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.
Livermore Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Alameda County, California, centered around the city of Livermore in the Tri-Valley region which is composed of Amador, San Ramon, and Livermore valleys. The valley was named by Robert Livermore, an 18th century landowner whose holdings encompassed the area who planted the first grapevines in the region. The 96,000 acres (150 sq mi) AVA was established on September 1, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by fifteen Livermore Valley vintners and growers to establish a viticultural area in Alameda County named "Livermore Valley."
Kathryn Kennedy was a California wine grower, establishing her vineyard during the growth phase in the California wine history known as "The Wine Boom of the early 1970s". While not the first woman winemaker, Kennedy was one of the first owners of a brand to bear a woman's name in California, and one who came to the scene independent of the young women graduates of the University of California-Davis.
Arroyo Seco is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Monterey County, California, southeast of Monterey Bay. The state's 15th appellation was established on May 16,1983 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Arroyo Seco Winegrowers and Vintners, an association composed of grape growers and vintners with vineyards, to establish a viticultural area within Monterey County known as "Arroyo Seco."
Chalone identifies the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) established in Monterey County, California straddling its border with San Benito County where it is the second established AVA. Chalone viticultural area is located in the Gabilan Mountains east of Soledad. It was recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) effective on July 14, 1982 after reviewing the petition submitted by the Gavilan Vineyards, Inc. to establish a viticultural area in Monterey and San Benito counties to be named "The Pinnacles." The area encompasses 8,640 acres (14 sq mi) and the proposed name was recognition of the nearby Chalone peaks.
Santa Maria Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) which straddles the boundary of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties in California's multi-county Central Coast AVA. It was established on August 5, 1981, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as California's second oldest AVA. A portion of the AVA crosses the Cuyama River into the southernmost corner of San Luis Obispo County. The east-west orientation of the 152.3 square miles with a wide, open valley and rolling hills means cool winds and fog flow in freely from the Pacific Ocean, settling most noticeably in lower-lying areas. The result is a mild Mediterranean climate that lengthens the growing season and contributes to the eventual sugar/acid balance in the grapes from Santa Maria Valley's 7,500 acres (3,000 ha) cultivated vineyards. On January 28, 2011, the AVA was granted a 29.4 square miles expansion to its southern boundary.
San Francisco Bay is a multi-county American Viticultural Area (AVA) which is centered and surrounds the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was established on January 19, 1999 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after evaluating the petition submitted by a consortium of nearly 75 growers and vintners led by Wente Bros. to establish the viticultural area known as "San Francisco Bay." It lies within the larger Central Coast viticultural area and includes San Francisco and counties encompassing the areas known as “South” and “East Bay.” This consists of Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and San Mateo as well as portions of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties. “North Bay” counties of Sonoma, Napa and Marin were excluded for they reside within the North Coast viticultural area with its distinct properties. ATF also concluded the established Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural area exhibits features and characteristics unique to its boundaries when compared to the surrounding areas, therefore, it was excluded from the "San Francisco Bay" viticultural area.
Central Coast is a vast American Viticultural Area (AVA) that spans along the Central California Pacific coastline from the San Francisco Bay Area south through Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. It was established on November 25, 1985 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Taylor California Cellars, a winery in Gonzales, California, to establish the "Central Coast" viticultural area. The boundaries of the Central Coast, which have been expanded twice, includes portions of six counties where approximately 100,000 acres (40,469 ha) cultivated with Chardonnay being more than half of the varietal. Within the multi-county AVA are numerous established appellations that share the same maritime climate produced by the Pacific Ocean.
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) centered on the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its territory spans three California counties, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo and was established January 4, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury. Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was among the first AVA to be defined by its mountainous topography. Based on elevation, it largely follows the fog line along the coast, extending down to 800 feet (240 m) on the eastern slope toward San Francisco Bay, 400 feet (120 m) on the western slope to the Pacific Ocean and extending along the ridge crest line at 3,000 feet (910 m) elevation plus.
