| Wine region | |
 | |
| Official name | State of West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. State Appellation [1] |
| Year established | 1863 |
| Years of wine industry | 199 [2] |
| Country | United States |
| Sub-regions | Shenandoah Valley AVA, Ohio River Valley AVA, Kanawha River Valley AVA |
| Climate region | Continental/humid subtropical |
| Total area | 15,384,320 acres (24,038 sq mi) [3] |
| No. of vineyards | 4 [4] |
| Grapes produced | Aurore, Baco noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Catawba, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Chardonel, Chardonnay, Concord, De Chaunac, Fredonia, Marechal Foch, Niagara, Norton, Petite Sirah, Pinot noir, Riesling, Seyval blanc, St. Pepin, St. Vincent, Van Buren, Vidal blanc, Vignoles [1] |
| No. of wineries | 11 [1] |
West Virginia wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of West Virginia. West Virginia has 11 wineries located throughout the state among three designated American Viticultural Areas (AVA), Shenandoah Valley, Ohio River Valley and Kanawha River Valley. Only Kanawha River Valley AVA is located entirely within West Virginia while the other two extend acreage into the adjacent states of Ohio and Virginia.
Nicknamed the "Mountain State," West Virginia has the topography which is an important factor to wine region terroir taking advantage of the prevailing winds, the air drainage and the general topography. Vineyards planted among the mountains benefit from constant winds that are funneled through the valleys, drying the canopy and reducing the risk of fungal vine diseases in West Virginia's humid subtropical climate. [2] Because of the state's cold winter climate, most producers focus on French hybrid and native Vitis labrusca grape varieties. The most successful Vitis vinifera plantings are Riesling in the northeast portion of the state. [1]
