View source for American Viticultural Area

{{short description|Designated wine grape-growing region in the U.S.}}
{{use mdy dates |date=May 2020 }}
[[File:Solomon Hills Rose (2).jpg|thumb|A bottle of wine from the [[Santa Maria Valley AVA]], the nation's third American Viticultural Area established in 1981]]
An '''American Viticultural Area''' ('''AVA''') is a designated [[wine]] [[grape]]-growing region in the [[United States]], providing an official [[appellation]] for the mutual benefit of [[winery|wineries]] and consumers. [[Winemakers]] frequently want their consumers to know about the geographic pedigree of their wines, as wines from a particular area can possess distinctive characteristics. Consumers often seek out wines from specific AVAs, and certain wines of particular pedigrees can claim premium prices and loyal customers. If a wine is labeled with an AVA, at least 85% of the grapes that make up the wine must have been grown in the AVA, and the wine must be fully finished within the [[U.S. state|state]] where the AVA is located.<ref name="TTB_appellations">{{cite web |title=Wine Appellations of Origin |url=https://www.ttb.gov/appellations-of-origin |website= Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau |publisher=U.S. Department of the Treasury |access-date= April 15, 2021}}</ref>

== Regulations ==
Since 1980, the boundaries of AVAs were defined by the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms |Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)]], an independent bureau within the [[United States Department of the Treasury]] that received and handled petitions for viticultural areas, wine production and labeling. On January 2003, under the provisions of the [[Homeland Security Act of 2002]], the ATF was extensively reorganized and the [[Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau | Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)]] was created to oversee viticultural areas and wine production and labeling.<ref name="TTB_appellations"/><ref name="TTB_History">{{cite web |url=https://www.ttb.gov/about-ttb/history| website=TTB.gov |title= The TTB Story | publisher= Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury]] | year=2002}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> 

Section 4.25(e)(2) of the regulations (27 C.F.R. § 4.25(e)(2)) outlines the procedure for proposing an AVA and provides that any interested party may petition the TTB to establish a grape-growing region as an AVA.  Section 9.12 of the TTB regulations (27 C.F.R. § 9.12) prescribes the standards for petitions for the establishment or modification of AVAs.  Petitions to establish an AVA must include the following: 
* Evidence that the area within the proposed AVA boundary is nationally or locally known by the AVA name specified in the petition; 
* An explanation of the basis for defining the boundary of the proposed AVA; 
* A narrative description of the features of the proposed AVA affecting [[viticulture]], such as [[climate]], [[geology]], [[soils]], physical features, and [[elevation]], that make the proposed AVA distinctive and distinguish it from adjacent areas outside the proposed AVA; 
* The appropriate [[United States Geological Survey]] (USGS) [[quadrangle (geography)|map(s)]] showing the location of the proposed AVA, with the boundary of the proposed AVA clearly drawn thereon; 
* An explanation of how of the proposed AVA is sufficiently distinct from an existing AVA so as to warrant separate recognition, if the proposed AVA is to be established within, or overlapping, an existing AVA; and 
* A detailed narrative description of the proposed AVA boundary based on USGS map markings.
Once a petition is accepted as complete, the TTB may choose to seek public input on the proposal and at its sole discretion may approve the proposed AVA. 

Before the AVA system, wine appellations of origin in the United States were designated based on [[U.S. state|state]] or [[U.S. county|county]] boundaries. All of these appellations were [[Grandfather clause|grandfathered]] into federal regulations and may appear on wine labels as designated places of origin in lieu of an AVA, such as [[Sonoma County]]. In order for a wine to be labeled with a state or county appellation, at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown within the boundary of the appellation, and the wine must be fully finished within the state in which the appellation is located. Some states have more stringent rules, such as [[California]], which requires 100% of the grapes used to make the wine be from California and that the wine be fully finished within the state. [[Washington (state)|Washington]] requires 95% of the grapes in a [[Washington wine]] be grown in Washington, although notably the [[Columbia Valley AVA]], [[Columbia Gorge AVA]], and [[Walla Walla Valley AVA]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://greatnorthwestwine.com/2015/04/13/washington-oregon-wine-leaders-oppose-proposed-ava-rule/|title=Washington/Oregon Wine Leaders Oppose AVA Rule|website=Great Northwest Wine|date=April 13, 2015 }}</ref> are shared with Oregon.

