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American Viticultural Areas / AVAs

Top 10 States by # of AVAs California - 108 AVAs Oregon - 16 AVAs New York - 9 AVAs Washington - 9 AVAs Texas - 8 AVAs Pennsylvania - 6 AVAs Virginia - 6 AVAs Ohio - 5 AVAs Michigan - 4 AVAs Missouri - 4 AVAs

An American Viticultural Area or AVA is a designated wine grape-growing region in the U.S. AVA boundaries are defined by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)

An AVA may also be referred to as an Appellation of Origin.

According to the TTB, there are 191 AVAs in the United States as of May, 2007. As one would expect, well over half of these (108) are in California. While there are wineries in all 50 states, there are only AVAs in 30.

Following is a list of the states with the most AVAs:

Arizona AVAs - 1

1. Sonoita

Arkansas AVAs - 3

1. Altus
2. Arkansas Mountain
3. Ozark Mountain (AR, MO, OK)

Smallest AVA The Cole Ranch AVA is the smallest American Viticultural Area stretching less than a quarter of an acre between the Russian River and Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, California.

California AVAs - 108

1. Alexander Valley
2. Alta Mesa
3. Anderson Valley
4. Arroyo Grande Valley
5. Arroyo Seco
6. Atlas Peak
7. Ben Lomond Mountain
8. Benmore Valley
9. Bennett Valley
10. Borden Ranch
11. California Shenandoah Valley
12. Capay Valley
13. Carmel Valley
14. Carneros (Los Carneros)
15. Central Coast
16. Chalk Hill
17. Chalone
18. Chiles Valley
19. Cienega Valley
20. Clarksburg
21. Clear Lake
22. Clements Hills
23. Cole Ranch
24. Cosumnes River
25. Covela
26. Cucamonga Valley
27. Diablo Grande
28. Diamond Mountain District
29. Dos Rios
30. Dry Creek Valley
31. Dunnigan Hills
32. Edna Valley
33. El Dorado
34. Fair Play
35. Fiddletown
36. Green Valley of Russian River Valley
37. Guenoc Valley
38. Hames Valley
39. High Valley
40. Howell Mountain
41. Jahant
42. Knights Valley
43. Lime Kiln Valley
44. Livermore Valley
45. Lodi
46. Los Carneros (Carneros)
47. Madera
48. Malibu-Newton Canyon
49. McDowell Valley
50. Mendocino
51. Mendocino Ridge
52. Merritt Island
53. Mokelumne River
54. Monterey
55. Mt. Harlan
56. Mt. Veeder
57. Napa Valley
58. North Coast
59. North Yuba
60. Northern Sonoma
61. Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
62. Oakville
63. Pacheco Pass
64. Paicines
65. Paso Robles
66. Potter Valley
67. Ramona Valley
68. Red Hills Lake County
69. Redwood Valley
70. River Junction
71. Rockpile
72. Russian River Valley
73. Rutherford
74. Saddle Rock - Malibu
75. Salado Creek
76. San Antonio Valley
77. San Benito
78. San Bernabe
79. San Francisco Bay
80. San Lucas
81. San Pasqual Valley
82. San Ysidro District
83. Santa Clara Valley
84. Santa Cruz Mountains
85. Santa Lucia Highlands
86. Santa Maria Valley
87. Santa Ynez Valley
88. Seiad Valley
89. Sierra Foothills
90. Sloughhouse
91. Solano County Green Valley
92. Sonoma Coast
93. Sonoma Mountain
94. Sonoma Valley
95. South Coast
96. Spring Mountain District
97. St. Helena
98. Sta. Rita Hills
99. Stags Leap District
100. Suisun Valley
101. Temecula Valley
102. Tracy Hills
103. Trinity Lakes
104. Wild Horse Valley
105. Willow Creek
106. York Mountain
107. Yorkville Highlands
108. Yountville

Newest AVAs Green Valley of Russian River Valley - Name change from Sonoma County Green Valley (4/23/2007) Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey (3/12/2007) Snake River Valley, Idaho, Oregon (4/9/2007)

