🏷️ American Viticultural Area
The US system of wine zones defined by place, with no rules on grape varieties.
AVA, American Viticultural Area, is the American system of wine zones. It shows where the grapes come from: which area on the map of the United States. Zones are defined by geography, climate and soil. There are many, more than 270, and they vary in size from small valleys to huge territories.
The AVA rules are simple. If a zone is named on the label, at least 85 percent of the grapes must be grown in it. But the system does not say which grapes are permitted, what the yield must be or how the wine is made. That is its difference from European systems such as the French AOC. AVA is only about place.
The first zone was Augusta in Missouri, and the best known lie in California: Napa Valley, Sonoma and others. There are zones in Oregon, Washington, New York and other states too.
AVA belongs to the wine classifications. A similar Australian system is called GI, geographical indication. For the buyer, the zone name on the label hints where the wine comes from.
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ American Viticultural Area → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Wine classifications
- Similar and different
- 🏷️ Geographical indication (Australia)
Frequently asked questions
What does AVA mean?
American Viticultural Area, an American wine zone defined by place.
How much of the grapes must come from an AVA?
At least 85 percent.
How is AVA different from the French AOC?
AVA speaks only of place of origin and does not regulate grapes, yield or production methods.
Similar
🏷️ Vintners Quality Alliance · 🏷️ Wine of Origin · 🏷️ Geographical indication (Australia) · 🏷️ Klosterneuburger Mostwaage · 🏷️ Cava (Greece) · 🏷️ Reserva (Portugal)
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.