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.
The Rattlesnake Hills AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Yakima County, Washington. United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) awarded Rattlesnake Hills its appellation status on March 20, 2006, making Rattlesnake Hills Washington's ninth federally recognized American Viticultural Area. The Rattlesnake Hills AVA is entirely contained within the Yakima Valley AVA, which is in turn is entirely contained within the larger Columbia Valley AVA. The hills form the northern boundary of Yakima Valley, and the AVA includes land between the north bank of the Sunnyside Canal and the entirety of the southern slopes of the Rattlesnake Hills between Outlook and the Wapato Dam. The AVA is centered on the city of Zillah. With elevations ranging from 850 feet (259 m) to 3,085 feet (940 m), this AVA contains the highest point in the Yakima Valley AVA.
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 an 29.4 square miles expansion to its southern boundary.
Paso Robles is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in San Luis Obispo County, California. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on November 3, 1983 based on a petition submitted by Martin-Brothers Winery. The area encompasses 609,673 acres (953 sq mi) with approximately 18,500 acres (7,487 ha) cultivated with wine grapes known for their heritage varietal Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rhône-style wines.
The San Francisco Bay AVA is a large American Viticultural Area centered on the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. The San Francisco Bay AVA includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Mateo as well as parts of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The AVA was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in 1999 and encompasses over 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km2). The AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA and contains five designated sub-region AVAs within its boundaries; Lamorinda AVA, Livermore Valley AVA, Pacheco Pass AVA, San Ysidro District AVA, and Santa Clara Valley AVA.
The Central Coast AVA is a large American Viticultural Area in the U.S. state of California that spans from Santa Barbara County in the south to the San Francisco Bay Area in the north. The boundaries of the Central Coast include portions of six counties. With around 100,000 acres (400 km2) planted to wine grapes, Chardonnay accounts for more than half of the total. Within this larger AVA are several smaller appellations that share the same cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean.
The Arroyo Grande Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is part of the larger Central Coast AVA with the area composed of sedimentary and volcanic soils over a layer of bedrock known as the Franciscan Complex. The 16 miles (26 km) long appellation benefits from its east-northeast orientation which allows the breeze from the Pacific Ocean to moderate the climate of the area. The valley is divided by a fog line produced by the cool coastal fogs where Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Rhône varietals are grown on the higher elevations near Lopez Lake and the cooler mid-valley vineyards being home to Chardonnay and Pinot noir. On April 8, 2022, the TTB approved the designation of the expansive San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast AVA overlapping the boundaries of Arroyo Grande Valley and Edna Valley since they share common features. However, the two previously established AVAs still have unique characteristics to retain their distinctions as viticultural areas within SLO Coast.
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area centered on the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its territory spans three California counties, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. Established in 1981 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was among the first to be defined by its mountain 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 toward the ridgecrests at 3000+ feet elevation.
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.
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.
Lake County wine is an appellation that designates wine made from grapes grown mostly in Lake County, California and located north of Napa County. Although each region within Lake County has unique viticultural attributes, all are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in California. Lake County enjoys a reputation for bright, concentrated red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel, and fresh, aromatic whites made from Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon has the most acreage, with Merlot a distant second.
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).
West Elks is an American Viticultural Area located in Delta County on the Western Slope of Colorado within the North Fork Valley surrounding the towns of Cedaredge, Hotchkiss and Paonia. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) effective May 7, 2001 and is the latest of the two registered viticultural areas in the "Centennial State." The viticultural area takes its name from the West Elk Mountains that provides a magnificent view to every vineyard in the region. It is located on mesa lands with 48,405 acres (76 sq mi) expanding along the North Fork Gunnison River from the historic mining town of Bowie, through Paonia and Hotchkiss. Its borders are the West Elk range to the east and the higher Grand Mesa to the north. To the south, Crawford and Fruitland Mesa have a higher elevation and the plateau climbs until it reaches the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. To the west lies the barren Adobe Badlands which has little plant growth. State Highway 133 bisects the AVA in a north-south direction. The high-altitude vineyards are situated mostly at 5,400 to 6,400 feet (1,600–2,000 m) above sea level. The USDA plant hardiness zone is 7a.
The Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Santa Barbara County, California. It was designated officially by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in November 2009 and is the smallest AVA in Santa Barbara County when measured by land under vine, covering 37 square miles with 492 acres (199 ha) of planted vine. The area comprises canyon terrain, hills, and river and creek basins to the east and south of the San Rafael Mountains, northwest of Lake Cachuma and north of the Santa Ynez River. Elevations within the AVA range from 500 feet (150 m) in the southwest corner to 3,430 feet (1,050 m) in the northeast corner, in the foothills of the San Rafael Range. It is home to six major vineyards and one active winery.
Los Olivos District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California established on January 20, 2016, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). It straddles the Santa Ynez Valley, formed by the Santa Ynez River, between the Purisima Hills above Solvang. The area encompasses the townships of Los Olivos, Ballard, Santa Ynez and Solvang. State Route 154, known locally as the San Marcos Pass Road or Chumash Highway, bisects the region accessing many of the wineries and vineyards as it traverses toward its destination in Santa Barbara.
Ballard Canyon AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Santa Barbara County, California and established on October 2, 2013 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The 7,800 acres (12 sq mi) designated area lies west of Ballard and Solvang townships while in the center of the Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area, which in turn, is within the perimeter of the larger multi-county Central Coast viticultural area. As of 2021, the Santa Ynez Valley AVA contains three other established viticultural areas: Santa Rita Hills, which lies to the west; Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara to the east of the Ballard Canyon. Los Olivos District borders Ballard Canyon's eastern perimeter while Santa Rita Hills and the Happy Canyon areas do not share boundaries nor overlap Ballard Canyon. The USDA plant hardiness zone for the AVA is 9b.
Moon Mountain District Sonoma County is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) within Sonoma Valley and North Coast viticultural areas, just north of the city of Sonoma. This mountainous region on the very eastern edge of Sonoma County has a historic reputation for producing rich, intensely-flavored wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah varietals since the 1880s. The District was established on November 1, 2013 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Its designation covers 17,663 acres (28 sq mi) of land stretching north-south along the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains between Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Los Carneros viticultural area with the Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder viticultural area outlining the eastern slopes. Its name is derived from Moon Mountain Road, which traverses through the area and itself a reference to Sonoma, which means 'valley of the moon' in the local Native American dialect. A clear view to San Francisco 50 miles (80 km) south is not uncommon from Moon Mountain District vineyards.
Alisos Canyon is an American Viticultural Area (AVA), located in Santa Barbara County, California due east outside the small town of Los Alamos on U.S 101 and about 20 miles (32 km) south of Santa Maria, was established on August 25, 2020, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Alisos Canyon stretches west to east over 9 square miles with one bonded winery and nine commercially-producing vineyards cultivates on approximately 238 acres (96 ha). Alisos Canyon Road bisects the region accessing many of its vineyards. The USDA plant hardiness zone for the AVA is 7b.
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 United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Viticulture in Santa Barbara County is traceable to missionary plantings in the Milpas Valley late in the 18th century when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of Father Junipero Serra who brought grapevine cuttings from Mexico to be planted near Sycamore Creek. Since commercial viticulture rebounded in the 1960s, Santa Barbara County has been on the fast track to viticultural stardom. Its grapes now command among the highest prices anywhere in the state. In 1965, soil and climatic studies indicated that the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria valleys offered suitable conditions for growing high-quality wine grapes. Thus launched a revival of the area's two-centuries-old wine industry which, in 1995, made Santa Barbara County an internationally prominent wine region. The county is famous for its primer Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and gaining a reputation for Rhone varietals including Syrah and Viognier,