Colorado AVAs - 2

1. Grand Valley
2. West Elks

Connecticut AVAs - 2

1. Southeastern New England (CT, MA, RI)
2. Western Connecticut Highlands

Idaho AVAs - 1

1. Snake River Valley (ID, OR)

Illinois AVAs - 1

1. Shawnee Hills

Largest AVA The Ohio River Valley AVA is the largest American Viticultural Area stretching over 16.64 million acres of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Indiana AVAs - 1

1. Ohio River Valley (IN, KY, OH, WV)

Kentucky AVAs - 1

1. Ohio River Valley (IN, KY, OH, WV)

Louisiana AVAs - 1

1. Mississippi Delta (LA, MS, TN)

Maryland AVAs - 3

1. Catoctin
2. Cumberland Valley (MD, PA)
3. Linganore

Massachusetts AVAs - 2

1. Martha's Vineyard
2. Southeastern New England (CT, MA, RI)

Michigan AVAs - 4

1. Fennville
2. Lake Michigan Shore
3. Leelanau Peninsula
4. Old Mission Peninsula

Minnesota AVAs - 1

1. Alexandria Lakes

Mississippi AVAs - 1

1. Mississippi Delta (LA, MS, TN)

Missouri AVAs - 4

1. Augusta
2. Hermann
3. Ozark Highlands
4. Ozark Mountain (AR, MO, OK)

New Jersey AVAs - 3

1. Central Delaware Valley (NJ, PA)
2. Outer Coastal Plain
3. Warren Hills

New Mexico AVAs - 3

1. Mesilla Valley (NM, TX)
2. Middle Rio Grande Valley
3. Mimbres Valley

New York AVAs - 9

1. Cayuga Lake
2. Finger Lakes
3. Hudson River Region
4. Lake Erie (OH, NY, PA)
5. Long Island
6. Niagara Escarpment
7. North Fork of Long Island
8. Seneca Lake
9. The Hamptons, Long Island

North Carolina AVAs - 2

1. Swan Creek
2. Yadkin Valley

Ohio AVAs - 5

1. Grand River Valley
2. Isle St. George
3. Lake Erie (OH, NY, PA)
4. Loramie Creek
5. Ohio River Valley (IN, KY, OH, WV)

Oklahoma AVAs - 1

1. Ozark Mountain (AR, MO, OK)

Oregon AVAs - 16

1. Applegate Valley
2. Chehalem Mountains
3. Columbia Gorge (OR, WA)
4. Columbia Valley (OR, WA)
5. Dundee Hills
6. Eola-Amity Hills
7. McMinnville
8. Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon
9. Ribbon Ridge
10. Rogue Valley
11. Snake River Valley (ID, OR)
12. Southern Oregon
13. Umpqua Valley
14. Walla Walla Valley (OR, WA)
15. Willamette Valley
16. Yamhill-Carlton District

Pennsylvania AVAs - 6

1. Central Delaware Valley (NJ, PA)
2. Cumberland Valley (MD, PA)
3. Lake Erie (OH, NY, PA)
4. Lancaster Valley
5. Lehigh Valley
6. Southeastern New England (CT, MA, RI)

Tennessee AVAs - 1

1. Mississippi Delta (LA, MS, TN)

Texas AVAs - 8

1. Bell Mountain
2. Escondido Valley
3. Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country
4. Mesilla Valley (NM, TX)
5. Texas Davis Mountains
6. Texas High Plains
7. Texas Hill Country
8. Texoma

Virginia AVAs - 6

1. Monticello
2. North Fork of Roanoke
3. Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace
4. Rocky Knob
5. Shenandoah Valley (VA, WV)
6. Virginia's Eastern Shore

Washington AVAs - 9

1. Columbia Gorge (OR, WA)
2. Columbia Valley (OR, WA)
3. Horse Heaven Hills
4. Puget Sound
5. Rattlesnake Hills
6. Red Mountain
7. Wahluke Slope
8. Walla Walla Valley (OR, WA)
9. Yakima Valley

West Virginia AVAs - 3

1. Kanawha River Valley
2. Ohio River Valley (IN, KY, OH, WV)
3. Shenandoah Valley (VA, WV)

Wisconsin AVAs - 1

1. Lake Wisconsin

Source: "AUTHORIZED WINE APPELLATIONS OF ORIGIN – U.S. Viticultural Areas". Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), U.S. Department of Treasury.