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An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from a particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If a wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished in the state where the AVA is located.
The Alexander Valley is a Californian American Viticultural Area (AVA) just north of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It is home to many wineries and vineyards, as well as the city of Cloverdale. It is the largest and most fully planted wine region in Sonoma. Highway 101 runs through the valley, and the Russian River flows down the valley, surrounded by vineyards on both sides. From the higher elevations of the valley rim, there is a view as far south as Taylor Mountain and Sonoma Mountain. The region was named for Cyrus Alexander, owner of a part of the Rancho Sotoyome Mexican land grant, in 1847. Granted AVA status in 1984, the boundaries of the appellation are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 9.53.
Rockpile AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Sonoma County, California, northwest of the town of Healdsburg. Established on February 28, 2002, Rockpile AVA was Sonoma County's twelfth designated wine appellation. The wine region consists of approximately 15,400 acres (62 km2) in northwestern Sonoma County. All of the AVA has an elevation in excess of 800 feet (244 m) above sea level. Eleven vineyards are currently located within the AVA and there are approximately 160 acres (1 km2) of planted wine grapes.
The Anderson Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area centered on the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, California. It is known primarily for its Pinot noir and sparkling wine production. Lying 10 to 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the AVA is prone to wide diurnal temperature variation of between 40 to 50 °F. The valley frequently has long Indian summers. Wineries in the AVA host an annual Alsatian wine festival where locally produced Riesling and Gewurztraminer wines are showcased.
The North Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the state of California that encompasses grape-growing regions in six counties located north of San Francisco: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. This large appellation covers over 3,000,000 acres (5,000 sq mi) and includes a number of smaller sub-appellations that all share the common ecology trait of weather affected by the fog and breezes off the Pacific Ocean.
The Covelo AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in northern Mendocino County, California. Although the region only has 2 acres (1 ha) under vine, it was granted AVA status by the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau on February 16, 2006, based purely on the unique climate conditions of the area. The appellation is located 45 miles (72 km) north of Ukiah, California and includes the areas of Round and Williams Valleys. The area is relatively flat terrain built upon deep loam layers of soil. Unlike other areas in the California wine country, Covelo has a continental climate with the high peaks surrounding the valley shielding it from the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The growing season here is one of the shortest in Mendocino County and the area experiences one of the widest diurnal temperature variation in the region.
The Potter Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in northern Mendocino County, California centered on town of Potter Valley. The appellation is found east of the Redwood Valley AVA and has an elevation of around 200 feet (61 m) higher than surrounding areas. The influence of the nearby Eel River watershed has created conditions conducive to the production of botrytized wines - especially Riesling, Sauvignon blanc and Semillon.
The Edna Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in San Luis Obispo County, California encompassing the rural town of Edna, which is south of the county seat San Luis Obispo and north of the small coastal town Arroyo Grande. It is a sub-region of the larger Central Coast AVA. The valley is roughly bounded by Lake Lopez to the south and Islay Hill to the north. The valley runs east to west, bounded to the west by the Santa Lucia Mountains. It is surrounded by volcanic mountains and characterized by black humus and clay-rich soils. With moderate sunshine, cool maritime fog, and rich oceanic and volcanic soils, the Edna Valley appellation has California's longest growing season. The valley is kept cool by breezes from the Pacific Ocean and morning fog. The extended growing season gives complex flavors to the grapes.
The Bell Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Gillespie County, Texas. It was the first designated wine area located entirely in the state of Texas, and covers an area of over 3,200 acres (5 sq mi). The appellation is entirely contained within the Texas Hill Country AVA, which was established nine years after Bell Mountain AVA. As of 2006, there were nine wineries in the appellation.
The Escondido Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Pecos County, Texas. It was the fifth designated wine area in the state of Texas, and covers an area of over 32,000 acres (129 km2). There are no wineries located in the Escondido Valley AVA. One winery that makes Escondido Valley AVA designated wines is Ste. Genevieve Wines, whose winery facilities are located near Fort Stockton.
The Grand Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Mesa County, Colorado, primarily in Grand Junction and Palisade. It is located roughly 200 miles West-Southwest of Denver. The high-desert AVA - with an average elevation of between 4,000 and 5,000 feet above sea level - is defined by the irrigated agricultural area served via canals within the Grand Valley of the Colorado River. The AVA was established in 1991 as the first of two Colorado wine regions. The West Elks AVA is the second federally designated AVA in Colorado.
