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 within the state where the AVA is located.
Washington wine is a wine produced from grape varieties grown in the U.S. state of Washington. Washington ranks second in the United States in the production of wine. By 2017, the state had over 55,000 acres (220 km2) of vineyards, a harvest of 229,000 short tons (208,000 t) of grapes, and exports going to over 40 countries around the world from the 940+ wineries located in the state. While there are some viticultural activities in the cooler, wetter western half of the state, the majority (99.9%) of wine grape production takes place in the shrub-steppe eastern half. The rain shadow of the Cascade Range leaves the Columbia River Basin with around 8 inches (200 mm) of annual rain fall, making irrigation and water rights of paramount interest to the Washington wine industry. Viticulture in the state is also influenced by long sunlight hours and consistent temperatures.
Willamette Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) which lies in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The AVA is the wine growing region which encompasses the drainage basin of the Willamette River. It stretches from the Columbia River in the north to just south of Eugene in the south, where the Willamette Valley ends; and from the Oregon Coast Range in the west to the Cascade Mountains in the east. At 5,360 square miles, it is the largest AVA in the state, and contains most of the state's wineries; approximately 908 as of 2021.
Columbia Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) which lies within the Columbia River Plateau, through much of central and southern Washington state, with a section crossing the state boundary into northern Oregon south of the Columbia River. The viticultural area includes the drainage basin of the Columbia River and its tributaries through much of Washington. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on December 13, 1984 after evaluating the petition filed by Drs, Walter Clore and Wade Wolfe of Prosser, Washington on behalf of Washington’s oldest and largest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, and by William Blosser of the Sokol Blosser Winery, Dundee, Oregon. Allen Shoup, president of Chateau Ste. Michelle, understood the importance of obtaining appellation status to grow the reputation of the Northwest viticulture industry.
Yakima Valley is the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) established within Washington state, gaining the recognition on May 4, 1983. Within the vast Columbia Valley AVA, Yakima Valley appellation cultivates more than 53,000 acres (21,448 ha) giving the region the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in the state. The most widely planted varietals in the area are Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot gris, and Syrah. Nearly 40% of Washington's annual wine production is made from Yakima Valley grapes. In addition to grapes, the Yakima Valley is also home to several fruit orchards growing apples, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. Around the town of Zillah, there is the Zillah Fruit Loop driving tour through the area's orchards and vineyards. The area is also home to nearly 80% of the US hop production.
Red Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) that encompasses the local region surrounding Red Mountain in Benton County, Washington. The viticultural area was formally recognized on June 11, 2001 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Lorne Jacobson of Hedges Cellars to establish an area known as "Red Mountain." It lies entirely within the Yakima Valley and vast Columbia Valley appellations and is the smallest AVA in the state at only 4,040 acres (6.31 sq mi) in area and lies between Benton City and the City of West Richland. The area has more than 2,225 acres (900 ha) under cultivation of primarily red varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. The reputation of the area's wines has brought Red Mountain worldwide attention and acclaim for producing some of the most desired Washington State vintage wines.
Walla Walla Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Washington state and extending partly into the northeastern corner of Oregon. The wine region is entirely included within the larger Columbia Valley AVA. In addition to grapes, the area produces sweet onions, wheat and strawberries After the Yakima Valley AVA, the Walla Walla AVA has the second highest concentration of vineyards and wineries in Washington State. Walla Walla hosts about 140 wineries. The area was recognized on March 7, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Mr. Richard L Small, President of the Walla Walla Valley Winegrowers Association, for the establishment of a viticultural area in southeast Washington and northeast Oregon, east of Lake Wallula, to be known as "Walls Walls Valley." At the time, Walla Walla Valley viticultural area was approximately 178,560 acres (279 sq mi) with two bonded wineries and about 60 acres (24 ha) from several vineyards.
Horse Heaven Hills is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in southeastern Washington lying in portions of Klickitat, Yakima, and Benton counties, north and west of the Columbia River and south of the Yakima Valley and lies within the vast Columbia Valley appellation. Horse Heaven Hills was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury on June 30, 2005 after reviewing the petition filed by Paul D. Lucas on behalf of regional wine grape growers. Horse Heaven Hills viticultural area is about 60 miles (97 km) long and 22 miles (35 km) wide located 115 miles (185 km) east from Vancouver, Washington. The appellation encompasses 570,000 acres (891 sq mi) with about 6,400 acres (2,590 ha) under vine.
Wahluke Slope is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located within Grant County, Washington established on January 6. 2006 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Wahluke Slope Wine Grape Growers Association (WSWGGA), represented by Alan J. Busacca, Ph.D., proposing the establishment of the viticultural area named "Wahluke Slope."
Leona Valley AVA is an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in northeastern Los Angeles County, California. It is located in Leona Valley within the Sierra Pelona Mountains of Southern California.
Sta. Rita Hills is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California. From its creation in 2001 through 2006, the wine appellation was officially named Santa Rita Hills AVA. The formal name change was the result of a protest by and subsequent negotiations with Vina Santa Rita, a very large Chilean wine producer that was concerned about the AVA name diluting its international brand value. The name change took effect on January 5, 2006, with a yearlong period for producers in the AVA to change their wine labels. In 2016, TTB expanded the approximately 33,380 acres (52 sq mi) “Sta. Rita Hills” viticultural area by approximately 2,296 acres (4 sq mi).
