The official definition of an (AVA) or American Viticultural Area, is a designated appellation for vineyards in the United States distinguishable by geographic, geologic, and climatic features and approved by U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
If you ask a winemaker, they will simply answer that an AVA is all about the terroir.
AVA and Terroir
If you ask a winemaker, they will simply answer that an AVA is all about the terroir. Terroir is the idea that wine has unique qualities depending on where the grapes are grown. The soil, climate, altitude, exposure and terrain all affect the taste of a wine
Terroir is the French concept of “place reflected in the glass”.
These designated grape growing regions, AVAs, allow vintners and wine enthusiasts to attribute unique characteristics, climatic features, quality, reputation, or other attributes of a wine made from grapes grown to its specific AVA geographic region.
Some AVAs are said to have more ‘terroir’ than others. This concept always prompts a passionate and contested discussion.
The smaller the AVA, the more unique the terroir. As of 2019, there are 246 recognized AVAs in 33 states—several AVAs are located in two or more states. The movement to establish more AVAs is especially strong in California which currently has over 139 AVA’s.
It is beneficial for a winery to be a part of a prestigious or well-known AVA which garners more positive views on their vineyard’s grapes and finished wines. This allows the vintner to better market their wines and exact higher revenue.
There are other vineyards that believe their region is unique enough to create a new AVA and benefit from the exceptionality of it’s terroir.
To obtain approval from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to establish a new AVA, there must be significant evidence that the microclimate within the designated geographic area is unique and consistent.
What is Appellation of Origin?
An Appellation is used to convey a wine’s place of origin and is based solely on geographical boundaries. An appellation may consist of a state, a sizable region that crosses one or several state lines, a county, or a designated AVA
AVA and Wine Labels
The AVA designation on wine labels more accurately describes the origin of the vintner’s wines and helps consumers understand the wine’s characteristics before they purchase.
For a Vintner to include an AVA on their wine label, or even reference a specific state, they must meet certain established requirements.
Wine labels may identify several levels of grape origins.
- State/County label listings under Federal Law: The listing of the State or County on wine labels is allowed under federal law if at least 75% of the grapes come from that named state or county. The remaining 25% can come from outside the named state or county.
- State label listings under State Law: In California and some other states, if the wine label lists a state, then 100% of the grapes must come from the listed state. This is more restrictive than federal requirements.
· American Viticultural Area (AVA): For the AVA to be named on the wine label, 85% of the grapes must come from the named AVA. The remaining 15% of the grapes used in the wine can come from outside of the listed AVA but must come from the same state as the listed AVA.
Below is a complete list of U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) recognized AVAs referenced by State as of 2019 with links to detail information on each specific AVA:
Arizona
Arkansas
- Altus AVA
- Arkansas Mountain AVA
- Ozark Mountain AVA (shared with Missouri and Oklahoma)
California
General locations of California’s wine regions.
Cascade Foothills
These AVAs are located in far northern California, east of Redding.
Central Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains
All of these AVAs are included in the geographic boundaries of the Central Coast AVA with the exceptions of Ben Lomond Mountain AVA and Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, which are surrounded by, but are specifically excluded from, the larger regional AVA.
- Adelaida District AVA
- Arroyo Grande Valley AVA
- Arroyo Seco AVA
- Ballard Canyon AVA
- Ben Lomond Mountain AVA
- Carmel Valley AVA
- Central Coast AVA
- Chalone AVA
- Cienega Valley AVA
- Creston District AVA
- Edna Valley AVA
- El Pomar District AVA
- Hames Valley AVA
- Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA
- Lamorinda AVA[4]
- Lime Kiln Valley AVA
- Livermore Valley AVA
- Los Olivos District AVA
- Monterey AVA
- Mt. Harlan AVA
- Pacheco Pass AVA
- Paicines AVA
- Paso Robles AVA
- Paso Robles Estrella District AVA
- Paso Robles Geneseo District AVA
- Paso Robles Highlands District AVA
- Paso Robles Willow Creek District AVA
- San Antonio Valley AVA
- San Benito AVA
- San Bernabe AVA
- San Francisco Bay AVA
- San Juan Creek AVA
- San Lucas AVA
- San Miguel District AVA
- San Ysidro District AVA
- Santa Clara Valley AVA
- Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
- Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
- Santa Margarita Ranch AVA
- Santa Maria Valley AVA
- Santa Ynez Valley AVA
- Sta. Rita Hills AVA
- Templeton Gap District AVA
- York Mountain AVA
Central Valley
Unlike other regions of California, there is no large regional AVA designation that includes the entire Central Valley wine growing region.
