The Wine Road Less Traveled The Wine Road Less Traveled - helping you to find
unexpected fine wine and fine dining experiences!
Home | About | Blog | Calendar | Education | Store | Wine Making | Wine Regions / Wineries | Wine Bars | Wine Retailers | Resources | RSS
Education: Articles | Books | DVDs | Classes | Glossary | Grape Varieties | Wine Magazines | Serving Wine | Wine Storage
Home >> Articles >> AVAs...
Bookmark and Share

American Viticultural Areas / AVAs

Top 10 States by # of AVAs
  1. California - 108 AVAs
  2. Oregon - 16 AVAs
  3. New York - 9 AVAs
    Washington - 9 AVAs
  4. Texas - 8 AVAs
  5. Pennsylvania - 6 AVAs
    Virginia - 6 AVAs
  6. Ohio - 5 AVAs
  7. 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
  1. Green Valley of Russian River Valley - Name change from Sonoma County Green Valley (4/23/2007)
  2. Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey (3/12/2007)
  3. 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.

Copyright © 2008 WorldReach Marketing. All Rights Reserved.