Snipes Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. It was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury on January 21, 2009 as the state's 10th AVA. It is the second smallest AVA in the state, after the Red Mountain AVA, and has one of the state's longest viticultural histories. The 4,145 acres (6 sq mi) appellation is a sub-AVA of the Yakima Valley AVA and the Columbia Valley AVA. It is located above and between the towns of Sunnyside and Granger around Outlook, Washington, in the southeast corner of the Yakima Valley.
Lake Chelan is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington state. The appellation lies about 112 miles (180 km) northeast of Seattle located in north-central Washington's Lake Chelan Valley and is a sub-appellation of the vast Columbia Valley AVA. It lies east of the Puget Sound viticultural area and north or west of the other Washington State viticultural areas. It borders the Columbia Valley viticultural area on is eastern side and does not include any portion of other Washington viticultural areas except the Columbia Valley AVA.
Boushey Vineyard is a grape-growing estate located in the Yakima Valley AVA, north of Grandview, Washington. Grapes grown in the vineyard have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the name Boushey regularly being featured on vineyard designated wines. Paul Gregutt, wine writer for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, list Boushey as one of the "top ten" vineyards in the entire state. The vineyard is owned and managed by viticulturist Dick Boushey who was honored in 2002 by the Washington State Wine Commission as Washington's "Grower of the Year" and in 2007 by Wine & Spirits as their "Grower of the Year". After Red Willow Vineyard, which was planted with David Lake and Mike Sauer, Boushey was one of the first Washington wine growers to plant Syrah. Today, Boushey Vineyard is considered by wine experts such as Jon Bonné to be "One of the state's top Syrah spots" with many Washington Syrahs made from Boushey's grape receiving critical acclaim.
Naches Heights is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Yakima County, Washington. The AVA was recognized officially by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury on January 13, 2012 after reviewing the petition submitted by R. Paul Beveridge, owner of Wilridge Winery and Vineyard, to establish the viticultural area named "Naches Heights." The AVA is located entirely within the vast Columbia Valley AVA with the city of Yakima to the southeast in a valley at a lower elevation. The Naches Heights appellation encompasses 13,254 acres (21 sq mi) and contains 105 acres (42 ha) of commercial vineyards either producing or expecting to produce wine grapes in the foreseeable future. Additionally, it is the first AVA in Washington state to be fully sustainable, with all 7 vineyards practicing in either biodynamic or LIVE certification. At the recognition date, only 37.2 acres (15 ha) were under vine, making the AVA the smallest planted wine region in Washington.
The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Umatilla County, Oregon that is a sub-appellation of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, and both lie within the vast Columbia Valley AVA. The appellation was established on March 11, 2015 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted from Dr. Kevin R. Pogue, a professor of geology at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, proposing the viticultural area called "The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater."
Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley, also locally called "Ancient Lakes", is an American Viticultural Area {AVA) which lies on the western edge of the Columbia Basin near the town of Quincy in Douglas, Grant, and Kittitas Counties in the state of Washington. The appellation lies entirely within the vast Columbia Valley viticultural area and was established on November 19, 2012, as the state's 13th AVA, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury. The petition was received by TTB from Joan R. Davenport, a professor of soil sciences at Washington State University, and Cameron Fries of White Heron Cellars, on behalf of the vintners and grape growers in the Ancient Lakes region in central Washington, proposing the establishment of the "Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley" viticultural area.
Santa Barbara County wine is an appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Santa Barbara County, California which is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of Los Angeles County. County names in the United States automatically qualify as legal appellations of origin for wine produced from grapes grown in that county and do not require registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the Treasury Department. TTB was created in January 2003, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, was extensively reorganized under the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
Goose Gap is the 19th American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington, United States. It encompasses the local region surrounding Goose Mountain in Benton County between Kiona to the west, and Richland along the Columbia River to the east. The viticultural area was formally established on August 2, 2021, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by geologist/vintner, Alan Busacca, on behalf of the Goose Gap Wine Grower's Association, proposing the viticultural area "Goose Gap". The area is a sub-appellation entirely within the Yakima Valley and the expansive Columbia Valley AVAs sandwiched on a northwest–southeast axis between neighboring viticultural areas Red Mountain and the minute Candy Mountain.
Candy Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington that encompasses the slopes surrounding Candy Mountain in Benton County located southwest of Richland along the Columbia River. The viticultural area is the state's 16th AVA formally established on September 24, 2020, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Dr. Kevin R. Pogue, professor of geology at Whitman College, on behalf of the following industry members with wine businesses within the Candy Mountain appellation: Ramer Holtan, who is developing a commercial wine grape vineyard on Candy Mountain; Premiere Columbia Partners LLC, owners of Candy Mountain Vineyard; and Paul and Vickie Kitzke, owners of Kitzke Cellars. For wines to bear the “Candy Mountain AVA” label, at least 85% of the grapes used for production must be grown in the designated area, Candy Mountain is a sub-appellation entirely within the Yakima Valley and the expansive Columbia Valley AVAs adjacent to the eastern boundary of Goose Gap AVA and few miles southeast of Red Mountain AVA. Within the 815 acres (330 ha) minute AVA, there are currently two producing commercial vineyards, Candy Mountain Vineyard and Kitzke Cellars, which cultivate approximately 54 acres (22 ha) with future expansions for 200 acres (81 ha)