The Russian River Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County, California. Centered on the Russian River, the Russian River Valley AVA accounts for about one-sixth of the total planted vineyard acreage in Sonoma County. The appellation was granted AVA status in 1983 and enlarged in 2005. The area generally lies between Sebastopol and Santa Rosa in the south, and Forestville and Healdsburg in the north. The Russian River Valley has a characteristically cool climate, heavily affected by fog generated by the valley's proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The area is known for its success with cool climate varietals, notably Pinot noir and Chardonnay.
Howell Mountain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County, California and the first sub-AVA within the internationally-acclaimed Napa Valley. The 14,080 acres (22 sq mi) region was effectively recognized on January 30, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by members of the grape-growing and wine-producing industries in the area proposing to establish a viticultural area named "Howell Mountain."
El Dorado is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in El Dorado County, California, east of the state’s capital, Sacramento and centered around the county seat of Placerville. It was established on November 14, 1983 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Treasury after approving the submitted petition from the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association of Camino, California applying to establish a viticultural area named "El Dorado.” The area includes parts of El Dorado County on the north border by the Middle Fork American River and on the south by the South Fork of the Cosumnes River. El Dorado viticultural area lies within the vast 4,062 square miles Sierra Foothills viticultural area, one of the largest appellations in California, which extends about 170 miles (274 km) through portions of Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties. The El Dorado viticultural area encompasses 1,093,120 acres (1,708 sq mi) which entirely includes Fair Play and a small portion of northeastern California Shenandoah Valley AVAs.
Lake County wine designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Lake County, California. The region is located north of Napa County and east of Mendocino County. Although each region within Lake County has unique viticultural attributes, many are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in California.
Red Hills Lake County is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Lake County, California and was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on September 10, 2004. Part of the Mayacamas Range, the region lies along the southeastern shores of Clear Lake, separating Excelsior Valley to the east from Big Valley to the west. The hills lie at the foot of Mount Konocti, a volcano which last erupted 11,000 years ago, but which is still regarded as active. The terrain is rolling hills with elevations between 1,400 feet (430 m) and 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. Red Hills receives an average of 25 to 40 inches (635–1,016 mm) of rainfall annually.
Monterey is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in eastern Monterey County, California. It was recognized on July 16, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Monterey Winegrowers Council to establish the "Monterey" viticultural area. The designated area within the multi-county Central Coast AVA expands almost the entire length of the county from the Monterey Bay southern shoreline to the Salinas river valley framed by the Santa Lucia, Sierra de Salinas and Gabilan Ranges stretching north-south for about 100 miles (160 km) from Watsonville to its southern point, abutting the town of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County. Monterey AVA expands approximately 360,000 acres (560 sq mi) with about 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) of cultivated vineyards. The AVA includes parts of the Carmel and the Salinas valleys containing five smaller American viticultural areas: Arroyo Seco, Hames Valley, San Bernabe, San Lucas and Santa Lucia Highlands. The northern portion is a cool growing region with a very long growing season. Daytime temperatures rarely exceed 75 °F (24 °C) in most parts of the region, although the southern segments of the AVA can measure 100 °F (38 °C) at times. The soil is sandy loam and most regions require irrigation from the Salinas River.
San Benito is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Benito County, California. It was established on November 4, 1987 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after evaluating the petition submitted by Almaden Vineyards, a winery and grape grower in the area, proposing that a portion of San Benito County be established as a viticultural area to be known as "San Benito."
Pacheco Pass is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the Santa Clara and San Benito counties of California. It lies within the larger San Francisco Bay viticultural area. Pacheco Pass was established on April 11, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after evaluating the petition submitted by Mr. H.G. Zanger of Pacheco Pass Vineyard, later renamed "Zanger Vineyards", proposing an area near Hollister, California, as a viticultural area known as "Pacheco Pass."
Sta. Rita Hills is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California within the vast Santa Ynez Valley. The approximately 30,720 acres (48 sq mi) area was established on May 31, 2001 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Department of the Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by J. Richard Sanford and drafted by Wesley D. Hagen, on behalf of viticulturists and vintners working in Santa Barbara County. The petition was signed by 22 people, 14 of whom are local wine grape growers, to establish a viticultural area encompassed by, but separate from, the Santa Ynez Valley AVA to be named "Santa Rita Hills."
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.
Monterey County wine is a appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown in Monterey County, California which lies entirely within the expansive multi-county Central Coast viticultural area. 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). 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.
