Comment from Morse, Stan

I am a lifelong born-and-raised resident of the Chelan Valley. I have been an attorney for 29 years, and for the past 4 years a serious amateur winemaker. I also serve on the City Council as a council member for the City of Chelan. Chelan is one of those iconic places, often compared to Sun Valley, the Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, and even Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Our visitors are often lifetime returnees who are proud to come to this unique glacially carved valley. In support of the request for a Lake Chelan AVA, I submit the language which has been handed on to me (see below) by a member of the proponent group. But I would add the observation that when I tell people that I make wine, their first question is usually: "Oh, do you get your grapes from the Chelan Valley?" And to this positive question, I answer, "Some", to which they usually ask, "Which grapes grow well in the Chelan Valley?" It is this strong interest in locally grown grapes that causes me to highly recommend that you consider approving an AVA for our pristine glacial Lake Chelan Valley. Sincerely, Stan Morse The proposed Lake Chelan American Viticultural Area is a significant addition to the other so designated areas of Washington state because of the unique growing conditions it possesses. The Lake Chelan Valley was carved out by glaciers 10,000 years ago leaving a lake behind that is 50 miles long and 1500 feet in depth. This lake and the surrounding glacial terraces create growing conditions that are unique to the state of Washington and within the United States. The lake serves to store heat in the summer time when temperatures reach 100 degrees and release it in the winter months to moderate the local micro-climate and protect the grapevines from sub-zero conditions. The glacial terraces left behind when the glacier retreated created outstanding growing sites for grape production. This is already evidenced by the numerous awards wine made from Lake Chelan grown fruit are already garnering in regional and international wine competitions. At the 2008 Washington State Wine Competition the best of show, double gold medal winning Syrah wine was produced from grapes grown at Lake Chelan, and this is in a state where Syrah is recognized world wide for its quality. The designation of the Lake Chelan Valley as a unique AVA is warranted for both its unique growing conditions and the quality of the wine being produced from those grapes.