(Wines&Vines) - While few winegrowers have been planting in California during the past five years, it’s a different story in Washington’s Red Mountain appellation. The American Viticultural Area, arguably Washington’s best known, has numerous vineyards being planted and planned. At present, about 1,500 acres are planted in the 4,040-acre AVA near Benton City, with about 100 acres being planted this year and around 100 acres next year, according to Jim Holmes from Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard. The geography Most people wouldn’t call the area a mountain, more like a large hill with elevations from 500 feet to 1,400 feet. The gently sloping, southwestern-facing site also includes flat land near the Yakima River. The sides of the small peak on the north are too steep for most vineyards.