- Alta Mesa AVA
- Borden Ranch AVA
- Capay Valley AVA
- Clarksburg AVA
- Clements Hills AVA
- Cosumnes River AVA
- Diablo Grande AVA
- Dunnigan Hills AVA
- Jahant AVA
- Lodi AVA
- Madera AVA
- Merritt Island AVA
- Mokelumne River AVA
- River Junction AVA
- Salado Creek AVA
- Sloughhouse AVA
- Squaw Valley-Miramonte AVA
- Tracy Hills AVA
Klamath Mountains
These AVAs are located in the southern Klamath Mountains of far northwestern California.
North Coast
All of these AVAs are included within the geographic boundaries of the six-county North Coast AVA.
- Alexander Valley AVA
- Anderson Valley AVA
- Atlas Peak AVA
- Benmore Valley AVA
- Bennett Valley AVA
- Big Valley District-Lake County AVA
- Calistoga AVA
- Chalk Hill AVA
- Chiles Valley AVA
- Clear Lake AVA
- Cole Ranch AVA
- Coombsville AVA
- Covelo AVA
- Diamond Mountain District AVA
- Dos Rios AVA
- Dry Creek Valley AVA
- Eagle Peak Mendocino County AVA
- Fort Ross-Seaview AVA
- Fountaingrove District AVA[5]
- Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA
- Guenoc Valley AVA
- High Valley AVA
- Howell Mountain AVA
- Kelsey Bench-Lake County
- Knights Valley AVA
- Los Carneros AVA
- McDowell Valley AVA
- Mendocino AVA
- Mendocino Ridge AVA
- Moon Mountain District Sonoma County AVA
- Mt. Veeder AVA
- Napa Valley AVA
- North Coast AVA
- Northern Sonoma AVA
- Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA
- Oakville AVA
- Petaluma Gap AVA[6]
- Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA
- Potter Valley AVA
- Red Hills Lake County AVA
- Redwood Valley AVA
- Rockpile AVA
- Russian River Valley AVA
- Rutherford AVA
- Solano County Green Valley AVA
- Sonoma Coast AVA
- Sonoma Mountain AVA
- Sonoma Valley AVA
- Spring Mountain District AVA
- St. Helena AVA
- Stags Leap District AVA
- Suisun Valley AVA
- Wild Horse Valley AVA
- Yorkville Highlands AVA
- Yountville AVA
Sierra Foothills
All of these AVAs are contained entirely within the geographic boundaries of the Sierra Foothills AVA.
- California Shenandoah Valley AVA
- El Dorado AVA
- Fair Play AVA
- Fiddletown AVA
- North Yuba AVA
- Sierra Foothills AVA
South Coast
All of these AVAs are contained entirely within the geographic boundaries of the South Coast AVA.
- Antelope Valley of the California High Desert AVA
- Cucamonga Valley AVA
- Leona Valley AVA
- Malibu Coast AVA
- Malibu-Newton Canyon AVA
- Ramona Valley AVA
- Saddle Rock-Malibu AVA
- San Pasqual Valley AVA
- Sierra Pelona Valley AVA
- South Coast AVA
- Temecula Valley AVA
Colorado
Connecticut
- Eastern Connecticut Highlands AVA
- Southeastern New England AVA (shared with Massachusetts and Rhode Island)
Georgia
- Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA (shared with North Carolina)
Idaho
- Eagle Foothills AVA
- Lewis-Clark Valley AVA (shared with Washington)
- Snake River Valley AVA (shared with Oregon)
Illinois
- Shawnee Hills AVA
- Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (shared with Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin)
Indiana
- Indiana Uplands
- Ohio River Valley AVA (shared with Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia)
Iowa
- Loess Hills District AVA (shared with Missouri)
- Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (shared with Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin)
Kentucky
- Ohio River Valley AVA (shared with Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia)
Louisiana
- Mississippi Delta AVA (shared with Mississippi and Tennessee)
Maryland
- Catoctin AVA
- Cumberland Valley AVA (shared with Pennsylvania)
- Linganore AVA
Massachusetts
- Martha’s Vineyard AVA
- Southeastern New England AVA (shared with Connecticut and Rhode Island)
Michigan
- Fennville AVA
- Lake Michigan Shore AVA
- Leelanau Peninsula AVA
- Old Mission Peninsula AVA
- Tip of the Mitt AVA
Minnesota
- Alexandria Lakes AVA
- Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (shared with Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin)
