wine industry members that comprise the committee stated that their proposal subdivides the existing Lodi area into "seven smaller viticultural areas of distinction." The establishment of the seven viticultural areas did not in any way affect the 551,500-acre (862 sq mi) Lodi viticultural area. The Lodi area continues as a single American viticultural area within its current boundary, however, the TTB ruled that the seven proposed areas fall entirely within the 458,000 acres (716 sq mi) original 1986 boundary of the Lodi viticultural area and thus, as proposed, would not include any of the 93,500 acres (146 sq mi) added to the Lodi area when it was expanded along its western and southern borders in 2002.

The 28,000-acre (44 sq mi) "Jahant" is the smallest of the seven Lodi sub-appellations. The terrain is noted for its river terraces and old floodplain deposits. At the outset, approximately 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) were under vine. The low-lying topography is affected by the close proximity to the Mokelumne River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta which keeps the climate cool and dry. The climate is cooler, dryer, and windier than most of the other viticultural areas. Its delineated by the extent and reaches of the soil. The distinctive pink colored Rocklin-Jahant loam soil is its most distinguishing characteristic, according to the petition, giving the area a unique grape-growing environment. The plant hardiness zones are 9a and 9b.