The Isle St. George AVA is an American Viticultural Area located on North Bass Island, Ohio, an island in Lake Erie. The only town on the Ottawa County island is also called Isle Saint George, although the "Saint" in the AVA name must be abbreviated as "St." to be used on wine labels. Over half of the island used to be planted with grapevines. Now only 44% of the island has grapes. Lake Erie is warmer than the other Great Lakes, providing a moderating and warming effect on the local climate. Temperatures on the island during the growing season can be warmer than on the mainland. Cool climate varietals such as Catawba, Delaware, Gewürztraminer, Pinot noir, and Riesling are the most important in Isle St. George.
The Lake Erie AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes 2,236,800 acres (3,495 sq mi) of land on the south shore of Lake Erie in the U.S. states of Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. Over 42,000 acres (17,000 ha) of the region are planted in grapevines, predominantly in the Concord grape variety.
The Cumberland Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Washington County in west-central Maryland and Franklin and Cumberland counties in south-central Pennsylvania. Only 100 acres (40 ha) of the 765,000 acres (309,585 ha) included in the wine appellation are planted to grapevines, predominantly on high terraces over the Potomac River and on the slopes of South Mountain. The soil in the area is alkaline limestone. The Cumberland Valley mainly has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and is mainly in hardiness zone 6b with 7a at the ends. The AVA extends from the Potomac to the Susquehanna River.
The Catoctin AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Frederick and Washington counties of western Maryland. The region is bordered by Catoctin Mountain to the east, the Pennsylvania border to the north, South Mountain to the west, and the Potomac River to the south. "Catoctin" is Algonquian for "speckled rock", a geological feature of the area. Two commercial wineries operate in the AVA. The hardiness zones are 7a and 6b.
The Finger Lakes AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Upstate New York, south of Lake Ontario. The Finger Lakes encompass eleven glacial lakes, but the area around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes contain the vast majority of vineyard plantings in the AVA. Cayuga and Seneca Lakes each have their own American Viticultural Areas completely contained within the Finger Lakes AVA. The Finger Lakes AVA includes 11,000 acres (4,452 ha) of vineyards and is the largest wine-producing region in New York State. As of 2020 the Spotted Lanternfly has been discovered in New York. Its possible damage could devastate the Finger Lake wine industry.
The Hudson River Region AVA is an American Viticultural Area around the Hudson River in eastern New York. The region is home to the oldest continuously operating winery in North America, the Brotherhood Winery, established in 1839. The oldest continuously cultivated vineyard in North America is also located in the Hudson River Region AVA, and is today operated by Benmarl Winery.
The Long Island AVA is an American Viticultural Area encompassing Nassau and Suffolk counties of New York, including the smaller offshore islands in those counties. The AVA was established in 2001, over 15 years after two smaller AVAs were created at the eastern end of Long Island. The Long Island AVA designation was promoted as a benefit for some wineries located just outside the two smaller AVAs and for wineries that wanted to create wines that use blends from vineyards in different parts of the island. It was also developed and promoted as a consumer protection of the Long Island name; AVAs require that a minimum of 85% of the fruit used in the designated wine is grown within the borders of the region. The "Long Island" AVA was authored by veteran Long Island winemaker Richard Olsen-Harbich who also authored "The Hamptons, Long Island" and "North Fork of Long Island" AVAs in the mid-1980s.
The North Fork of Long Island AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in eastern Suffolk County, New York. Authored by winemaker Richard Olsen-Harbich in 1985, it includes the entire North Fork of Long Island and the townships of Riverhead, Shelter Island, and Southold. The North Fork of Long Island is home to over 40 wineries and 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of planted vineyards. The local climate is heavily influenced by the presence of Long Island Sound, Peconic Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean. The maritime influences of these bodies of water help to moderate temperature fluctuations and extend the growing season up to a month longer than other regions in New York. The most planted grape varieties in the region are Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. The hardiness zone is 7a.
The Hamptons, Long Island AVA is an American Viticultural Area located entirely within eastern Suffolk County, New York, and includes the entire South Fork of Long Island and the townships of Southampton and East Hampton. Authored by winemaker Richard Olsen-Harbich in 1984, it was the first AVA to be approved for Long Island. The region covers an east–west oriented peninsula approximately 54 miles (87 km) long and between 0.5 miles (0.8 km) and 10.0 miles (16.1 km) wide. The local climate is heavily influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Peconic Bay. The region is generally cooler and more prone to fog than the nearby North Fork of Long Island AVA. The soil is silt and loam. The area is in hardiness zone 7a except for Montauk where it is 7b.
References
- ↑ Code of Federal Regulations. "§ 9.63 Linganore." Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas. Retrieved Feb. 5, 2008.
- ↑ Wine Institute, The (2008). "American Viticultural Areas by State" Archived 2008-01-27 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved Feb. 1, 2008.
- 1 2 Appellation America (2007). "Linganore (AVA): Appellation Description". Retrieved Feb. 5, 2008.