Mississippi
- Mississippi Delta AVA (shared with Louisiana and Tennessee)
Missouri
- Augusta AVA
- Hermann AVA
- Loess Hills District AVA (shared with Iowa)
- Ozark Highlands AVA
- Ozark Mountain AVA (shared with Arkansas and Oklahoma)
New Jersey
- Cape May Peninsula AVA
- Central Delaware Valley AVA (shared with Pennsylvania)
- Outer Coastal Plain AVA
- Warren Hills AVA
New Mexico
- Mesilla Valley AVA (shared with Texas)
- Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA
- Mimbres Valley AVA
New York
- Cayuga Lake AVA
- Champlain Valley of New York AVA
- Finger Lakes AVA
- Hudson River Region AVA
- Lake Erie AVA (shared with Ohio and Pennsylvania)
- Long Island AVA
- Niagara Escarpment AVA
- North Fork of Long Island AVA
- Seneca Lake AVA
- The Hamptons, Long Island AVA
- Upper Hudson AVA
North Carolina
- Appalachian High Country AVA (shared with Tennessee and Virginia)
- Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County AVA
- Haw River Valley AVA
- Swan Creek AVA
- Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA (shared with Georgia)
- Yadkin Valley AVA
Ohio
- Grand River Valley AVA
- Isle St. George AVA
- Lake Erie AVA (shared with New York and Pennsylvania)
- Loramie Creek AVA
- Ohio River Valley AVA (shared with Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia)
Oklahoma
- Ozark Mountain AVA (shared with Arkansas and Missouri)
Oregon
Oregon map featuring 19 AVAs as of January 2019 courtesy of the Oregon Wine Board
- Applegate Valley AVA
- Chehalem Mountains AVA
- Columbia Gorge AVA (shared with Washington)
- Columbia Valley AVA (shared with Washington)
- Dundee Hills AVA
- Elkton Oregon AVA
- Eola-Amity Hills AVA
- Laurelwood District AVA
- McMinnville AVA
- Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA
- Ribbon Ridge AVA
- The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA
- Rogue Valley AVA
- Snake River Valley AVA (shared with Idaho)
- Southern Oregon AVA
- Tualatin Hills AVA
- Umpqua Valley AVA
- Van Duzer Corridor AVA
- Walla Walla Valley AVA (shared with Washington)
- Willamette Valley AVA
- Yamhill-Carlton AVA
Pennsylvania
- Central Delaware Valley AVA (shared with New Jersey)
- Cumberland Valley AVA (shared with Maryland)
- Lake Erie AVA (shared with New York and Ohio)
- Lancaster Valley AVA
- Lehigh Valley AVA
Rhode Island
- Southeastern New England AVA (shared with Connecticut and Massachusetts)
Tennessee
- Appalachian High Country AVA (shared with North Carolina and Virginia)
- Mississippi Delta AVA (shared with Louisiana and Mississippi)
Texas
- Bell Mountain AVA
- Escondido Valley AVA
- Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA
- Mesilla Valley AVA (shared with New Mexico)
- Texas Davis Mountains AVA
- Texas High Plains AVA
- Texas Hill Country AVA
- Texoma AVA
Virginia
- Appalachian High Country AVA (shared with North Carolina and Tennessee)
- Middleburg Virginia AVA
- Monticello AVA
- North Fork of Roanoke AVA
- Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA
- Rocky Knob AVA
- Shenandoah Valley AVA (shared with West Virginia)
- Virginia’s Eastern Shore AVA
Washington
- Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley AVA
- Columbia Gorge AVA (shared with Oregon)
- Columbia Valley AVA (shared with Oregon)
- Horse Heaven Hills AVA
- Lake Chelan AVA
- Lewis-Clark Valley AVA (shared with Idaho)
- Naches Heights AVA
- Puget Sound AVA
- Rattlesnake Hills AVA
- Red Mountain AVA
- Snipes Mountain AVA
- Wahluke Slope AVA
- Walla Walla Valley AVA (shared with Oregon)
- Yakima Valley AVA
West Virginia
- Kanawha River Valley AVA
- Ohio River Valley AVA (shared with Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio)
- Shenandoah Valley AVA (shared with Virginia)
Wisconsin
- Lake Wisconsin AVA
- Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA (shared with Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota)
- Wisconsin Ledge AVA