== Around the country ==
{{See |List of American Viticultural Areas}}
[[File:Michigan Chardonnay vineyard.jpg|thumb|A vineyard in the [[Leelanau Peninsula AVA]], in [[Michigan]]. Michigan is home to five AVAs, all adjacent to [[Lake Michigan]].]]
AVAs vary widely in size,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://winewitandwisdomswe.com//?s=AVA|title=Welcome to the World, Tehachapi Mountains AVA!
|format=e.g., AVA geographic areas|language=en-US|date=|website=Wine, Wit and Wisdom|access-date=2019-05-10}}</ref> ranging from the [[Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA]], at more than 19 million acres ({{convert|29900|sqmi|km2|-3}}) across four states ([[Illinois]], [[Iowa]], [[Minnesota]], and [[Wisconsin]]),<ref>{{Cite web|title = Upper Mississippi River Valley (AVA)|url = http://www.appellationamerica.com/wine-region/Upper-Mississippi-River-Valley.html|website = Appellation America|access-date = 2015-07-17}}</ref> to the [[Cole Ranch AVA]] in [[Mendocino County]], California, at only {{convert|60|acre|ha|0}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Cole Ranch (AVA)|url = http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-region/Cole-Ranch.html|website = Appelation America| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907220214/http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-region/Cole-Ranch.html| archive-date=2013-09-07 | url-status=live|access-date = 2015-07-17}}</ref> 

The [[Augusta AVA]], which occupies the area around the town of [[Augusta, Missouri]], was the first recognized AVA, gaining the status on June 20, 1980.<ref name="ATF">{{cite journal|url=https://www.ttb.gov/system/files/images/pdfs/Augusta_final_rule.pdf|journal=[[Federal Register]]|title=Augusta Viticultural Area|date=1980-06-20|publisher=[[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms]] (ATF), [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury]]|volume=45|issue=121|format=27 CFR Part 9 [T.D. ATF-72; Notice No. 325] Final Rule|pages=41632–41634|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506001823/https://www.ttb.gov/system/files/images/pdfs/Augusta_final_rule.pdf|archive-date=May 6, 2024|url-status=live|access-date=May 6, 2024}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> There are currently 277 AVAs spread across 34 states, with over half (154) in California.<ref name="ttb">{{cite web |title=Established American Viticultural Areas | url=https://www.ttb.gov/wine/established-avas |website=[[Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau]] (TTB) |publisher=[[U.S. Department of the Treasury]] |access-date=30 October 2025}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

An AVA may be located within one or more larger AVAs. For example, the [[Santa Clara Valley AVA]] and [[Livermore Valley AVA]] are located within the boundaries of the [[San Francisco Bay AVA]], which is itself located within the [[Central Coast AVA]].<ref name="ttb" /> In such cases, the wine may be labeled with any of the relevant AVAs, but winemakers generally label wines with the most specific AVA allowed for each wine. Smaller AVAs are often perceived to be associated with smaller production and higher quality wines, though this is not always the case. See map on the right showing the outline of the [[Paso Robles AVA]], California's largest in total area, and the eleven distinct AVAs contained within it.  
[[File:Paso Robles AVA.jpg|thumb|[[Paso Robles AVA]] in California's [[Central Coast AVA|Central Coast]].]] 

In 2018, the second session of the [[115th United States Congress|115th Congress]] recognized the contribution of American Viticultural Areas to the economy. The Blunt-Merkley Resolution passed unanimously.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-blunt-merkley-resolution-recognizing-economic-and-cultural-contributions-of-american-viticultural-areas|title=Senate Passes Blunt-Merkley Resolution Recognizing Economic & Cultural Contributions of American Viticultural Areas|date=September 26, 2018|website=Sen. Roy Blunt|format=Press release|access-date=2019-03-26|archive-date=March 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326175542/https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-blunt-merkley-resolution-recognizing-economic-and-cultural-contributions-of-american-viticultural-areas|url-status=dead}}</ref> It noted that an AVA allows vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wine, while helping vintners to build and enhance the reputation and value of the wines produced. AVAs also allow consumers to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic to a wine made from grapes grown in an AVA. AVAs also help consumers identify what they purchase.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blunt.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Viticultural%20resolution.pdf|title=Recognizing the contributions of American Viticultural Areas and winegrowing regions|format=Blunt-Merkley Resolution|date=2018-09-26|website=www.blunt.senate.gov|access-date=2019-03-26|archive-date=March 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326175611/https://www.blunt.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Viticultural%20resolution.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Wine}}
*[[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]]
*[[Denominazione di origine controllata]]
*{{Lang|es|[[Denominación de origen]]}}
*[[Indicazione Geografica Tipica]]
*[[American wine]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.ttb.gov/appellations-of-origin Appellations of Origin] TTBGov
*[https://www.ttb.gov/wine/established-avas Established American Viticultural Areas] TTBGov
*[https://www.ttb.gov/images/AVA/ Interactive AVA map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812062205/https://www.ttb.gov/images/AVA/ |date=August 12, 2023 }} TTBGov
*[https://www.ttb.gov/wine/list-of-pending-american-viticultural-areas-petitions Pending AVA Approval]  TTBGov

{{Authority control}}

{{American wine}}
{{Geographical indications}}
[[Category:American Viticultural Areas| ]]
[[Category:Appellations]]
[[Category:Wine classification]]
[[Category:Wine-related lists|American Viticultural Area]]
[[Category:United States geography-related lists]]