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Massachusetts is the 7th smallest state in the United States with an area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km2). It is bordered to the north by New Hampshire and Vermont, to the west by New York, to the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine. Massachusetts is the most populous New England state.
The Outer Lands is the prominent terminal moraine archipelagic region off the southern coast of New England in the United States. This eight-county region of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, comprises the peninsula of Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, the Narragansett Bay Islands, Block Island, Long Island, and Staten Island, as well as surrounding islands and islets.
Knights Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County, California. One of Sonoma County's original five AVAs, Knights Valley AVA was formally designated an American Viticultural Area on October 21, 1983. Knights Valley AVA includes approximately 37,000 acres (150 km2). Over 30 growers maintain the 2,000 acres (8 km2) planted to wine grape vineyards. The easternmost designated Sonoma County wine region, Knights Valley AVA has the warmest climate in the county. The valley lies between the Alexander Valley AVA and Chalk Hill AVA wine regions to the west and the Mayacamas Mountains to the east. Geographically, the appellation separates the rest of Sonoma County from the Napa Valley AVA.
Southeastern Massachusetts consists of those portions of Massachusetts located along Buzzards Bay, including the cities of New Bedford and Fall River and their respective suburbs. Despite the location of Cape Cod and the islands to its south, which are the southeasternmost parts of the state, they are not always grouped in this designation. At its broadest definition, it includes all of Massachusetts south of Boston, southeast of Worcester, and east of Providence, Rhode Island, while at its narrowest definition, it is Bristol County and the Western portion of Plymouth County.
The production of wine in New Jersey has increased significantly in the last thirty years with the opening of new wineries. Beginning in 1981, the state legislature relaxed Prohibition-era restrictions and crafted new laws to facilitate the growth of the industry and provide new opportunities for winery licenses. Today, New Jersey wineries are crafting wines that have earned recognition for their quality from critics, industry leaders, and in national and international competitions. As of 2019, New Jersey currently has 51 licensed and operating wineries with several more prospective wineries in various stages of development.
Massachusetts wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Most of the wine grape vineyards and wineries in Massachusetts are located in the southern half of the state, within the boundaries of the Southeastern New England AVA. Although the coastal conditions moderate the cold climate, many wineries rely upon cold-hardy French hybrid varietals like Seyval, Vidal, and Marechal Foch. There are over 55 wineries in Massachusetts, and one designated American Viticultural Area, the Martha's Vineyard AVA, located entirely within the boundaries of the state.
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 Lancaster Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Lancaster and Chester counties of southeastern Pennsylvania, centered on the city of Lancaster. The wine region includes 225,000 acres (91,054 ha) in a valley that is roughly 30 miles (48 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide, although only 400 acres (162 ha) are planted to grapevines. The Lancaster Valley area is one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Pennsylvania, and features rich topsoil over limestone bedrock. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and is located in hardiness zones 6b and 7a.
The Outer Coastal Plain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southeastern New Jersey. The recently expanded 2,250,000 acres (911,000 ha) wine appellation includes all of Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, and Ocean counties and portions of Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, and Monmouth counties. The region is characterized by well-drained sandy or sandy loam soils of low to moderate fertility, and a relatively long growing season. The climate is moderated by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. The region is in hardiness zones 6b, 7a, and 7b. The AVA contains one sub-region, the Cape May Peninsula AVA, which was established in 2018.
The Warren Hills AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Warren County, New Jersey. The Warren Hills region includes several small valleys formed by tributaries of the Delaware River. The valleys drain from northeast to southwest, and most vineyards in the area are planted on southeast-facing hill slopes. The region is primarily planted with French hybrid grapes. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and is located in hardiness zones 6b and 6a.
The Western Connecticut Highlands AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes all of Litchfield and parts of Fairfield, New Haven, and Hartford counties in Connecticut. The Connecticut Highlands are far enough away from Long Island Sound that there is little of the moderating effect on climate that large bodies of water produce. The region is relatively cool, with a short growing season between mid-May and mid-September. The soil in the area is glacial schist and gneiss. Local vintners have had the most success with cool climate Vitis vinifera and French hybrid grape varieties. The region is located in hardiness zones 5b and 6a.
The Martha's Vineyard AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, including all of the land on the islands named Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island. These two islands are located off the southern Massachusetts coast, surrounded by Vineyard Sound, Nantucket Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean. The creation of the AVA in 1985 was controversial. Objections were lodged by the proprietors of a vineyard in California also named Martha's Vineyard, who felt that the creation of an AVA with the same name would dilute their brand value. Federal regulators ruled in favor of the AVA, citing historical evidence that viticulture has been practiced on the Massachusetts island named Martha's Vineyard since at least 1602. The maritime location helps to create a slightly warmer climate than the nearby coastal regions of Massachusetts, and a growing season that is almost three weeks longer. The hardiness zone is 7a.
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 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.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
In viticulture, the climates of wine regions are categorised based on the overall characteristics of the area's climate during the growing season. While variations in macroclimate are acknowledged, the climates of most wine regions are categorised as being part of a Mediterranean, maritime or continental climate. The majority of the world's premium wine production takes place in one of these three climate categories in locations between the 30th parallel and 50th parallel in both the northern and southern hemisphere. While viticulture does exist in some tropical climates, most notably Brazil, the amount of quality wine production in those areas is so small that the climate effect has not been as extensively studied as other categories.
The Cape May Peninsula AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in extreme southern New Jersey. The 126,635 acres (51,000 ha) wine appellation includes most of Cape May county and a small portion of Cumberland county. The region is characterized by well-drained sandy or sandy loam soils of low to moderate fertility, and a relatively long growing season. The climate is strongly moderated by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. The region is in hardiness zones 6b, 7a, and 7b. The AVA is entirely contained within the larger Outer Coastal Plain AVA, but is distinguished from it primarily by a more moderate temperature, providing for a longer growing season.
The Eastern Connecticut Highlands AVA is an American Viticultural Area established on October 11, 2019, in Connecticut. It is located in Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland, and Windham counties. The area is one of rolling hills with elevations of 200 to 1,000 feet. There are pronounced ridgelines to the east and west with higher elevations. The region is relatively cool, with a short growing season between mid-May and mid-September. Its climate is similar to the Finger Lakes region of New York, The soil in the area is composed of glacial till. Local vintners have had the most success with cool climate Vitis vinifera and French hybrid grape varieties. The region is located in hardiness zones 6a to 7a. Sharpe Hill Vineyard in Pomfret is the largest and oldest winery in the AVA. The vineyard petitioned the TTB to lobby for the establishment of the AVA.
References
- ↑ "§9.72 Southeastern New England" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR). Retrieved February 8, 2008.
- ↑ "American Viticultural Areas by State". Wine Institute. 2008. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008.
- 1 2 "Southeastern New England (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013.